Given the background I have in twelve step groups, therapy and what I'd been learning in mental health facilities, I came up with coping tools that were realistic and relatively easy to do.
Here's what I wrote down for my "spirit". These are not written down in any particular order. Think of them as little pieces of paper in a hat where you reach in and pick one out.
- Pictures of God's creation
- Biblical teaching (online and DVD)
- Coloring sheets
- Water colors
- Read Psalms in the Old Testament
- Read AA's Big Book
- Read other books that were calming
- Create photo albums and post to Facebook
- Create picture videos of my family or cats
- When feeling rise up, embrace them instead of push them away
- Call someone in my support system
- Call my sponsor
- Spend some time in prayer
- If someone wants to give me a hug and they're safe, allow it
- Spend time with my family
- Spend time outside at the forest preserve at my "spot"
- Remember that God loves me and to trust Him
- No matter what, always do the next right thing
- It's safe to be outside so go ahead and watch a sunset
- When you wake up early and the weather isn't too cold, open your windows and listen to the birds singing. Watching them flit about is also relaxing.
- Sit on your couch or your favorite chair with your body in a relaxed position. Close your eyes and imagine you are some place you love to go or some place you'd love to travel to.
- Watch movies that make you laugh out loud or put that warm feeling in your soul.
- "It's okay to be healthier than those around me."
This is the first step in being able to recognize and learn when my spirit is feeling stress or exhaustion. It has a way of telling me what it needs. I need to pay attention to what it is saying. The best way to manage it is to stay aware, try some of the above to see what works and to ask my therapist if she has any other ideas that I can try.
Practicing the above keeps me in tune in the here and now. I need to stay in the present so that my stress doesn't elevate and instead is able to decrease. If I stay in the stress, I end up saying no to things that God may have wanted to give me.
And who wants to do that?
