When you’re in recovery from substance abuse, learning how to cope with negative emotions and stressful situations is one of the most important things you can do for your mental health. Coping skills are daily strategies that everyone uses to manage positive and negative external situations, and they are essential for a happy, healthy life.

There are two types of coping skills: problem-centered and emotion-centered. Problem-centered coping skills help you deal with exterior issues, such as a toxic relationship or work stress. Alternatively, emotional-centered coping strategies are designed to take care of your mental health, such as self-care, meditation, and mindfulness.

Using the wrong coping skills can have a negative impact on both your mental and physical health. For example, immature coping methods like throwing tantrums, living in denial, and blaming others may provide a temporary sense of relief from stress, but they’re likely to hurt your relationships and make you feel worse in the long run. Mature coping skills, on the other hand, can improve your resilience by teaching you how to process difficult experiences and move on from them.

Learning coping skills can be helpful for anyone, but it’s especially beneficial for people with addiction problems and mental health conditions. Addiction treatment centers use a variety of coping skills to teach their clients how to deal with life’s ups and downs, including the negative emotions that lead to drug and alcohol use.

The most common coping skills used in addiction treatment are cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), deep breathing techniques, and various forms of meditation. CBT teaches individuals how to change the negative, irrational thoughts that often lead to anxiety and depression, while breathing exercises and meditation help relax their body and mind.

In addition to these tools, therapists also teach their patients how to take care of their physical and emotional health. For instance, if someone is feeling depressed, a therapist might recommend that they spend time with friends or do activities that they enjoy. They might also recommend that they try aromatherapy, which has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Many therapists also give their clients coping skill worksheets to practice at home. For example, the Coping Skills: Anxiety worksheet outlines four techniques that can be used to combat anxiety, such as diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, imagery, and challenging irrational thoughts. These sheets can be a great way to reinforce the skills that a client has learned in session and can be an excellent tool to have at their disposal during times of distress. The more a person practices these techniques, the easier and more effective they become.