How Do You Cope?
February can be a tricky time of year. The rush and exhaustion of the holidays is behind us, a New Year has begun. School is back in session, summer break for students feels so far away. The sacred stillness of long winter nights is starting to fade, and the dark is slowly yawning into longer, grayer days. This year, it’s not quite cold enough for snow, and the rain has seemed relentless. February. That “head down, go through the motions” time of year.
If a loved one of yours recently died, it’s common to feel as though the extra love and attention that people knew you needed during the holidays has faded to the background of busy lives once again. Your grief is still so present, but that extra support might not be.
In one of our evening groups recently, the tweens spent their time brainstorming different coping strategies. They thought about which strategies were healthy and rejuvenating and unpacked the ways that some others could be unhealthy. We all already know that children have so much to teach us, so check out some of the things our tweens are relying on to take care of themselves. Use their great ideas to show yourself a little kindness and help power yourself through the grind of not quite winter-not quite spring.
Pillows and blankets (nest ‘em up and settle in!)
Cooking or baking (break out that favorite recipe and savor the smells, bonus selfcare points for making extra to share with a friend)
Play violin (not that talented? Me either…listen instead! Music is a tried and true spirits booster and can suit whatever sing out loud or soak in the melody mood you’re in)
Jump rope (or something else that requires less coordination but will get your heart rate up and get your body moving)
Breathe in and out (yep, just that simple. Find your breath. What is it doing? See if you can slow it down and find some stillness between each one.)
Type an essay (or go it the old -fashioned way and set pen to paper. What’s inside your mind begging to be said? Let it out.)
Break something (not so fast! Sometimes we do need ways to cope with anger, but make sure you’re not breaking something irreplaceable and that you’re not at risk of hurting yourself. Try writing out what’s hurting you and ripping it up into tiny pieces)
These are just a few of the ideas that came up during our strategy session; we are so proud of the huge list of ideas these kids created and are feeling inspired by their selfcare skills. Let us know what works for you! Comment below with your favorite go to when you need help coping with tough emotions.
Written by: Kate Lannan, Community Services Director