91 Skills To Practice After Being Vulnerable or Feeling Emotionally Drained

Hey there! I’m happy you came across my blog today. If this is your first time here, WELCOME, I am Rachel, a mental health therapist and major dog lover, living and practicing in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.

Each week I write about something that feels pertinent to the greater community as a whole, but also to my personal life. Read through my website and you will know that I know I am not perfect. I’m figuring this out as I go, just like you (and if thats not like you… tell me how you’re doing it!!). The past few weeks I’ve been focused on topics and skills about the quarantine we are all going through, bleh.

As I was looking back through some of my blog posts, (which check out some more of them and PLEASE let me know what topics you want more of- I am ALWAYS looking for new ideas people want to hear about). Anyways, as I was looking back I recognized that there was one post that really seemed to hit home for a lot of people… 5 Ultimate Vulnerability Exercises.

It was written right after I watched Brene Brown‘s netflix segment. After I worked my way through the vulnerability exercises I had created, I felt emotionally exhausted, as if I had just run a mental marathon. In the moment I couldn’t quite identify what I was feeling. So I told myself that I needed to figure out how to move on from these emotions and THEN (dundundun)…

the ideas just started flowing out of me. I actually wrote down 91 things that I felt could help me after being vulnerable. As I looked back on my list, I realized it was also a list of coping skills or things to do with a variety of emotions.

Since then I’ve been sharing it with my clients, family, friends, and now you.

So here is my long mega-list of 91 Skills to Practice After Being Vulnerable or Feeling Emotionally Drained:

***I’ve included my handy dandy free download below with all of the skills in a beautiful doc for you***

Coping Skills Mega List

Mindfulness

  • Cookie breaths (10 deep breaths in as if smelling a plate of cookies)
  • Meditation (insight timer)
  • Breathe in essential oils (lavender- my favorite!)
  • Drink tea
  • Scented candles
  • Essential oil diffuser
  • Journal
  • Talk aloud to yourself about the situation
  • Challenge your thoughts (is this a true, rational thought?)
  • Record your mood
  • One Minute of Focus (hard focus on something in front of you, describe it)
  • Sit in silence and deep breathe
  • Cut up/tear paper, cloth, etc
  • Play with sand
  • Squeeze a stress ball
  • Make slime
  • Massage silly putty
  • Fidget spinner
  • Chug a glass of water
  • Rub ice on your arms or feet
  • Squeeze a pillow
  • Cocoon yourself in a blanket
  • Picture your happy place
  • Listen to nature sounds 
  • Reframe (look at the situation from a more positive lense) 
  • List what you have control over 

Physical

  • Bath
  • Shower
  • Cry in the shower (no one will ever know 😉 )
  • Cry 
  • Sleep
  • Walk away from the situation, give yourself a break
  • Go on a walk
  • Get outside
  • Run
  • Bike
  • Jumping jacks
  • Punch a punching bag
  • Scream into a pillow
  • Sit in a hammock
  • Sit on the beach
  • Stretch
  • Get a message
  • Get a manicure/pedicure
  • Try Reiki
  • Exercise
  • Do restorative yoga

Distract

  • Read
  • Cook
  • Clean
  • Organize your closet
  • Plan your week out 
  • Make a list of your goals
  • List 5 things you like about yourself
  • Watch or play a sport
  • TV
  • Movie
  • Volunteer at an animal shelter
  • Clean up trash in a park
  • Help someone else 
  • Youtube funny videos
  • Dance
  • Listen to music
  • Play video games
  • Distract self with school or work
  • Play a board or card game
  • Rearrange furniture 
  • Teach your pet a new trick
  • Make a collage of your favorite things
  • Do a word search or crossword puzzle
  • List who loves you
  • Read quotes on pinterest and write down your favorites
  • Paint your nails
  • Do your makeup
  • Do a face mask
  • Garden

Reach out for Help

  • Pet an animal 
  • Talk to someone about it
  • Write a letter
  • Text or call an old friend
  • Pray
  • Talk to your therapist
  • Call/Message a mental health hotline (1-800-273-8255)
  • Get a hug

Creative

  • Craft
  • Art (paint, draw, color, play with clay)
  • Sing (loudly!)
  • Write poetry or songs
  • Play an instrument (or learn to 🙂 )
  • Doodle
  • Coloring book

Rachel Cohen, LCSW is the owner and therapist at Seaside Counseling Center in Jacksonville Beach, FL. Rachel works with lonely, frustrated, and overwhelmed teens and 20 something’s online and in-person.