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10 Essential Coping Mechanisms for Dealing with Anxiety

Jamie Hairston
4 min readSep 21, 2023

My anxiety has been more prevalent than usual lately due to life’s stressors, and I sometimes struggle to cope. I figured I would share some helpful tips for others working with this today.

Reading, writing, and walking are my go-to coping skills, but sometimes I don’t feel like doing that and want to crawl into bed and watch mindless videos on TikTok or YouTube. I am currently coping with my anxiety by writing about coping methods; let’s get into it.

What’s the Deal with Coping Mechanisms?

First off, what even is a coping mechanism? Think of it as your go-to tool for nailing the game of life, especially when stress and anxiety try to knock you off balance. Research says these strategies are your best buds in maintaining emotional sanity.

Photo Courtesy of Pexels: Suzy Hazelwood

The Nitty-Gritty: 10 Ways to Cope

Mindfulness Meditation

Science Says: Mindfulness helps you become aware of the present, and studies back its efficacy in reducing anxiety. Real Talk: It’s like your brain taking a chill pill.

I have difficulty sitting still long enough to meditate, so I try to focus on 5–10 minutes of meditation. If this is also a challenge for you, I recommend setting a timer on your phone for 2…

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Jamie Hairston
Jamie Hairston

Written by Jamie Hairston

Jamie is a former addiction counselor who now writes fiction about substance abuse and mental health issues.

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