community education Search helpline

Techniques for Coping with Different Emotions

Are you feeling angry?

  • Safely take scissors and cut up a piece of heavy cardboard, an old shirt, or a plastic bottle
  • Vent to a friend or family member
  • Hold/squeeze ice in your hand
  • Eat a lemon wedge or hot sauce for a sharp sensation
  • Flatten aluminum cans for recycling
  • Hit a punching bag or pillow
  • Smack a wall or your bed with a pillow
  • Listen to music and scream/sing along (genres like heavy metal, hard rock, rap)
  • Rip up a newspaper, printer paper, cue cards, etc.
  • Throw a ball or ice at a wall
  • Dance – have a 1-minute dance party with fist-pumping, jumping, or any other dance moves
  • Tidy or clean up
  • Bang pots and pans
  • Take a hot or cold shower
  • Squeeze a rubber ball
  • Drum using a spatula/spoon and a pot
  • Stomp around or kick dirt
  • Shove a pen into a notebook until it tears through the pages
  • Scream into a jar!

Are you feeling bored?

  • Do a task that requires focus and concentration, like a putting together a puzzle
  • Choose an object in the room and list all of the ways it could be used
  • Learn how to do a hobby or task (yo-yo, shuffling cards, needlepoint, crochet)
  • Write reviews for things you’ve ordered online
  • Follow a DIY tutorial, like a 5-minute craft

Are you feeling depressed?

  • Dance slowly to soft, soothing music
  • Take a hot bath with bubbles or a bath bomb
  • Curl up under a blanket with a hot drink
  • Give or make yourself a present
  • Hug a loved one or stuffed animal
  • Play with a pet
  • Make a list of things that make you happy
  • Do something nice for someone else
  • Listen to motivating music
  • Put body lotion on your legs and pay attention to covering your whole leg with lotion
  • Call a friend or loved one
  • Watch a funny TV show or movie, or funny YouTube videos
  • Visit a friend

Are you feeling lonely?

  • Write down your feelings in a diary
  • Cry it out!
  • Read
  • Listen to a podcast or e-book to avoid silence

Are you feeling tired?

  • Lie down and rest, even if you don't fall into sleep
  • Watch a video of something you find boring to help you drift into sleep – for example,  an explanation of photosynthesis, a guide to learning to code, someone drawing/painting

Are you feeling stressed?

  • Play a game
  • Think about what is contributing to the stress and try to solve it – for example, cleaning up clothes from the floor of your room
  • Do a calming activity like colouring, drawing/doodling, or knitting

Are you feeling over-stimulated? Feeling overwhelmed? Experiencing sensory overload?

  • Put noise-cancelling headphones on
  • Use a weighted blanket or put on a heavy sweater
  • Create a soft, calming area of your room with pillows and blankets
  • Hug a stuffed animal

Are you feeling under-stimulated? Feeling bored or restless?

  • Use a massage ball or back-scratcher
  • Touch different types of fabrics
  • Drum on a surface
  • Play a game on your phone
  • Untangle cords/necklaces/headphones
  • Work your way through a puzzle book – sudoku, word searches, crosswords
  • Put together a big jigsaw puzzle
  • Wash makeup brushes, paint brushes, or work tools
  • Clean your electronic devices