Over the past few years, it has been both a personal and professional observation that the people who have been successful on their mental health wellness path utilize many different coping strategies and coping skills. Often, I think we all sometimes, in one form or another, look for the “quick fix” or the one thing that “gets the most bang for the buck”; when in reality having a diverse and plentiful skillset is more helpful and useful over time. Sometimes we may in fact overlook these “tools” as some things that are somehow separate or different from what would more traditionally be seen as useful in the therapeutic sense.
The teaching, learning, and use of skills from the many different theories are for the most part evidence-based and have been incredibly useful to many clients, but I would argue the intangibles are also of great value.
The intangibles defined in this content may be things such as:
- Creating and listening to a music playlist that is inspirational, motivational, and/or cathartic to support you on difficult days.
- Knowing who you have in your life you can really talk to
- Physical activities like hiking, playing sports, yoga, or martial arts
- Practicing your spirituality/religious faith as part of a greater community
- Creative activities such as drawing and painting
- Collecting and revisiting meaningful/inspirational quotes that enhance one’s insight
- Reading about people throughout history who overcame difficult experiences as a source of inspiration.
- Laughter and humor
- Good sleep hygiene
It can be extremely beneficial to create and develop new skills for managing the challenges in our lives. But, it’s also important not to overlook or minimize what we already use and know works as well.
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About Bradd Buckingham, M.A., LPC-R; Resident in Counseling:
Bradd is currently a resident in counseling providing counseling services at our Fredericksburg location. He is actively pursuing his license in Professional Counseling (LPC). Bradd is a recent graduate of The University of the Cumberlands with a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. He completed a demanding internship working with individuals and couples at Fredericksburg Counseling Services.
Bradd specializes in working with individuals with complex trauma, personality disorders, anxiety, and depression. He can offer a safe environment for individuals and families in the LGBTQ community. Bradd also works with individuals with a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds. To learn more about Bradd, visit HERE.
