It's ok to have unhealthy coping skills. We all have them. But maybe it's time to explore healthier options, too.
I'd first and foremost like to share that this is a safe space if you'd like to vent about or confess your unhealthy coping skills. Please feel free to do so here in the comments!
I’ll share mine first. My favorite way to cope, or avoid dealing with uncomfortable feelings is by eating. Especially, dill pickle chips are my comfort food. But oh boy so I have many! Especially sweets. However, chips or any kind of Uber Eats or Door Dash is my go-to.
Often I will eat at the same time as watching a Disney movie but for me particularly, it’s either Encanto, Frozen 2 or Coco. In the first week of January I was going through some stuff and was feeling so sensitive. I could only handle watching Disney movies.
I then dissociate by spending hours scrolling on social media, comparing myself to others but tricking myself into thinking I'm searching for inspiration and self-improvement. Pair that with isolating and ignoring the uncomfortable feelings until they get so big I can’t anymore. It’s a perfect storm.
Unhealthy coping skills are not something to be proud of but they’re not something to be ashamed of either. We’re doing our best in this life that we’ve got and at times, it gets hard out here! My favorite healthy ways to cope are Yoga, taking a walk, and meditation. However, in 2023 I am hoping to add many more and try not to rely on food so much for an instant boost since it only ends up in me feeling full of regret. I also tend to even use this unhealthy coping skill when I'm not even hungry.
That being said, it's easy to judge ourselves for our habits. Please try to treat yourself with kindness when you are using these methods to cope. Awareness is big and exploring different coping skills that feel a little healthier, is great too!
Just don’t be hard on yourself if you regress. It’s an ongoing journey. In the meantime we can follow this trend to use a little humor to laugh about all our ridiculous coping skills and feel less alone.
*P.S. Full transparency, I accidentally filmed this with a filter on. I did a new take and the filter was on automatically and I forgot to take it off. Still learning! But don’t want anyone to think this is natural.
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