First, in case you don’t know what “body checking” is, there’s a great description at Eating Disorder Hope:
The truth is, everyone checks their body on occasion; perhaps it’s taking note of how clothes fit or grabbing a quick peek at the reflection in a store window. However, those with eating disorders repeatedly check their bodies in ways that are unusual. In fact, for these people, body and weight checking becomes second nature. Often individuals with eating disorders don’t even realize they’re doing it. Typically, they check to feel for fatness, …

I think it’s safe to say that the eating disorder is a coping mechanism. Maladaptive, sure, but it does serve a purpose in your life. There’s a reason that people hold onto it and end up in treatment multiple times. However, the eating disorder is not a solution. It doesn’t make you in control…

I’ve always believed that avoidance is a healthy coping skill to some extent… but have had therapists who insist that it is maladaptive. The article makes a good point about this: “[Avoidant] strategies can be effective in the short-term…”

I thought that these quotes would be especially appropriate after my series on coping skills.
Dr. Meredith Grey: In the hospital, we see addiction every day. It’s shocking, how many kinds of addiction exist. It would be too easy if it was just drugs and booze and cigarettes. I think the hardest part of kicking a habit is wanting to kick it. I mean, we get addicted for a reason, right? Often, too often, things that start out as just a normal part of your life at some point cross …

This is the sixth post in the Grey Thinking series, Five of the most underrated coping skills.

This isn’t going to come as any surprise to those of you who have followed Grey Thinking for any length of time…. but watching DVDs of TV series is one of my favorite “coping skills.”  I may be stretching the idea of a “coping skill” a little bit here, but anything to justify my House marathons…
I like to watch four hours of old Grey’s Anatomy episodes (especially during evenings that I’m depressed) because I …

This is the fifth post in the Grey Thinking series, Five of the most underrated coping skills.
I’m not sure that “crafting” really encompasses the coping skill that I want to mention, but it’s the best term that I could come up with.  When I say “crafting,” I mean any of the following:

coloring
making collages
sudoku /crossword puzzles
word searches
computer solitaire
kitting
drawing / painting
origami

…see my point?  Semi-creative (and low-stress) activities that keep your hands busy.  I don’t know what it is about keeping my hands busy, but it really helps with the anxiety.
Personally, I prefer …

This is the fourth post in the Grey Thinking series, Five of the most underrated coping skills.
If you don’t know what a “kudos chart is” – it’s a sticker chart.  You know those charts that your mom made when you were five that had actions like “make bed” and “brush teeth” on it?  Yep, those.  I heard someone refer to them as “kudos charts” on twitter several months back, and since my current chart is not actually using stickers, I’m going to go with that terminology.
My explanation is simple: a …

This is the third post in the Grey Thinking series, Five of the most underrated coping skills.
Out of sight, out of mind.
This idiom definitely proves true for me.  I get so wrapped up in everything going on in life that I forget about all these health / self-care / positive affirmations / you name it that I’m trying to convince myself of.
I wrote about this in a previous post, I’m going to need that in writing, but it’s definitely worth mentioning again.  I have a bulletin board above my desk …

This is the second post in the Grey Thinking series, Five of the most underrated coping skills.
I don’t know why more people don’t hang out in card stores.  Just think about it… when you have a friend that’s upset, it’s not uncommon to send them some kind of “cheer up / feel better” card.  So, if you’re upset… doesn’t it just make sense to spend an hour in a card shop and read 100 of those?
I know that there is more to getting cards than the card itself (say… the …

…according to Grey Thinking, at least.  I’ve seen so many coping skills lists full of bubble baths, deep breathing, positive affirmations, etc, and really am just bored with them.  Someone needs to come up with some creative and new alternative coping mechanisms!  I might as well start.  Here’s a list of some of my favorite / most-helpful coping skills, that I’ve never seen (or very rarely seen) on any “learning to cope” list.
Five of the most underrated coping skills:

card stores
bulletin boards
kudos charts
crafting
dvds

I have a lot to say about each one …