Everyone uses coping strategies to manage stress, difficult emotions, and uncomfortable situations. Some strategies offer immediate relief but create long-term harm, such as substance use, avoidance, or aggression. Others may require more effort in the moment but produce lasting benefits, such as exercise, problem-solving, or reaching out for support. Research on emotion regulation shows that people who can recognize their unhealthy patterns and deliberately replace them with adaptive alternatives experience lower anxiety, stronger relationships, and greater resilience over time. Use this worksheet to examine a current challenge, identify the coping strategies you are relying on, and begin planning healthier alternatives.

Think about a problem or stressor you are currently facing. In each row, identify one coping strategy you are currently using (healthy or unhealthy), describe the short-term and long-term consequences of that strategy, and write one healthier alternative you could try. Rate how confident you feel about using the healthier alternative from 1 (not at all confident) to 10 (very confident).