Coping Statements for Anxiety

• Fighting this doesn’t help – so I’ll just relax and breathe deeply and let it float away.
• This feeling isn’t comfortable, but I can handle it.
• By relaxing through these feelings I learn to face my fears.
• I can feel anxious and still deal with this situation.
• This is not a real emergency. I can slow down and think about what I need to do.
• This feeling will go away.²
• By staying present and focused on my task my anxiety will decrease.
• These are just thoughts – not reality.
• Anxiety won’t hurt me.
• Feeling tense is natural. It tells me it’s time to use coping strategies.
• Things are not as bad I am making them out to be.
• Don’t discount the positives.³

Coping Statements for Fear - Preparing for Stress/Anxiety

Overwhelming anxiety and stress is not only unpleasant; it can also reduce your performance (think test anxiety!) Coping statements can calm you down and keep you at your best.

Researchers at West Virginia University found that coping statement training helped speech-anxious subjects reduce their public speaking anxiety – and the effects lasted beyond the training period.⁴

• I’ve done this before so I can do it again.
• I’ll be glad I did it when this is over.⁵
• I’ll feel better when I am actually in the situation.
• I’ll just do the best I can.
• By facing my fears I can overcome them.
• Worry doesn’t help.
• Whatever happens, happens. I can handle it.

Coping Statements for Feeling Overwhelmed

• Stay focused on the present. What do I need to do right now?
• It will soon be over.
• It’s not the worst thing that could happen.
• Step by step until it’s over.
• I don’t need to eliminate stress, just keep it under control.
• Once I label my stress from 1 to 10 I can watch it go down.
• Take a breath.

Coping Statements for Phobias

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro found that coping statements helped subjects feel significantly less anxiety during hierarchical desensitization therapy (exposure therapy) and resulted in significant behavioral change (for the better.)⁶

• I can always retreat out of this situation if I decide to.
• There is nothing dangerous here.
• Take deep breaths and take your time.
• This feeling is just adrenaline. It will pass in a couple of minutes.
• These feelings are not dangerous.⁷

Coping Statements for Panic

• This isn’t dangerous.
• I will just let my body pass through this.
• I have survived panic attacks before and I will survive this as well.
• Nothing serious is going to happen.
• This will pass.⁸