Weird But It Works: Unexpected Coping Skills That Actually Help

Let’s be honest—when most people think of coping skills, they picture deep breathing, yoga, or journaling in a linen-bound notebook by candlelight. Cute. But not always realistic.

What about when you’re mid-meltdown and “write your feelings down” just isn’t cutting it?

Welcome to the world of unexpected coping skills. The weird ones. The ones that actually work when your nervous system is screaming and you need something now.

Here are a few offbeat coping tools that might sound strange—but might just save your day:

🔊 Scream in the car.

Yep. Like, full-volume, primal scream into the abyss. Roll up the windows, let it out. You’d be surprised how much energy gets stuck in the body—and how good it feels to release it (safely).

🎶 Blast sad music when you’re… mad.

Counterintuitive? Sure. But sometimes you need to trick your emotions into moving. A sad song can soften your edges when anger feels too sharp to sit with. Let the tears fall, then breathe.

🧊 Hold an ice cube.

This is a go-to grounding technique. It shocks your nervous system just enough to pull you out of spiraling thoughts. Bonus: zero cost and surprisingly effective during panic attacks.

📺 Watch a show you’ve seen 42 times.

There’s comfort in the predictable. Rewatching your favorite series (again) can soothe an overstimulated brain by reducing decision fatigue and giving you something safe to cling to.

🧹 Clean something aggressively.

No, seriously. Scrub that sink like it owes you money. Physical movement plus immediate results = dopamine boost + sense of control. Rage-cleaning counts as self-care sometimes.

🐻 Talk to your stuffed animal.

Sound ridiculous? Maybe. Therapeutic? Absolutely. Inner child work is real, and sometimes speaking out loud to something safe—even a plush toy—helps you reconnect to parts of yourself you’ve neglected.

Because coping isn’t always calm.

Sometimes it’s messy. Loud. Weird. Creative.And that’s okay.

What matters isn’t how you cope—it’s that you give yourself permission to.Even if your version of healing looks nothing like what Instagram says it “should.”

🖤 Try the weird thing. It might work.