We’ve all heard the usual advice for managing stress: take a deep breath, go for a walk, practice mindfulness, or try journaling. But what happens when those strategies don’t help?
The reality is that coping skills aren’t one-size-fits-all. A technique that helps you manage anxiety might do little for feelings of sadness, anger, or overwhelm. Even a strategy that worked yesterday might not be particularly helpful today.
That’s where the Coping Skills Finder + Experiment Lab comes in.
This free, interactive tool takes some of the guesswork out of coping. Instead of scrolling through endless lists of suggestions, you can find strategies based on what you’re feeling, your energy level, how much time you have, and the types of activities you prefer.
How It Works
Step 1: Find Your Coping Skill
Answer a few quick questions, and the tool will suggest a coping strategy with simple, step-by-step instructions. Don’t like the suggestion? You can try another.
Step 2: Put It to the Test
The Experiment Lab lets you rate your distress before and after trying a coping skill. You can also record what you noticed, including what helped and what didn’t.
Step 3: Discover Your Patterns
Over time, you can build a personal record of your coping experiments. Your results are saved in your browser, and you can download your history to review later or share with your therapist if you choose.
Why Experimenting Matters
One of the biggest misconceptions about coping skills is that they’re supposed to make uncomfortable emotions disappear. But effective coping isn’t always about feeling better immediately. Sometimes it’s about tolerating distress, responding differently to difficult thoughts, or taking a small step toward something meaningful.
Think of this tool as a personal experiment. You’re not trying to find the perfect coping skill. You’re learning which strategies are useful for you, under which circumstances, and why.
And if something doesn’t work? That’s useful information, too.
Ready to find out what works for you? Try the free Coping Skills Finder + Experiment Lab below.
Note: This tool is intended for self-reflection, skill-building, and educational purposes. It is not a diagnostic instrument or substitute for professional mental health care. Your before-and-after ratings reflect your personal experience, not a clinical assessment of treatment effectiveness.
Coping Skills Finder + Experiment Lab
Explore 81 coping strategies, discover what fits your needs, save favorites, and create your own personalized coping plan.
1. Find a coping skill
How to try it
If this activity causes discomfort or increases distress, stop and choose another strategy.
2. Coping Skills Experiment Lab
Use the same 0–10 scale before and after practicing the strategy. Zero means no distress, and ten means extreme distress.
Ratings describe your personal experience, not a clinical measurement of treatment effectiveness. You can record an experiment even if the skill did not help.
3. My favorite coping skills
Save strategies you want to remember. Select up to five to include in your personalized coping plan.
No favorites saved yet.
4. Create my personalized coping plan
Build a plan using your favorite strategies and personal reminders.
5. My coping experiments
Experiment history and favorites are stored locally in this browser when available. They are not automatically transferred to other devices. Avoid entering sensitive or identifying information.
No experiments recorded yet.
Need Immediate Support?
This tool is intended for coping skills practice and self-reflection, not crisis intervention. If you’re experiencing suicidal thoughts, emotional distress, or a mental health crisis, call or text 988 for free, confidential, 24/7 support in the United States. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911 or seek emergency medical care.