Coping skills exercises in the form of guided imagery scripts to help with self improvement and making positive changes. Here you will find a variety of exercises, sorted into categories according to the type of coping skill targeted.
Guided imagery is a way to use relaxation for self improvement and growth. Visualizing changes can help you to effectively change habits, improve skills, or cope more effectively. Mental rehearsal can be as effective as actually physically practicing a skill.
The coping skills exercises on this page range from self-esteem tools, to emotional coping skills, to specific skill development such as sports or public speaking. Practice regularly for the fastest improvement.
Listening to relaxation audio can be even more effective than reading the scripts. A variety of guided imagery scripts and coping skills exercises like these are also available as audio downloads.
Try out these coping skills exercises:
Self Esteem Coping Skills Exercises
Body Image Relaxation
This body image relaxation script is a guided meditation focused on self-acceptance and self-image.
Self-Esteem Relaxation
Relax with affirmations, meditation, visualization and deep breathing. This self-esteem relaxation can be used to promote positive self-image and help you fall asleep in a positive frame of mind.
Finding Your Authentic Self
Explore your values and connect with your authentic self. Use this relaxation technique to get in touch with your true self, live up to your full potential, and live according to your true identity.
Relaxation for Positive Self-Image
This relaxation for positive self image helps to increase positive thinking, healthy self-concept, confidence, and self-esteem.
Affirmations for Self-Esteem
This affirmations for self-esteem relaxation script includes affirmations to increase self-esteem and confidence and promote a general feeling of calm.
Emotional Coping Skills Exercises
Relaxation to Deal with Anger
This guided relaxation script describes how to deal with anger quickly and effectively in the moment. Guides you in controlling anger in a healthy, productive way.
Overcoming Shyness
This relaxation script is for overcoming shyness. Use guided imagery, affirmations, and visualization to foster a sense of self-confidence and help decrease social anxiety.
Relaxation to Deal with Loneliness
This relaxation script is to deal with loneliness by increasing confidence, developing a strong sense of self, and getting ready to take action to decrease loneliness.
Dealing with Rejection or Failure
Our own self-talk can contribute to the pain and low self-esteem that is sometimes associated with rejection or failure. This relaxation script will help you to identify and change upsetting thoughts.
Decreasing Self Harm Behavior
This relaxation script is for teens or adults with self harm behavior or nervous rituals and aims to create a feeling of calm and then explore more positive coping alternatives.
Adults Recovering from Childhood Bullying
Guided imagery meditation script for adults recovering from childhood bullying. Involves affirmations to change the negative self-concept and self esteem problems associated with past bullying.
Becoming More Playful
This relaxation script begins by guiding you to relax your mind, and then use visualization, meditation, and imagery to get in touch with your inner playfulness.
Relaxation for Depersonalization
Depersonalization is the experience of feeling disconnected from your environment or body. This relaxation script will help to you to become calm, connected, and fully present.
Specific Skill Development
Learn an Instrument Meditation
Feeling relaxed and confident can help you learn an instrument or other new skill more easily. This meditation aims to help increase confidence and motivation when learning to play an instrument.
Public Speaking Visualization
This public speaking visualization is a guided imagery script uses visualization to allow you to imagine yourself calmly and successfully speaking in public.
Meditation for Acting
This guided meditation for acting helps you, as an actor, to focus on getting into the character’s state of mind, understand the character you are playing, and act effectively.
Martial Arts Training Guided Imagery for Kickboxing or Muay Thai
Guided mental rehearsal of various punching and kicking techniques for martial arts training to help prepare for Kickboxing or Muay Thai martial arts competition.
Martial Arts Competition Guided Imagery for Kickboxing or Muay Thai
This guided imagery script involves mental rehearsal to prepare for martial arts competition in kickboxing or Muay Thai, become comfortable with combinations, and increase confidence.
Learn a Language Meditation
This meditation script will help with learning a language by guiding you to relax and improve your concentration.
Morning Relaxation: Guided Energy Starter
This quick morning relaxation is a guided energy starter that will help you to become wide awake, energetic, and ready for the day ahead. Listen to this audio any time of day to get your energy going.
Relax Under Pressure
Learn to relax under pressure with this guided relaxation that will help you to remain calm, focused, and not nervous in a high pressure environment, such as a job interview, presentation, or test.
Work, School, and Stress Coping Skills Exercises
Guided Imagery for Writing an Exam
This guided imagery script will allow you to visualize the process of studying for and writing an exam. Visualizing success will promote increased confidence, concentration, and memory. Relaxation can also improve the ability to learn by eliminating some of the anxiety that interferes with taking in new information.
Relaxation for Work Commitments Stress
This script is for decreasing the stress caused by work commitments. Listening to this relaxation audio right before bed can be effective to help you put thoughts of work aside so you can get to sleep.
Overcoming procrastination
This relaxation script is for overcoming procrastination by dealing with some of the causes of this behavior and increasing motivation to deal with the things on your to do list.
Professional Distance and Empathy
This guided imagery script will help you to envision maintaining both professional distance and empathy. Enhance your ability to maintain appropriate boundaries at work with empathy and understanding.
Stop Guilt When Not Busy
Many people find it difficult to relax because they feel guilty when they are not busy. Overcome the constant pressure to be busy and the guilt and restlessness interfere with relaxing.
Additional Resources
Are you looking for scripts to help with sleep, anxiety, and other coping skills? The following resources can help:
