Most young people rely on a mix of coping strategies on and off screen to support their emotional well-being. Some of these strategies help with emotional processing or creating a temporary distraction from feelings. Other strategies can soothe emotions, calm the nervous system, or create space for connecting with trusted people. 

It is important to have a balance of coping options in your toolbox so that you can cope with a variety of experiences with a sense of purpose and intention. This means being able to choose a strategy that fits the emotional experience, your bandwidth, and available resources. 

Four coping strategies to help

Here are four coping categories and options for on and off screen approaches. Write down the strategies you currently use or want to practice as you read through each category below. Then, set an intention to implement those strategies over the next week.

1. Processing your feelings

On your paper or device, note the coping strategies you use.

2. Soothing your nervous system

On your paper or device, note the coping strategies you use.

3. Connecting with others

On your paper or device, note the coping strategies you use.

4. Creating a temporary distraction

On your paper or device, note the coping strategies you use.

As you look over the strategies you use to cope with emotions, what do you notice has worked well for you? What strategy might you want to add? Do you have a friend you could talk with about coping strategies? In the coming week, try out a few new coping strategies and see which approaches you would like to add to your toolbox. 

Explore all of the Relate content about digital peace activities:

References 

  • Hollenstein, T., & Faulkner, K. (2024). Adolescent digital emotion regulation. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 34, 1341–1351. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.13009 
  • Sharma, M. K., John, N., & Sahu, M. (2020). Influence of social media on mental health: a systematic review. Current opinion in psychiatry, 33(5), 467–475. https://doi.org/10.1097/YCO.0000000000000631 
  • Shannon H, Bush K, Villeneuve P, Hellemans K, Guimond S. Problematic Social Media Use in Adolescents and Young Adults: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis JMIR Ment Health 2022;9(4):e33450 URL: https://mental.jmir.org/2022/4/e33450 DOI: 10.2196/33450
  • Nagata, J.M., Huang, O., Hur, J.O. et al. Health Benefits of Social Media Use in Adolescents and Young Adults. Curr Pediatr Rep 13, 22 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40124-025-00357-7 

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