#Opposite Action Skill

[borderlinereminders]

Opposite Action Coping Skill

This is when we do the opposite of what we feel our emotions are telling us to do. Recognize your emotional response to a situation and the action you instinctively wish to take as a reaction to it, and instead do whatever is the opposite of that action. This is a skill that can be used when the emotion doesn’t fit the facts. For example, if you’re feeling afraid because you’re feeling unsafe in a situation (like for example, people are yelling or you’re approaching a dark alley) and your reaction is to leave, then by all means - do what is best for your safety and leave.

Some examples:

Anger

May cause us to lash out, storm off, etc.

The opposite of this may be: being kind, showing concern, or walking away briefly to take a break and come back to this when we feel more calm.

Sadness

May cause us to withdraw and isolate ourselves.

The opposite of this may be going out of our way to engage with our friends and reaching out.

Frustration

May make us want to give up.

The opposite of this may be pushing through (though taking a break if needed).

What are some pros to using this skill?

Using this skill can be empowering and give us a sense of control. It can also help with managing the emotion.

What are the cons to using this skill?

It takes time, and some trial and error to see results. It also requires the ability to identify your emotions. Sometimes we just feel an urge and aren’t sure what emotion is causing this. This skill may require learning how to identify emotions first.

Overall, this can be a very useful skill to learn. It can be effective in helping us learn not to act on emotional urges.