Coping Mechanisms

My one friend has been very emotionally unavailable to listen to what is going on in my life right now and I understand that she needs time but I need some help with ideas of coping mechanisms. My host is very stressed right now and is not around much either. I need a break from being in front but the only people able to take over are children and I cannot allow that to happen without supervision from myself. I do not want to engage in self harm which our system has resorted to in the past in order to cope and I would like some ideas of healthy coping mechanisms that other systems (mainly protectors) have used to help with ongoing stress.

journalling

I think you'll be surprised at how good it feels.

I always talk to my journal like it's a friend, and when we write in our journal, we use words we might use if someone was sitting next to us.

like, we might ask it " how are you?," or we might say things like " do you see what I mean?"

we all know it can't respond, but it feels so good doing it (maybe it has something to do with the fact we never really had good supportive friends)

but really. try it

coming on here helps too (and I will probably be doing that even more when tara's in surgery)

im like you, i dont know how to cope.. it hurts... i need coping skills
journaling i dont like... it is weird and makes me feel bad..

Is it too much to ask, to use myself to cope with kids of the system? Kind words of affirmations if those are trauma children that want to si. Find safe things with mysefl and kids of the system to do adult coloring games singing etc? Lastly, a safe space inside is usually a good idea when life has you so busy. A person on the external world as speaking sentences might help a switch back into the world of adulthood. I know these things at certain switches can be really extreme so do what you can to appear normal.