Coping
Coping is cognitive and behavioral ways of dealing with the stress, strain, or demands of a situation.
Definition
Coping strategies may be problem-focused, emotion-focused, meaning-focused, avoidance-focused, or support-seeking. There is no one strategy that is always good - effectiveness depends on the situation, resources and whether the problem can be changed. Mature coping involves flexible strategy selection, not pretending stress doesn't exist.
Key ideas
- Coping with stress
- Strategy flexibility
- Problem, emotions and support
Practice and life
In a stressful situation, write down: what I can change, what I need to regulate emotionally and from whom I can get support.
Common misconceptions
It is a mistake to treat avoidance as a respite when it actually increases the cost of the problem. A common mistake is to use one strategy for all situations.
> Coping is about choosing the right answer to a question asked by fate.
> — Guru Element
Questions for self-reflection
- Can this problem be solved or does it mostly have to be endured?
- What strategy do I automatically use?
- Does my strategy also help tomorrow, not just now?