What are Coping Skills?
With so much stress in life, there needs to be a way to help lessen that stress. Well, there is! They are called “coping skills.” Coping skills are the strategies we use to help get through stressful moments. They can range from deep breathing, going to a park, asking for help, and so much more. They are different for every person so some coping skills may not work for you but that is okay! Just keep trying different skills until some work for you!
Toolbox of Coping Skills
Try out strategies until you get your “toolbox” of coping skills built up to help with your stress. A toolbox of coping skills can be physical or imaginary. A toolbox allows you to have coping skills ready to be used at any given moment that you might encounter stress. Below are some examples of coping skills to add to your toolbox. Please take time to look and see what coping skills you already use and what ones you want to try (“Sacred Heart”).
Maladaptive vs Adaptive Coping Skills
While coping skills are associated with more positive, adaptive coping skills, there are also negative, maladaptive coping skills. Adaptive coping skills are used to help address the problem, manage emotions, and/or find meaning in the situation (“Right Choice Recovery”). Maladaptive coping skills are used to solidify harmful habits and thought processes and create new problems (“Right Choice Recovery”). An example of how a coping skill can be adaptive or maladaptive is how stepping away to take a breath and then coming back to work on the situation is adaptive. While, stepping away to completely avoid the problem and never solve it, is maladaptive. This is how stepping away can be both adaptive and maladaptive. What makes the difference is whether the problem is addressed or completely avoided. Coping mechanisms should be used to help get through a problem, not to avoid it or create new problems.
Why Use Coping Skills?
Coping skills give a different route to handling problems. There are limitless amounts of coping skills, so using them means you can always find a new way to deal with stress. There will be stress in life, so having skills beforehand, gives you the upperhand in life. It is like a superpower that you carry around in case something goes wrong. You are strong and capable of handling stress and I hope you have learned some new ways to help you!
Resources:
https://rightchoicerecoverynj.com/addiction/coping-mechanisms/
https://www.sacredheart.edu/media/shu-media/counseling-center/101_Coping_Skills_ADA.pdf
Hope Brayfield 3.1.25