Let’s start by defining what coping skills are. Coping is a conscious effort aiming to handle whatever life throws out at you. Working through your internal or external conflict, fears, indecisions, and losses with the potential to constructively change and improve your situation. Coping skills are one’s ability to adapt and reduce the stress.
There are two types of coping mechanisms: healthy and unhealthy. As the words are saying, the healthy coping mechanisms can help you move through life and succeed, whilst the unhealthy coping mechanisms can affect your life as well as the lives of those around you. One of the secrets for living a balanced life is learning to bounce back from failures.
Healthy coping skills
- Laughter, humour
- Mindfulness
- Knowing your own limitations
- Asking for help
- Problem solving approach
- Accepting criticism and learning from it
- Assuming responsibility
- Reaching for social and professional support
- Personal admiration
Unhealthy coping skills
- Procrastination
- Safety seeking behaviours
- Binge eating, drinking, drug use, promiscuity
- Avoiding dealing with the problem
- Social withdrawal
- Blaming others, lying
- Sarcasm, humour
- Relationship dependency
- Need for approval
How can I help
Create action plans if something does not go as you were planning or expecting, and learn to accept that things are going to go wrong but know you will have a strategy. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a great way to learn how to reduce stress and has the right techniques you’ll need for enhancing your emotional regulation skills.
