Effective Coping
People develop various strategies to cope with stressful feeling and situations. Coping strategies usually allow people to manage confronting situations.
Healthy coping strategies include journaling, understanding thoughts processes, mindfulness, reframing, deep breathing, relaxation, engaging in constructive hobbies and seeking supportive social supports or professional help.
Maladaptive coping strategies can have numerous unwanted consequences. Maladaptive coping strategies might include engaging in addictive behaviours, damaging emotional expression or avoidance. For most people, their maladaptive coping strategies have served an important purpose at some point by historically enabling physical or emotional protection. However they may be no longer needed or may be currently doing more harm than good to self or others.
Understanding the origins and historical roles of maladaptive coping strategies is an important step to working with them to become more adaptive and useful in the present. If they are no longer required or are unconstructive, it can be useful to explore alternatives. You could start by considering the pros and cons of your habitual coping strategies and then brainsstorming alternatives.
Coping strategies can be very habitual and at times extremely difficult to modify, but the process may be worth the challenge. If you would like support in doing so, please be in touch.