Everyone faces distressing moments in life that test our ability to stay calm and on the right track. In order to keep a peace of mind, we often develop coping strategies that keep us from going off the rails. Coping skills, in fact, are an essential tool in maintaining good mental health-- everyone needs to cope in one way or another, and without these skills, we'd soon succumb to excess stress and break down. Not all coping skills are created equal, though. For all the good and healthy coping skills that build us up and make us better, there are even more negative coping skills which, while relieving a small amount of stress in the short-term, only serve to undermine our efforts and hurt us in the long run. For those who want to maintain good mental health, it is vital to understand the difference between these two types of coping skills, and to mitigate the bad ones while embracing more of the good.
Bad coping skills are abundant, and often take the form of vices or addictions. Certain substances and behaviors, while making us feel good in the short-term and helping us to forget our worries, often are paid for later on with interest, and can even add to our troubles and worries if done to excess. Bad coping skills of this nature include:
Good coping skills, on the other hand, serve to help us improve our lives and make us feel better in a healthy, safe way. Unlike the bad coping skills listed above, these skills come with little to no negative long-term consequences, and when made into a regular habit, can become powerful and effective tools for dealing with stress. Good coping skills of this nature include:
Good coping skills don't always come naturally to us, so it is important to our health and well-being that we spend some time learning them. Coping skills are often a product of habit-- over time, you learn to respond to certain stressors with a (or cues) with a balancing action that takes the edge off the stress. For example, you may respond to a hectic rush at work by taking a quick smoking break. While the nicotine from your cigarette may help relieve the stress in the short-term, the effect eventually wears off, often leaving you more stressed than before. Additionally, poor coping skills such as these come with significant health costs, which only serve to add to your stress down the line.
By learning to react to these stressors with healthy coping skills rather than poor ones, we can do much more to preserve and promote our health in the long-run. If, instead of smoking, you teach yourself to react to stress by taking a short walk instead, you will do far more to help your health and well-being than you would had you chosen the cigarette instead. Obviously, breaking an addiction like smoking or excessive drinking is no easy feat. If you've been employing these bad coping skills for some time, you will likely need help to overcome them and replace them with healthy coping skills. At Overcomers Counseling, we are dedicated to helping you recognize and overcome the bad coping skills that may be holding you back in life. Call 719-345-2424
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