Coping vs not coping

One definition of coping is ‘to deal with difficulties and unpleasant situations’. Meanwhile, coping strategies are roughly defined as the efforts you make to tackle stress and distress. More importantly, how do you view it?

Some people use coping strategies as a springboard to wellness, to get themselves into a routine where they feel able to move forward. For other people, coping can be seen as an Olympic gold medal – an impressive feat of courage and endurance.

While some people only need a short intervention before they recover, others might need coping strategies all their lives. Some need new coping methods to help them overcome their old unhealthy ways of coping, while for others, coping only makes matters worse, and what they really need is time in recovery – away from their day-to-day life.

Would it be useful for you to work out where you are within the ballpark of wellness/coping/un-wellness? Would it also be useful to review how healthy and sustainable your current coping techniques are? And see if there are any alternatives you could use instead?