Coping skill

From ArticleWorld

Therapists have found that focusing on teaching coping skills to patients who have difficulty dealing with certain problems is very helpful. The type of skill depends on the kind of problem, but it has been found that those who have high self esteem and a good support system to rely on often cope much better with stressful situations and so are healthier both physically and emotionally.

Types of coping skills

Building a support network is probably one of the most important coping skills as having people around you that you can trust has been shown to reduce depression and anxiety. Furthermore, relaxation is a major coping skill but knowing how to relax is not something that comes naturally to many people; it is, however, a skill that can be learned.

When faced with a challenge, it has been found that talking yourself through the stages of coping is very effective. Preparing for it by planning strategy, confronting it and being kind to yourself along the way and then learning by your mistakes has been shown to reduce the stress of the challenge. Physically fit people seem to feel more in control of both themselves and their destinies which is an excellent coping skill.

Realistic expectations

Perhaps the best coping skill is to have realistic expectations in the first place. Setting challenges that are not too easy nor too difficult and achieving them is a way of building up our self efficacy which is the feeling we have that how we respond to problems is meaningful. Not living by the ‘musts’ and ‘shoulds’ that reflect more what others think rather than what we want of and for ourselves is also a major coping skill.