Digital Gods & Digital Goddesses in a Digital World
Coping Skills:
Investing our conscious effort, in solving personal and interpersonal problems, in order to master, minimize or tolerate stress and conflict.
Coping skills are tools we can use to navigate through transitional times in our lives.
"Think of coping as damage control for your life.
It’s the intentional work you put in—fixing your own stuff, navigating the weirdness with other people—so that when stress and conflict hit (and they will), you can either shut it down, take the edge off, or at least sit with it without totally losing it."
Coping skills are tools we can use to navigate through transitional times in our lives.
As young adults, healthy coping skills are especially helpful as we move from adolescence to adulthood.
Healthy coping skills enable us to manage life’s challenges.
On the other hand, unhealthy coping skills can create more conflict and stress in our lives.
Healthy coping skills
01
Break problems down: Whenever we are facing a big problem or a complex challenge, we can manage them better if we can break problems into manageable pieces that we can handle. This method allows us to focus on small pieces of the challenge until we have entirely solved it.
02
Problem solving:
Identify and write down at least four or five solutions. Review the pros and cons of each identified solution. Choose from your made list.
03
Develop an optimistic attitude:
Optimism increases our motivation and perseverance and helps us to focus on solutions instead of problems. Learn to see problems as learning opportunities and to see setbacks as stepping stones. Optimistic thinking focuses on completion, rather than perfection.
04
DISTRACTION:
Take your mind off the problem. Distraction can be healthy and should not be confused with avoidance. We can use distraction techniques whenever we encounter a challenge we cannot control, such as a death in the family.
Unhealthy Coping Skills
The list below contains negative coping behaviors that we can minimize or avoid. If we are using these coping behaviors, it may be time to ask for help.
1. Alcohol & drug use
2. Violence/fighting
3. Over-eating/under-eating
4. Lack of communication
5. Engaging in Self-harm
6. Isolating/withdrawal
7. Ignoring or bottling up feelings
8. Avoiding your problems
9. Being in denial.
Unhealthy coping strategies often provide instant gratification or relief but have long-term negative consequences.
Many of us may unknowingly & instinctually engage in unhealthy coping strategies.
It is unrealistic to think we will choose healthy coping strategies every single time we are faced with a challenge.
However, when we are aware of our unhealthy coping behaviors, we are also equipped with the knowledge that our behavior is unhealthy and that there are alternative and healthier ways to cope.
Healthy coping skills contribute to long-lasting positive outcomes while negative coping skills may have long-term negative effects.
Healthy coping skills are vital to our ability to manage life’s challenges and to successfully transition through the different phases of life. Healthy coping skills are best used when learned about prior to a challenge or hardship.
Last, healthy coping skills give us the tools to manage our lives and the challenges that we, inevitably, will face.