Truth About How We Cope

We all experience stress at some point in our lives, no matter how self-centered or laid back we are, we all have those "moments" when we feel totally hopeless and can't see if there is a way ahead.  

And today, we are going to look at those "out-of-control moments" and how to deal with them.

We have learned the strategies to avoid our stressors and stop our bodies from going into fight-or-flight mode. You may have already adapted some of those effective strategies in your daily routine. Whether it is meditation, yoga, or affirmation.

But today what we are going to talk about is the things or actions that we often take to handle those stressful moments.

What do we do when we are stressed to our limits?

probably;

• Screaming – At our work files, at a mirror, at the person in front of us…

• Shopping- Buying all the pack of candies that looks appealing, buying the useless stuff we don't even need

• Eating – Bowl of ice cream from the fridge, ordering some pizzas and fries, or just having that leftover brownie to improve mood.

• Being Aggressive – Getting angry with our friends or housemates without any reason

• Isolating –  ourselves from friends, family, and loved ones. 

In psychology, these things or actions are known as "Maladaptive Coping Strategies" – the strategies that we use to cope with stress in the short term. 

When we dig into the fridge to eat anything that looks good, or pick up the wallet and buy the things we don't need, we are actually trying to run away from those stressful moments. And at some point, we may do. 

But that's temporary. 

You may keep yourself away from that stressful moment while you are finishing that tub of ice cream, but once that is finished, you are again in that stress phase. 

And with time these strategies that you developed to get short but instant relief become your strong habits. So strong that you won't even think twice while picking up the phone and ordering that double cheeseburger. 

No doubt, such strong bad habits can be difficult to break, and the same for maladaptive coping strategies. But it is not impossible to get rid of these.

Just think of your biggest, unhelpful maladaptive coping strategy, and we will tell you how you handle it in the next lesson.