Hello P-assengers! We’re back in PIDAS81’s weekly article. How’s your day? I hope everything is going alright. Based on the title, today’s topic is coping mechanisms. Have you heard it before? Well, if you haven’t, let’s find out what coping mechanisms. Whether are they healthy or unhealthy.
According to berkeleywellbeing.com, coping mechanisms are cognitive and behavioral approaches that we use to manage internal and external stressors (Algorani & Gupta, 2021). So basically, coping mechanisms are a strategy that people use to manage or control their emotions. Coping mechanisms can be helpful if we do it in a healthy way. But, otherwise, it can be dangerous for us if we do it in an unhealthy way. Then, what makes coping mechanisms healthy or unhealthy?
Well, healthy coping mechanisms use a coping strategy that permits us to respond to stressful circumstances in a normal or healthy capacity. When we are struggling with a problem or a challenge, healthy coping mechanisms may not straightforwardly feel satisfying, but they can develop positive long-term change (Stallman et al., 2021). Some of the healthy coping mechanisms that you can do are:
a. Talking about your problems, struggles, and issues with people you loved.
b. Seek advice from mental health professionals for extra support.
c. Do meditation or journaling for your stress release.
Then, what are unhealthy coping mechanisms? Unhealthy coping mechanisms, on the other hand, are engaging strategies that respond to stressors in an unhealthy or harmful way. While unhealthy coping mechanisms might give comfort quickly, they tend to lead to negative effects down the road (Stallman et al., 2021). Some unhealthy coping examples are:
a. Procrastinating on your problem or even avoiding it.
b. Overeating or undereating.
c. Using alcohol or drugs.
d. Self-harm.
The way we cope with problems might be different. But remember that you have to be kind to yourself. Cope with your problems in a healthy way. That’s all from today’s article, I hope it can help you. See you in the next weekly article, P-assengers!
References:
1.https://www.berkeleywellbeing.com/coping-mechanisms.html
2.https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/psychpedia/copingmechanisms#:~:text=Coping%20mechanisms%20are%20the%20strategies,maintain%20their%20emotional%20well%2Dbeing.
