The psychological definition of coping refers to the process of managing tedious life circumstances which makes it possible for one to expend his or her effort to solve your own interpersonal and personal problems in order to relieve stress at a very significant or minimal level. In order to reduce stress, you have to adopt or utilize the scientific approach of coping mechanisms. Coping mechanisms or otherwise known as “coping skills” is a behavioral tool or instrument used by people to overcome frustrations or offsets, disabilities and other liabilities without modifying or correcting the things or situations that could trigger everyday life’s stressors.
The Different Types of Coping Mechanisms
1. Defense Mechanisms coping mechanisms- In the field of Psychology, these are the types of coping mechanisms that are used unconsciously by individuals to overcome their stress and difficulties. Likewise, these types of coping mechanisms can also be applied unconsciously by people who are really under stress.
2. Action-Based coping mechanisms- These kinds of coping mechanisms which involve dealing with an external problematic situation that necessitate stress. A classic example of a situation where one applies these types of coping mechanisms is applying for a job while you are confronted with other problems like financial difficulties. Some of the action-based coping mechanisms are planning, suppression, confrontation, self-control and restraint.
3. Emotion-based coping mechanisms- These are the coping mechanisms which help you to minimize your stress in life by addressing the emotions or feelings that are involved in a stressful situation. These coping mechanisms can either be positive or negative. The approaches used in these coping mechanisms are the following: talking it out with a friend, denial, rationalization, repression, wishful thinking, relaxation, re-appraisal and humor. Though these coping mechanisms cannot directly address the stressor, it can greatly help to calm down your stressful feeling, and then applying action-based coping mechanisms to make you feel better.
4. Harmful coping mechanisms- The harmful effects of coping mechanisms when you tend to overuse anyone of them are the following: paranoid tendencies, the depression syndrome might get worse, the individual may engage in an illegal activity of drug use, to escape from the dilemma that he is encountering. On the other hand, the other common forms of harmful coping mechanisms are: nail biting, hair pulling and skin biting.
Steps in Coping Mechanisms
According to Lazarus and Folkman, the processes of coping mechanisms have four basic steps:
a) Appraisal- This particular step in coping mechanisms includes knowing the meaning of an event and its implications on your personal well-being.
b) Assessment of your coping resources. This step involved in coping mechanisms allows an individual to choose the most effective kind of coping mechanism among the other kinds of coping mechanisms.
c) Carry out the best coping mechanism among the many varying types of coping mechanisms. – To do your selected strategy or a coping mechanism of your choice, you have to be patient and guided accordingly by a guidance counselor or a psychologist.
d) Evaluation of your coping efforts with the use of coping mechanisms in as far as solving your dilemma is concerned.
