Coping & Adaptation Strategies

Everyone experiences stress in their lives. Relationships, work and all matters of change, such as moving to a new house or getting a divorce, can cause stress to the point where people feel overwhelmed and unable to function. Positive coping and adaptation strategies can help minimize stress and promote healthy mental functioning.

Relaxation

• Relaxation is a useful coping and adaptation strategy that can lessen the effects of stress. During a particularly stressful situation, people often lose perspective and may feel as if they're losing the ability to cope or handle. When this happens, taking deep, slow breaths can calm yourself down and give you the opportunity to look at a stressful situation more objectively. Try saying to yourself "everything is going to be okay" or "I can handle this." Negative thoughts only perpetuate a stressful situation and may make it worse.

  Make relaxation a regular part of your schedule so the cumulative effects of stress will not build up. Try exercising a few times a week, taking up a meditation or yoga class, walking outside in a park, reading a book or listening to some favorite music. This will give your brain a rest from thinking about work or other difficult problems. Getting at least 8 hours of sleep will also contribute to overall well being.

Task Management

• Often difficulty in coping and adapting comes from a feeling of being overwhelmed. Maybe you feel as if you're unable to handle work, mounting bills, household chores and personal problems that seem to keep building up. Make effective task management and good work habits part of your plan to lessen stress. Looking at a project and breaking it down into smaller tasks can make it more manageable. Instead of thinking, "I need to make more money" think, "what is the first step to making more money?" That first step could be "researching job openings on the Internet" or "scheduling an appointment with a university admissions counselor to ask questions about going to college" or "learning ways to spend less." Tell yourself to focus on one task at a time until the project is completed.

  Giving yourself plenty of time to complete tasks and preparing thoroughly for any stressful encounter can also help decrease stress. For example, if you have trouble getting up in the morning to go to class, be sure to do your homework the night before and pack all the notes and textbooks you'll need for the day in a backpack so you won't be hurried before class time.

Support Network

• A support network of family and friends can offer their perspectives and strategies for coping and adaptation, and give you much needed appreciation and companionship. Often during stressful situations, people have a natural tendency to withdraw within themselves and cut off their support network. Avoid this, and schedule regular meetings with trusted friends. If need be, schedule regular "date nights" with a spouse or significant other and play dates with children. If you feel you do not have a well-established support network, try joining an organization, charity or single's group. In addition, consider contacting a licensed professional, such as a psychologist, psychiatrist or therapist, who can help you to objectively look at your situation and offer you guidance.

Ineffective Coping Strategies

• The above strategies promote healthy coping and adaptation strategies, but watch out for ineffective and damaging strategies. Strategies to avoid include using potentially harmful substances such as alcohol, caffeine or illegal drugs, lashing out at others in anger, lying to yourself about the situation and withdrawing inward. These strategies often only serve to increase stress and perpetuate the problem.