The life of modern people is often associated with stress and the ability to withstand stress. Strategies that focus on coping with stress are called coping. The ability to use them reflects the level of stress tolerance, since they allow you to transfer various kinds of stress to the psyche - emotional, mental or volitional.
Definition
Copying behavior is a conscious and rational decision-making that will be aimed at eliminating a tense situation. Its functions are directly related to maintaining the internal or external well-being of a person. Copying allows you to maintain mental and physical health. The choice of this or that type of coping behavior directly depends on the preferences of the subject, and on the situation itself. If a person is obsessed with a certain strategy, he should think about using other styles. Often you can change your preferences, and thereby reduce stress, only when working with a psychologist.
Classification of Lazarus and Folkman
Researchers R. Lazarus and S. Folkman proposed an original classification of coping strategies. In accordance with their categorization, they were divided into two main types - problem-oriented and emotionally-oriented coping.
As for the strategies belonging to the first category, they are aimed at improving relations within the framework of the "man-environment" system by transforming the cognitive assessment of the current situation. For example, a person can search for information about what to do and how to act, or restrain himself from hasty actions.
As for emotionally oriented coping strategies, they are aimed at actions that are aimed at reducing the level of neuropsychic arousal.
Such actions (or even thoughts) give a feeling of relief. However, they cannot eliminate the current situation. An example of this type of coping can be the avoidance or denial of a situation, the distance from it, the use of tranquilizers.
The difference between copying and psychological defense
Psychologists emphasize coping strategies and psychological defense mechanisms as the main ways to adapt to difficult life situations. The latter are aimed at reducing the psychological discomfort caused by complex (and sometimes intolerable) circumstances.
As for coping behavior mechanisms, they represent a more advanced way to adapt to an extreme situation. Depending on the main danger, a person shows different types of coping, he directly interacts with the real situation. And the mechanisms of psychological defense are a distortion of the real situation. For example, the projection mechanism assumes that a person ascribes to others the problems that he actually has. Copying is dealing with a real situation.
Key Strategies
Lazarus and Folkman in their works identify eight major coping strategies:
- Planning for resolving a problem, which involves some effort to transform the situation. Includes an analytical approach to solving difficulties.
- Confrontational coping. It represents an aggressive effort to resolve the situation. It implies a certain degree of hostility, willingness to take risks.
- Acceptance of responsibility. A person is aware of his own role in the occurrence of a problem and makes attempts to resolve it.
- Self control. The subject controls his feelings and emotions.
- Positive revaluation. In this case, efforts are directed to the regulation of their experiences.
- Seeking support in society or seeking help from other people.
- Distance The subject makes cognitive efforts to separate from the situation and reduce its significance.
- Escape is avoidance. The aim of the effort in this case is the desire to hide from the problem, to escape from it.
Types of coping in adolescence
Copying behavior in adolescents is usually classified as follows:
- actions aimed at solving problems;
- search for support in a group;
- avoidance.
Strategy implementation planes
Experts in the field of conflict management tend to single out three main planes in which certain coping strategies are implemented:
- behavioral
- cognitive
- emotional.
Types of coping are grouped and taking into account the level of their adaptive capabilities. Adaptive, relatively adaptive, non-adaptive strategies are distinguished.
How to define your own copying style?
To understand what kind of coping strategy a person uses most often, one can correlate the following statements with his own experience:
- Confrontation: “I started to do something, although I knew that it was useless”, “Tore my anger at other people who brought problems to me”, “I tried to convince other people to change their behavior”, “I stood on to the very end. "
- Planning strategy. “I concentrated on developing a further plan of action,” “Changed something so that the situation worked out,” “I used my experience, because in the past I had to deal with similar circumstances,” “I found a couple of new ways to solve problems” .
- Self control. “I tried not to burn bridges behind me, to leave the situation as it is”, “I didn’t show my feelings”, “I tried not to act too hastily so as not to break firewood”, “I hid the circumstances of my life from other people”, “I mentally scrolled in my head what should be said. ”
- Escape. “I was hoping that a miracle would happen”, “I slept more than usual”, “I resorted to drinking alcohol, drinking, overeating”, “Imagining a happy ending”.
- Positive revaluation. “I wanted to express myself in creativity”, “Gained experience in these circumstances”, “I found sources of faith in something”, “I discovered something important for myself”, “I changed my character”.
Stress test
This technique was developed by scientists from Boston University. It should answer questions based on how often the following statements are true. It is necessary to answer all points, even if the statement does not apply to you at all. Answers to questions may be as follows:
- almost always - 1 point;
- often - 2;
- sometimes - 3;
- almost never - 4;
- never - 5.
Test questions
List of questions in this technique:
- I eat at least one hot meal per day.
- I sleep for 8 hours at least four times a week.
- I feel love for other people and am able to share it.
- At least one person lives within 50 km on whom I could rely on in a difficult situation.
- At least twice a week I do physical exercises.
- In a week I consume no more than five glasses of alcohol.
- My weight is quite consistent with height.
- My income covers my basic needs.
- My faith in the future supports me.
- I regularly engage in social activities.
- I have many friends.
- I have one or two friends whom I can fully trust.
- I am well.
- If something seriously bothers me, I can openly express my feelings.
- I do something fun at least once a week.
- I am able to effectively organize my time.
- I drink no more than three cups of coffee or tea per day.
- I have some free time for every day.
Counting results
The results obtained are added up, and 20 points are subtracted from this amount:
- The result is less than 10 points. Excellent stress resistance, nothing to worry about.
- Over 30 points. Coping behavior in stressful situations should be improved. Tension has a serious effect on life, and you resist it weakly.
- Over 50 points. You need to seriously think about your life. Vulnerability to stress is extremely high.
After conducting this stress test, you need to look again at the results. If any answer received three points or more, you should try to change the attitude towards this item. For example, if the score for 17 points is 4 points, you should reduce the amount of caffeinated drinks by at least one cup.
How to deal with stress? Psychologist's advice
If a person experiences anxiety or intense fear, first of all, psychologists recommend using breathing techniques. You need to breathe shallow, slowly. Inhalation should occur through the mouth, and exhalation through the nose. It is necessary to do several such cycles. This will help to calm down at least a little.
Or you can take a slow and deep breath, then hold your breath for 1-2 seconds and exhale. Exercise is performed 2 times. After that, take two ordinary breaths. Alternating normal and slow breathing is necessary until relief comes.
Coping behavior in psychology includes working with your emotions. If during stress a strong crying reaction occurs, one cannot restrain oneself. Such a reaction will allow the body to work out negative experiences, not to allow them to go into a psychosomatic disorder. Do not immediately try to calm down, "pull yourself together." Experiences can be shared with loved ones or friends. In the event that the tears do not bring relief, you should try to calm down, drink a glass of cool water, do breathing exercises.
Often a reaction to excessive stress is anger and anger. In such cases, psychologists advise “let off steam”: shout, talk out, repeat with feeling several times: “I'm angry, angry, it infuriates me.” It is worth saying a phrase several times until relief comes. Then you should mentally cheer yourself up: “I can handle it!”, And do some work or help those in need. If nothing happened, you can simply walk along the street.
In some cases, a reaction to acute stress can be a tantrum. In this state, a person does not understand well what is happening to him; he cannot help himself. If there is an idea that it is worth stopping the tantrum, this will bring it closer to completion. Therefore, as soon as such an idea arose, one should distance oneself from other people, "get away from the audience." You should be alone for some time, wash yourself with cold water, and perform exercises to stabilize breathing.
It is useful for psychologists, educators, and ordinary people who find themselves in difficult circumstances to know the concept of coping behavior. In a stressful situation, it is important to understand that difficulties will be resolved sooner or later. And also it is necessary to remember that those events that excite a person today, tomorrow may not seem so significant.