7 techniques to develop coping skills

Solve problems, regulate emotions, manage stress, promote self-control… The main techniques for developing coping skills will allow you to better navigate everyday difficulties. This is a highly valuable skill that will help you act effectively in an increasingly demanding society.

It is worth remembering that acquiring psychological tools is a good way to mitigate anxiety, even when said acquisition is an activity that requires time and effort. Once you automate these learnings, you will deal with any challenge associated with your work, your personal relationships or your self-realization process. In this reading we offer the necessary keys.

One of the most important coping skills is focusing on distance. Thanks to it, we manage to move away from what distresses us to apply a more objective and rational vision.

What are coping skills?

Coping skills define the set of techniques or strategies that a person has at their disposal to manage the stressors in their life and give meaning to each experience. These resources range from mental approaches to certain behaviors that mediate both well-being and adaptation.

To understand its scope a little, we can think about the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when the general population needed to put these techniques into practice.

Research published by SAGE Open highlights how optimistic and safe coping mechanisms during the pandemic They reduced the development of anxiety disorders and depression in a part of the population. We are, therefore, facing approaches of great value.

Furthermore, something they emphasize in this work is that, in the face of constant economic, social and environmental changes that are not under our control, It is essential to have this set of skills. Thanks to them, we will take better care of our mental health. Let’s delve a little deeper into this dimension.

What are the most important coping strategies?

When applying techniques to develop coping skills, you first need to know what they consist of. All of them have the purpose of giving us skills in some area of ​​psychological well-being. We will detail them for you right away:

Skills focused on meanings: With this coping style you are able to process and make sense of situations to understand and resolve them much better.Problem-focused skills: Through them, you address any type of challenge or crossroads more effectively. You will learn to make decisions, plan, analyze situations, etc.Emotion-focused skills: They are intended to help you understand and regulate your emotions. They are a set of tools that make it easier to better manage everyday stressors.Distancing and rationalization skills: Many times, when adversity catches you, you focus only on the problems and the difficult emotions they raise in you. Distancing yourself a little and rationalizing the situation allows you to have a clearer perspective. In addition, it helps to withdraw momentarily to think about possible solutions.

We all react to adversity through a series of automatic coping styles that can be beneficial or, on the contrary, counterproductive. The good news is that it is possible to improve and develop new ones.

What is the difference between coping skills and coping strategies?

There is an interesting fact. Each of us automatically applies a series of coping mechanisms, That is, we do it by instinct. This is because, as explained in a work published by Biological Sciences, there is a neurobiological basis in these processes that needs to be better understood.

The good news is that these strategies can be learned and improved. In this way, the coping strategy always requires an effort to carry it out, while The skill appears when we automate that learning and execute it naturally.

That is our goal, that these dimensions of well-being are integrated into our mental universe in a deep and meaningful way, without involving the greatest effort.

Techniques to develop coping skills

Your coping skills may be maladaptive and unhelpful right now. An example of this is not being able to regulate stress and not knowing how to deal with everyday problems. It is true that, sometimes, life becomes a knot and lacking these valuable tools the horizon becomes even more complicated. However, don’t worry, change is possible.

We can all learn techniques to develop coping skills. Furthermore, a work published by Frontiers in Psychology points out that these resources stand as an essential part of the psychological immune system, which leads us to successful adaptation in our social environments.

Therefore, we recommend that you put into practice the keys that we offer below, to more effectively face adverse scenarios.

1. Clarify your weak points

When developing coping skills you must first become aware of which areas bring you the most suffering. Knowing what skill you need will allow you to work on them to become a more decisive person on a psychological level. You can develop a list of questions like the following:

Do I usually handle stress well? Do I have a hard time regulating my emotions? Do I block myself from any problem? Am I very impulsive when making decisions? Do I usually think the worst when something goes wrong? Do I let others solve it? my problems? Do I find it difficult to make sense of things when things go wrong?

If you answered positively to five of these questions, work and improve all the coping strategies outlined in advance.

2. Train yourself in coping strategies

Once you become aware that you must improve your coping strategies, it is time to obtain information about them. Educate yourself, look for books, videos or do not hesitate to sign up for courses related to the topic.

Nevertheless, Keep in mind that it is not enough to read and understand what these skills consist of, since to establish them you must carry out more processes, like those that we will detail in the following sections.

3. Self-reinforcement training

Self-reinforcement is the strategy that allows you to integrate new learning in a meaningful and lasting way. Thanks to this dimension, you will be able to, little by little, develop more adaptive and effective coping skills. We describe how to practice it:

Every time you carry out a task linked to a coping skill, reward yourself. If you fail at any point or break down, you don’t penalize yourself. Understand that learning is a process. Repeat positive self-affirmations to yourself such as: “I am able to manage my emotions better,” “I will not block myself from this problem,” etc.

4. Apply the skills in the simplest situations

Don’t wait to develop your coping skills when big adversities hit. It is in the small challenges of everyday life that we become strong. Therefore, remember that these strategies must support any area of ​​your life. For this process to show the best results, keep the following information in mind:

Keep a diary and write in it how you apply these strategies and how to improve them. Make these resources habitual, normalize them and integrate them in any circumstance. Coping skills will be useful in aspects such as an argument with your partner, a mistake made in the work, facing a doctor’s appointment, a public exhibition, etc.

By developing your coping skills in the simplest situations, it will be easier for you to tackle the most difficult times.

5. Observe and detect good and bad coping skills in others

All people apply their own coping skills; some healthier and others more maladaptive. It will be very useful to look at your environment and detect, observe and analyze what mechanisms others use. Turn to questions like the ones we present below:

Do you think your partner is skilled in this area? Does your family use good coping skills? Do you have a friend who inspires you in this area and from whom you can learn?

6. Detect stressors and prepare to face them

A great way to develop coping skills is to plan them. Look towards your near horizon and think about what the near future will bring you. Do you have an exam coming up? Is your relationship with your partner not going well? Are you thinking of changing jobs?

First of all, it is necessary to be prepared, for which it will be useful to describe what strategies you should put into practice. (problem solving, regulating emotions, finding new vital meanings…).

7. Assessment of coping efforts made

Your goal should be to automate these resources and turn them into natural skills. However, they will cost you some effort and this is normal. To advance in this valuable learning it is necessary that you monitor and evaluate your progress. These simple questions will offer you valuable information to grow and modify what is failing.

Have I adequately dealt with my problems in the last few days? Have I felt competent? In what area should I improve?

Developing coping skills is key to preventing mental disorders

A person competent in coping techniques is someone who has a lower risk of stress, anxiety or depression. These psychological mechanisms cushion daily suffering and are nuclear elements in psychotherapy. Thanks to them, it is possible to suffocate those emotions that deregulate us and sometimes make us fall into self-destructive behaviors.

Do not hesitate, Take the step and get started today in this healthy, cathartic and healing practice. that can change your life completely.

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