Coping resources: what are they?

People tend to use certain strategies to deal with problems. These confrontation efforts are known as coping resources. They can be intentional or involuntary and They help us to face the demands and conflicts that arise before us and that exceed the resources that a person has.

Due to our experiences and learnings, Each of us has a different ability to cope with different challenges or situations. And likewise, you will have different strategies that you will use to successfully overcome the obstacles that come your way.

The importance of having these resources lies in the fact that The richer and more varied these are, the more satisfactorily we will face difficulties and obstacles. of our path.

Lazarus’ explanation

When a set of environmental or environmental demands appear (for example, a work peak that will last weeks), the person You must give a response that allows you to adapt to the situation. That is, you have to adapt to these demands by putting your coping resources into action.

Thus, for example, when we face a situation that can generate stress or anxiety, we mobilize our coping resources to resist. Therefore, this author considers that Stress is a broad process of adaptation to the environment, without which we could not live.

Good or bad mobilization of coping resources

In the event of an unforeseen event, two situations can arise. The first is that the mobilization of our resources is adequate. In this case, this adaptation does occur and, therefore, we could continue normally using our resources. But it can also happen a second scenario: what the environment demands of us is excessive.

In this last case, the subject perceives that there is an imbalance between what is required to solve the problem and the abilities, capacities or skills he or she has to deal with it. So, This colossal demand produces two types of reactions in the person.

On the one hand, physiological, such as an increased heart rate, sweating, increased blood pressure or pupil dilation. And, on the other, emotional reactions of negative valence, among which anxiety, anger and depression stand out.

Double valuation

Let’s imagine that our partner tells us that he has to go abroad for a while for work reasons. First, according to Lazarus, the person would make a primary assessment of the situation. That is to say, would analyze whether the event is positive or negative and would estimate the consequences that has and would have that event in the future.

Subsequently, I would make a second assessment in which the focus of attention would no longer be placed on the event itself, but rather on the person themselves. Thus, the affected person would analyze the capabilities that he has to face this new reality. That is to say, He would try to gather all his coping resources to use them. Depending mostly on this last estimate, that stress reaction would (or not) be generated in the person.

Coping strategies

Traditionally, a taxonomy of these strategies has been made taking into account different aspects. The assessment of the event, its problems and the emotion elicited. Thus, based on these characteristics, coping resources are usually divided into 2 classes:

Problem-focused strategies

These types of resources are intended to face the situation, giving it meaning and attributing a certain meaning to the problem that occurred. They are based on the search for solutions, on restoring the cognitive imbalance caused and on solving or modifying the problem. They refer to confrontation and the search for social support and solutions.

Usually, They are used when the stressful event is perceived as controllable. For example: we have to perform too many tasks in the day, this makes us uneasy and even uncomfortable. How do we adapt to this situation? By mobilizing these types of strategies, we would think that by working hard we will be able to do all these tasks.

Strategies focused on emotions

Unlike the previous ones, these stratagems are usually used when the situation that generates stress is perceived as uncontrollable. What is sought, therefore, is no longer to focus on the problem, but on the emotions that this event arouses and its release. Only in this way is it considered that the individual will be able to relax. They are aimed at restoring emotional balance.

They are self-control, distancing, positive reappraisal, self-blame, and escape/avoidance. Regarding this last type of behavior, coping resources based on avoidance they seek to get away from the problem temporarily. Thus, the person will try to escape by doing other activities, distancing themselves from what is generating so much stress. And, when he has managed to minimize the emotional impact, he will deal with the situation again.

These coping resources are not watertight, but are modifiable. They are also flexible and, With appropriate counseling and psychological support, they can be acquired.

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