Coping involves:
- Being able to tolerate stress in order to function reasonably well in stressful situations and get through them.
- Recovering and getting back to normal when the stressful situation is over.
Good coping skills prevent us from becoming completely overwhelmed by the stressful situation.
Some healthy ways of coping with stress:
- Listening to music
- Exercise/walking
- Reading
- Spending time with friends or family
Some less healthy ways people deal with their stress include:
- Using too much caffeine
- Drinking too much alcohol
- Smoking
- Overeating
- Using pills or drugs to relax
- Withdrawing from important relationships
- Taking your stress out on others by lashing out
Coping with stress in a healthier way is beneficial not just for you, but it will also help your child.
- Use this coping strategies form (PDF) to help you learn more about how you cope and identify some strategies that you may need to change.