Stress Management:
Coping With Stress

Jump to . . .Stress: IntroductionStressors and Stress ReactionStress PerceptionStress Management: Coping with Stress

There are several ways to cope with stressors, and the coping strategies vary from stressor to stressor. For example, living in a loud street requires a different coping strategy than receiving a cancer diagnosis. Additionally, it varies from individual to individual whether a specific coping strategy is successful for a given stressor or not. What works for one person, may not work for somebody else.

Without knowing your personal situation, I can only give you just a short overview of different coping strategies. We need first to distinguish between dysfunctional and functional coping strategies before we have a look at several categories of stress management tools.

Dysfunctional coping strategies:
Coping methods that are dysfunctional – i.e. that are not decreasing your stress level, especially in the long term – are for example: 

• Self-loathing: I don't deserve it better

• Tranquilizer

• Alcohol

• Distraction

• Trivializing

Functional coping strategies:
Coping successfully with stress (stressors)

• Lessens the intensity of your stress level (your stress reaction)

• Makes you more immune against future stressors (you will less likely perceive them as a threat that exceeds your internal and external resources)

Functional coping strategies:

	Cognitive-behavioral strategies
	Lifestyle changes
	Learning a relaxation technique

Often a combination of all the above is necessary.

Cognitive-behavioral coping strategies:

	Cognitive restructuring: You learn to monitor your inner dialogue and automatic thoughts in order to develop a thinking pattern that is more adaptive and less self-sabotaging.
	Systematic desensitization: You expose yourself gradually to the specific threat or stressor in order to reduce your fear of it.
	Problem solving: You define your problem, identify possible alternatives and solutions, make an informed decision on which solution to try, and finally evaluate the success of your chosen method. If the chosen method did not bring the desired results, determine the deficits of this method and repeat the steps of identifying alternatives, decision making, putting into practice, and re-evaluating.

Note: The information on different coping strategies provided here is by no means meant to be comprehensive. If you want to learn how to apply any of these strategies, get more information in your local bookstore. For some of the coping methods - like systematic desensitization – you need guidance from a counselor or therapist.

Lifestyle changes:
Little changes in how you conduct your life and on the choices you make during the day can make a significant difference in how you perceive a given stressor.

	Delegate some household chores to other family members
	Get enough sleep
	Drink sufficiently
	Eat healthy
	Exercise
	Spend time with people you enjoy
	Take up a hobby
	Dress so that you like your reflection in the mirror
	Do something just for yourself
	Spend time just with yourself
	Learn a relaxation technique

Relaxation:
Many of us do not know how to relax deeply. We like to think of relaxation as hanging out in front of the television or other distractions. Deep relaxation, however, gives us much more than just time during which we don’t work.

Deep relaxation

	Replenishes your energy supply
	Calms us down
	Enhances our performance
	Teaches self-control
	Intensifies our the experience of life
	Connects us to our spirituality

Moreover, several physiological changes occur when we relax deeply. Deep relaxation prompts the relaxation response, for which the parasympathetic nervous system is responsible. The relaxation response is contrary to the fight or flight response that the sympathetic nervous system enables when we are under stress.

The relaxation response during times of relaxation:

	Decreases your heart rate
	Decreases your blood pressure
	Increases the blood flow to the muscles of your arms and legs
	Decreases your rate of breathing
	Releases muscular tension
	Stimulates digestion

Several methods teach us the art of deep relaxation:*

	Meditation
	Progressive Muscle Relaxation
	Biofeedback
	Guided Imagery
	Autogenic Training

* To learn more about the above mentioned relaxation techniques in comparison to Autogenic Training go to FAQ.

"This class was extremely helpful for me. I learned how to relax for the first time in my life. When I went to the doctor, I had the lowest blood pressure reading ever!"
Sylvia C.
 

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