Stress-coping mechanisms

From Drug Rehab Wiki

Stress-coping mechanisms are behaviors and thoughts people employ to calm themselves when they feel upset, angry, overworked, or otherwise overwhelmed by tension. Since being under stress affects your heart rate, blood pressure, mood, and contributes to many diseases such as obesity and asthma, it is important to have stress-coping mechanisms.

Some common ones are thinking about your situation in a new way, or "reframing" it. Denying that you have a problem, accepting the blame for it, or distancing yourself from it emotionally are also stress-coping mechanisms. For example, if you hate your boss and your blood pressure raises when she enters the room, you "distance" yourself from the stress by thinking it is only temporary because you will find a new job. You can "reframe" it by looking for things in your boss that you like. You can say that it is your fault and that you can find new ways to behave so your boss will start liking you (accepting blame), or you can simply tell yourself you don't really hate your boss (denial).

Any technique you use to control your temper is a stress-coping mechanism.

Stress-coping mechanisms are also behaviors you use to "unwind" after a stressful day or event. Healthy ones can be sports, hobbies, talking things over with friends, or any activity you find relaxing, such as yoga or watching television.

Unhealthy stress-coping mechanisms such as overeating or using drugs can lead to addiction, health problems, and feelings of being out-of-control and guilty. People who undergo rehabilitation for drug and alcohol abuse have to learn new stress-coping mechanisms to achieve recovery.