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COPING STRATEGIES
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Mammoth Magazine Coping with stress

Take a look at our official
magazine Stress has a major impact on mental and physical health. N
identify its source, let’s see how you can cope with it.

This section explains how to live with stress and the differen
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Stay informed about all

things CSHS! What is coping?
Coping refers to the thoughts and actions we use to deal w

A stressful situation may be considered a threat for you but

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neighbor may become stressed by the same situation, but
Take a look at our news
but unpredictable for your neighbor).
feed
After all, since we all become stressed for various reasons w

As you will see, there are many strategies and some are bet

Two different coping strategies

Problem-focused strategy

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5/22/2019 Coping strategies – CESH / CSHS

This strategy relies on using active ways to directly tackle th

concentrate on the problem. Here are some examples:

1. Analyze the situation

STRESS STRESS AND YOU RESEARCHERS PROGRAMS BIOASSAY LAB ABOUT US
e.g. Pay attention, avoid taking on more responsibility t
2. Work harder 
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e.g. Stay up all night to study for an exam
3. Apply what you have already learned to your daily li
e.g. You lose your job for the second time – you now kn
4. Talk to a person that has a direct impact on the situat
e.g. Talk directly to your boss to ask for an extension to

Emotion-focused strategy

Emotion-focused coping strategies are used to handle feel

situation. You focus on your emotions:

1. Brood
e.g. you accept new tasks instead of saying “no”, but yo
2. Imagine/Magic thinking
e.g. You dream about a better financial situation.
3. Avoid/Deny
e.g. You avoid everything that is related to this situatio
this situation.
4. Blame
e.g. You blame yourself or others for the situation.
5. Social support
e.g. You talk to your best friend about your concerns.

In a long-term perspective, are these strategies harmful?

Imagine that you are having a bad day at work and that yo
for many hours or even a day, but if you avoid him everyday
even cause extra stress. This is why it is important to develo
situations.

Efficient coping strategies

Coping strategies are different depending on the situation a
strategies.

REMEMB

Coping is a very complex process, that varies accord

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5/22/2019 Coping strategies – CESH / CSHS

evaluation of the situation, and

1. Be positive!
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e.g. you may not have done well on your mid-term exa
ace your final exam.
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2. Make the choice not to over-react to stressors and d
e.g. take a few deep breaths and carry on.
3. Take an objective view of your stressor
e.g. is preparing dinner for 12 people really that horrible
4. Communicate!
Don’t ruminate or bottle up your emotions, as this will l
5. Accept yourself (and others).
No one is perfect and there is always room for mistake
6. Make connections with people 
Social support is key!
7. Deal effectively with mistakes
i.e. Learn from your mistakes and apply them to future
8. Deal effectively with successes also!
This will build on your competence.
9. Develop self-discipline and control
e.g. train yourself to study harder in preparation for yo
week to lose those pounds you gained since last Than
10. Maintenance!
Practice, practice, practice for a long life of resilient liv

Now that you know how to recognize your stress and you kn
find the coping strategies  that work best for you and apply

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Copyright © 2017 Centre for Studies on Human Stress (CSHS) – All Rights Reserved. Website by: Maxime Cliche – Website

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