Eli's Rehab Report

Reduce stress with these positive coping skills.

When things get crazy at work, do you melt down or do you try daydreaming for five minutes and then return to your work? Taking a breather may be all the coping you need to get yourself refocused.

According to the National Mental Health Association (NMHA), when stress hits the fan, there are two kinds of people: “positive copers” and “negative copers.” Read on to find out which one you are.

Negative Copers

Most negative copers look for short-term stress relievers, according to NMHA. The result is that a lot of these short-term behaviors will create more problems if repeated over a long period of time.

Some short-term stress relievers include:

• denial (pretending nothing’s wrong);
• alcohol/drug use;
• fault-finding (complaining, criticizing others);
• passivity (waiting for things to get better but not doing anything to make them better);
• revenge (being petty or mean to others to make yourself feel better);
• stubbornness;
• tantrums;
• withdrawal (avoiding stressful situations, skipping work, etc.);
• tobacco use;
• overeating.

If you engage in any of these stress-busting activities, you may be a negative coper. If you’d like to be a positive coper, read on.

Positive Copers

If a positive coper gets stressed out, she will most likely deal with it by engaging in life-affirming behaviors that don’t have any long-term ramifications. Some short-term stress relievers used by positive copers include:

• taking getaways (This doesn’t have to be a two-week vacation; a “getaway” could be as simple as taking a quick walk around the block.);
• learning to accept the good with the bad;
• staying open to change;
• exercise;
• having hobbies (Work and family can be stressful sometimes; when the stress builds, it helps to have some activities outside of work and family that are enjoyable and make you feel good about yourself.);
• asking for support from family and friends;
• identifying what you can’t control and not worrying about it;
• looking for the humor in every situation.