As we’ve mentioned before, coping skills are mechanisms we use to help us to regulate our emotions and reduce stress or anxiety. However, not all coping mechanisms are created equally. Depending on the situation is and what your main concern might be, there are two different types of coping strategies to use to help resolve the issue:
- Problem-Focused Strategy: This strategy focuses on the actual problem itself. A person who uses this strategy will examine the issue and attempt to determine the root causes of his or her stress.
- Emotion-Focused Strategy: This strategy focuses on the energy towards the management of emotions rather than the actual problem. Avoiding the situation, denying, or seeking for social support are some common emotion-focused coping mechanisms.
There will be times when situations arise and we are able to fix the problem by identifying the factors causing it. However, there will also be times when we cannot fix the problem but we still have control over our own emotions and we can find healthy ways to manage our emotions towards the issue.