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Are you ready to conquer stress and reclaim your well-being? In this captivating episode of Live Well and Flourish, we dive deep into the world of stress coping strategies. Stress is an inevitable part of life, but you CAN learn how to effectively cope with life's inevitable stressors. Join Craig as he explores two categories of coping responses: adaptive and maladaptive.
Adaptive strategies not only provide short-term relief but also address the root causes of stress. Discover practical techniques that not only help you navigate stressful situations but also empower you to tackle the underlying issues head-on. F
While maladaptive strategies might offer temporary relief, they fall short in the long run. Craig sheds light on common pitfalls and helps you recognize these short-term fixes that can inadvertently contribute to more stress down the line. .
Join Craig on this enlightening episode of Live Well and Flourish, and take the first step towards mastering stress and reclaiming your well-being. Don't let stress hold you back—let's conquer it together!
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Live Well and Flourish website: https://www.livewellandflourish.com/
The theme music for Live Well and Flourish was written by Hazel Crossler, hazel.crossler@gmail.com.
Production assistant - Paul Robert
Craig 00:00
Welcome to Live Well & Flourish. I'm your host, Craig Van Slyke.
As I’ve said before, stress is an inescapable part of life. Stress is just going to occur. But while stress can’t be avoided, it can be managed. It’s possible to cope with your stress. Over the next couple of episodes, I’ll delve into various coping strategies. In this episode, I want to make an important distinction between two types of coping strategies, adaptive and maladaptive.
Adaptive coping strategies are healthy, constructive ways to deal with stress in the long term. Maladaptive coping strategies may offer some very temporary relief, but they don’t remove the stress in the long run. Think of it like a steam pipe that’s under too much pressure. If you don’t remove the pressure, the pipe will burst, which is not a good thing. You can turn a valve to relieve some of the pressure, but if you don’t find the underlying cause of the excess pressure, the pressure comes back and eventually, the pipe might explode in a shower of scalding hot water and metal. Like I said, not a good thing.
Craig 01:09
Maladaptive coping strategies are like turning the vent valve, temporarily effective, but not a lasting solution. Adaptive coping strategies are like finding the cause of the excess pressure, they fix the underlying cause.
Let’s look at a few examples of each. I’ll go into more detail on some of these in later episodes. I’ll start with the adaptive coping strategies, the good guys.
Experimentation is a great adaptive coping strategy. You kind of act like your own personal scientist, trying out different ways to get at and remove the underlying causes of the stress. Email, the bane of modern work, provides an example. Suppose you find yourself constantly interrupted by email, making it difficult to get your work done. Sound familiar? You might experiment with closing your email program or browser window, and only checking email at a few scheduled times. This experiment might take some trial and error to figure out the right balance of availability and focus, but once you find that balance, you’ll find your stress levels decreasing and your productivity increasing. (I really need to try this.)
Craig 02:21
Assistance-seeking is a fantastic adaptive coping strategy. By reaching out to others for help, you’re not only addressing the immediate cause of stress, you’re also strengthening your social connections. This is vital, as it tackles one of the core causes of stress: isolation. Now, I know that asking for help can be tough. Believe me, I know that feeling. But, the benefits, from stress reduction to improved relationships, far outweigh the temporary discomfort of reaching out. For instance, asking a colleague for help with a tough project not only lightens your workload (and remember, overload is a core cause of stress), it also builds a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose.
Alright, let’s turn to some maladaptive coping strategies that might give temporary relief, but don’t provide long term solutions.
Craig 03:13
Giving in to negative emotions is a maladaptive strategy. It’s natural to feel some negative emotions during times of stress, and a little pity party might feel good for a short period of time, but whatever is causing your stress is still there, so the stress WILL come back. Getting mad at the traffic every morning might make you feel a little better (don't ask me how I know), but if you don’t adjust your timing or route, you’ll find yourself stuck in traffic, again, tomorrow. (Is James Taylor’s traffic jam song is running through your head? Alright, all together now, “Damn this traffic jam, how I hates to be late. It hurts my motor to go so slow” Yes, there's a reason I keep my day job.)
Craig 03:57
Venting is another emotion-based maladaptive coping strategy. Venting is like yelling at the traffic. It might make you feel a little better in the moment, but it doesn't make the traffic move any faster. Venting is kind of interesting as a coping strategy. Generally, it’s maladaptive, but used in the right way, it can actually be adaptive in some situations. I’m doing an episode on the duality of venting. It should come out in a couple of weeks.
So, the next time you’re feeling the strain, remember to reach for those adaptive strategies. Experiment. Ask for help. While the immediate relief of venting or giving in to anger might be tempting, tackling the root cause of the stress will lead to a more effective, lasting resolutions.
I promise I won't sing anymore.
Alright, thanks! That's it for now. Talk to you next time!
