* COPING RESOURCES: What are They? *
People tend to use certain strategies to deal with problems. These confrontational efforts are known as coping resources. They can be intentional or involuntary and they help us to face the demands and conflicts that are presented to us and that exceed the resources that a person has.
Due to our experiences and learning, each of us has a different ability to cope with different challenges or situations. And also, it will have different strategies that will be used to successfully overcome the obstacles that are going to interpose.
The importance of having these resources is that the richer and more varied these are, the more satisfactorily we will face the difficulties and obstacles of our path.
"Emotions are the result of a process of cognitive assessment of the situation, coping resources and what happens if those resources are used."
-Lazarus and Folkman, 1986-
The explanation of Lazarus
When a set of environmental or environmental demands appear (for example, a peak of work that will last for weeks), the person must give an answer that allows him to adapt to the situation. That is, it has to adapt to these demands by setting its coping resources on course.
Thus, for example, when we face a situation that can generate stress or anxiety, we mobilize our coping resources to resist. Therefore, this author believes that stress is a broad process of adaptation to the environment, without which we could not live.
Good or bad mobilization of coping resources
Faced with an unforeseen event, two situations can occur. The first is that the mobilization of our resources is adequate. In this case, this adaptation does occur and, therefore, we could continue to make normal use of our resources. But there can also be a second scenario: what the environment demands of us is excessive.
Coping resources allow us to adapt to different situations in the environment.
In this last case, the subject perceives that there is an imbalance between what is required to solve the problem and the skills, abilities or skills that he has to face it. Thus, this colossal demand produces in the person two types of reactions.
On the one hand, physiological, such as an increase in heart rate, sweating, increased blood pressure or dilation of pupils. And, on the other, emotional reactions of negative valence, among which stress anxiety, anger and depression.
Double valuation
Imagine that our partner tells us that they have to go abroad for work reasons. First, according to Lazarus, the person would make a primary assessment of the situation. That is, I would analyze if the event is positive or negative and I would estimate the consequences that this event has and would have in the future.
Later, I would make a second assessment in which the focus would stop being placed on the fact itself, to focus on the person. Thus, the affected would analyze the capabilities he has to face this new reality. That is, I would try to gather all their coping resources to make use of them. Depending mainly on this last estimate, this stress reaction would be generated (or not) in the person.
Coping strategies
Traditionally, a taxonomy of these strategies has been carried out taking into account different aspects. The evaluation of the event, the problems of the event and the elicited emotion. Thus, based on these characteristics, coping resources are usually divided into 2 classes:
Strategies focused on the problem
This type of resources are intended to face the situation, giving it meaning and attributing a certain meaning to the problems that have occurred. They are based on the search for solutions, on restoring the cognitive imbalance caused and on solving or modifying the problem. They refer to confrontation and the search for social support and solutions.
Normally, they are used when the stressful event is perceived as controllable. For example: we have to perform too many tasks in the day, this generates uneasiness and even discomfort. How do we adapt to this situation? Mobilizing this type of strategy, for which we would think that by using ourselves thoroughly we will be able to do all those tasks.
Strategies focused on emotions
Unlike the previous ones, these stratagems are usually used when the situation that generates stress is perceived as uncontrollable. What is sought, therefore, is no longer focused on the problem, but on the emotions that this event arouses and in its liberation. Only then, it is considered that the individual can relax. They are aimed at restoring the emotional balance.
They are self-control, distancing, positive re-evaluation, self-incrimination and escape / avoidance. Regarding this last type of behavior, coping resources based on avoidance seek to temporarily move away from the problem. Thus, the person will try to escape by doing other activities, taking distance from what is generating so much stress. And, when he has managed to minimize the emotional impact, he will face the situation again.
These coping resources are not watertight, but are modifiable. They are also flexible and, with the appropriate counseling and psychological support, can be acquired.
Coping resources are flexible and acquirable, if proper attention being given and followed a certain psychological pattern. Indeed, extensive and a learning experience going through this lovely piece of writing. To deal with any situation, we need a strategy and strong emotions, as a matter of fact. As the sage said nothing is impossible and every problem/situation has a possible solution depending on the right tools and a strategy.
Sometimes, excessive stress causes a person to be in defensive mode and with a good strategy we could avoid future confrontations.