Effective and Ineffective Strategies for Coping with Stress
While some coping strategies we tend to use to relax in the face of a stressful situation can end up making us feel even worse, some healthy coping methods actually help us feel better in a functional way. According to the American Psychological Association, the strategies applied for coping with stress that are effective include:
Exercising
Praying
Practicing mindfulness exercises
Spending time with family and friends
Spending time in nature
Taking walks.
The strategies that are not effective, however, are:
Gambling or playing games of chance
Shopping
Smoking
Drinking alcohol
Playing video games
Spending time on the internet
Watching movies or videos for more than two hours.
So what is the fundamental difference between the strategies that work and those that don't?
Ineffective strategies promise our brain a future reward through the release of dopamine. However, after using these strategies, there is no real change in the release of serotonin, GABA, and oxytocin—the neurochemicals we actually need in order to feel better. This is because the strategy we're using doesn't have the qualities needed to soothe the stressful situation we're in.
On the other hand, effective strategies don't promise a reward; instead, they bring an actual improvement in mood, an increase in well-being, and a sense of relaxation. This is linked to the fact that effective strategies increase the release of serotonin, GABA, and oxytocin. At the same time, effective strategies help regulate the fight-or-flight response we experience under stress. For example, when you pray or do breathing exercises, your heart rate drops back to a normal level and you feel a sense of calm.
For this reason, it can be much more helpful, in many situations, to recognize that applying the same behaviors and strategies we enjoy and associate with reward when we're feeling good may not actually help us when we're stressed (and may even lead to addiction), and instead to turn toward coping methods that make us feel safe and calm.
Registered Psychotherapist Duygu ÇANKAYA ÇADIRCIOĞLU
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