When we go through difficult situations in life, we all have our own ways of coping with them. Some of us just grit our teeth and bear it, while others seek the comfort of friends and family.
Unfortunately, not all coping habits are the same. While some are actually beneficial, others are downright harmful.
In this post, we run through some common coping strategies, why people use them, and the damage that they can do. Check them out below:
Binging On Things
When life takes a turn for the worse, it can be tempting to just binge on things. You throw caution to the wind, looking for ways to reduce your pain.
Binging can come in all shapes and sizes. For instance, you might binge on drink, food, TV shows, and even negative thinking.
The problem with binging is that it is a trade for short-term relief now at the expense of long-term suffering in the future. People who don’t delay their gratification wind up in a bad place by the time they hit their forties and fifties. They aren’t where they want to be in life.
Eliminating Your Schedule
When a crisis strikes, it is tempting to forgo any kind of schedule. You feel bad, so why can’t you just stay in your pajamas all day long?
The problem with this approach is that a lack of discipline in one area of your life often leads to failure in many others. For instance, the moment you start to let your health slip, your productivity begins to fall, too. You simply can’t get as much done in the day as you could before.
The same goes for your family life. The moment you neglect it, it starts to wither on the vine.
Keeping a fixed routine can actually be a source of strength when going through a crisis. The more you maintain a structure in your life, the less you allow chaos to enter, and the more healthily you’ll emerge from a crisis.
Avoiding The Pain
When it comes to pain, the only way is through. You can’t get around it.
Unfortunately, when people go through crises in their lives, they often see things differently. They believe that there is a way to mask or neutralize the pain they feel.
According to mattexas.com, a website dedicated to helping people recover from addiction, the results of avoiding pain can be severe. People can become hooked on things that numb symptoms temporarily instead of dealing with the root cause.
Failing To Exercise
Lastly, when many people experience difficulties in their lives, they stop exercising. However, according to realsimple.com, this is one of the worst mistakes to make. Physical activity is actually a great healer and can change your mood completely.
If you’ve been through a crisis, take a week off work and indulge in an activity vacation with a group of friends or a club. Spend time hiking, climbing, and cycling in nature, and then see how you feel. You’ll notice that being around the natural world changes how you feel completely.
