Coping strategies
DESCRIPTION:
Understanding healthy coping strategies: Psychology of coping strategy in crisis, dealing with A(U)DHS, autism, HSP and trauma. Complementing psychotherapy to reduce stress.
Coping strategies and coping mechanisms in psychology: healthy and dysfunctional coping – what really works for stress management
Summary: Coping refers to the way people deal with stressful situations and stress.
What it's about:
· What psychology knows about functional and dysfunctional coping strategies,
· How Richard Lazarus' transactional stress model has shaped our understanding of coping,
· Which coping mechanisms are actually evidence-based
· Why are some people resilient in crises, while others collapse under chronic stress
· What concrete steps can you take to improve your own coping strategies?
Unlike popular self-help guides, this text focuses on scientific findings from psychology and psychotherapy. You will not receive simple advice on relaxation; instead, you will learn how coping works, when it is beneficial to seek professional support, and why not all coping strategies are equally effective.
What does coping mean in psychology?
In psychology, coping refers to all cognitive and behavioural efforts that people make to deal with stressful situations. The term comes from the English "to cope with" and can be translated as coping with or dealing with stress. It is essential to understand that coping is not a single technique, but a dynamic process in which people actively try to cope with stress.
Richard Lazarus' transactional stress model, developed in the 1980s, provides the theoretical framework for our current understanding of coping. Lazarus argued that stress is not an objective characteristic of a situation, but arises from the transaction between the person and their environment. The decisive factor here is personal assessment: Is a situation assessed as threatening, challenging, or irrelevant? This assessment determines which coping strategies are used and how stressful the problem is perceived to be.
In modern psychology, we distinguish between different forms of coping, which vary considerably in their function and effectiveness. Functional coping helps people to master difficult situations and maintain mental health. Dysfunctional coping, on the other hand, may provide short-term relief but leads to further problems in the long term. An example of dysfunctional strategies would be excessive alcohol consumption to cope with stress, which does not solve the original problem but creates new ones.
What types of coping strategies are there?
Research primarily distinguishes between three main categories of coping: problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping and appraisal-focused coping. This distinction goes back to Lazarus and his colleagues and has established itself as a useful taxonomy in psychology.
Problem-focused coping
aims to change the stressful situation. People who use this strategy look for concrete steps to solve the problem. For example, if you are suffering from work stress because your workload is too high, a problem-oriented strategy would be to talk to your manager about redistributing tasks or learning time management techniques. Active coping is particularly effective when the situation is actually controllable and change seems possible.
Emotion-focused coping
focuses on regulating the emotional response to stress without changing the situation itself. Relaxation techniques, mindfulness, seeking social support for emotional relief, or physical activity are all part of emotion-focused coping. These strategies are beneficial when the stressful situation cannot be changed immediately – for example, when losing a loved one or dealing with chronic illness. The aim here is to adapt to the situation and manage one's own emotions instead of fighting against unchangeable realities.
Evaluation-oriented coping, sometimes referred to as cognitive coping
focuses on re-evaluating the situation. People try to change their perspective on the stressor. An example would be interpreting a professional rejection not as a personal failure, but as a learning opportunity or as an indication that this position would not have been the right one anyway. This form of cognitive restructuring is an essential mechanism in cognitive behavioural therapy and can significantly reduce the adverse effects of stress.
How do functional and dysfunctional coping strategies differ?
The distinction between functional and dysfunctional coping strategies is central to understanding mental health and well-being. Functional coping strategies help people to deal with stress effectively and stay healthy. They reduce stress in the long term, promote adaptation to tricky situations and strengthen resilience in the long run.
Dysfunctional coping, on the other hand, often only provides short-term relief but exacerbates the situation in the medium term. Avoidance strategies are a classic example: when you avoid a stressful situation, you feel immediate relief. In the long term, however, your fear of this situation grows, and you lose potentially essential opportunities for development. Other dysfunctional strategies include substance abuse, social isolation, excessive overthinking or repression. These mechanisms prevent genuine coping and can lead to mental illness.
An important aspect that many people do not understand is that whether a coping strategy is functional or dysfunctional depends heavily on the context. Repression can be helpful in some acute crises to maintain the ability to act. However, if it becomes a permanent response to stress, it prevents the processing of stressful experiences. Similarly, emotion-focused coping can be very functional when the situation cannot be changed. Still, it can become dysfunctional when it replaces problem-oriented action, even though change is possible. The trick is to use the right strategy at the right time – what psychology refers to as flexible coping.
Why are some people more resilient than others?
Resistance refers to mere psychological resilience to stress and crises.
Resilience means more: being able to grow and develop under adverse circumstances and stress.
This is an important distinction. Resilient people recover more quickly from setbacks, adapt better to changing circumstances and demonstrate more stable mental health despite adverse circumstances. Research shows that resilience is not an innate character trait, but develops over the course of a lifetime through experiences, coping mechanisms and available resources.
Effective coping strategies are a central component of resilience. People who have a broad repertoire of coping strategies and can use them flexibly cope better with stress than those who repeatedly fall back on the same – possibly dysfunctional – patterns. Resilient people typically use more problem-oriented strategies, actively seek social support and show greater emotional stability. They have learned to assess situations better and mobilise their personal resources effectively.
In addition to individual coping mechanisms, external factors also play a role. Social support from family, friends or professional networks is an essential resource in coping with stress. People who know they can count on others in difficult situations experience stress as less threatening. Previous experiences of successfully dealing with crises are also crucial: those who have faced challenges multiple times develop a higher expectation of self-efficacy – the conviction that they will also be able to master future problems. This experience strengthens resilience in the long term.
What is proactive coping, and why is it important?
Proactive coping describes coping strategies that people use before a crisis or severe stress occurs. Instead of just reacting to stress, people prepare for potential challenges in advance or try to prevent future stress from the outset. This form of coping has received increasing attention in psychology in recent years.
An example of proactive coping is regularly using relaxation techniques, even when not under severe stress, to prepare for future stressful periods. Or you could maintain your social network so that you can fall back on support in the event of a crisis. Learning new skills at work before your current job is at risk is also part of proactive coping. These strategies reduce the likelihood that specific stressors will become a severe burden in the first place.
Research shows that proactive coping correlates with higher psychological well-being. People who act with foresight experience fewer feelings of helplessness and loss of control. They perceive their lives as malleable and develop a more active attitude towards challenges. However, there are also limits: excessive overthinking about possible future problems can itself become a burden. Functional proactive coping, therefore, means planning and preparing yourself without sinking into constant worry.
What role does the assessment of stress play, according to Lazarus?
Richard Lazarus' transactional stress model emphasises that it is not the objective situation, but its subjective assessment that determines whether we experience something as stressful. Lazarus distinguishes between primary and secondary assessment. In primary assessment, the person evaluates whether a situation is irrelevant, positively challenging or threatening. This initial assessment determines whether a stress response is triggered.
Secondary assessment refers to one's own coping resources: Do I have the skills, knowledge and resources to deal with this situation? When people assess their own coping capacities as insufficient, they experience the problem as overwhelming and threatening. If, on the other hand, they are confident that they can master the challenge, the same objective situation feels less stressful. These assessment processes often take place unconsciously and are strongly influenced by previous experiences.
A practical example illustrates this: a presentation in front of a large audience may be seen by person A as an exciting opportunity to prove themselves (positive challenge). In contrast, person B experiences the same situation as an existential threat because they fear embarrassing themselves and jeopardising their career. The objective situation is identical, but the assessment – and thus the stress response and the coping strategies chosen – differ fundamentally. Lazarus' stress model shows that effective stress management can be based not only on behaviour but also on assessment patterns. Psychotherapy uses this approach to identify and modify dysfunctional assessments.
How can I improve my own coping strategies?
The good news is that coping strategies can be learned and developed throughout life. The first step is to build awareness of your current coping mechanisms. Observe how you typically react to stress. Do you resort to avoidance strategies? Do you actively seek solutions? Or do you fall into overthinking and worrying without taking action? This self-observation, sometimes referred to as mental monitoring, is the basis for change.
Once you have recognised your patterns, you can develop new strategies in a targeted manner. If you find that you react predominantly in an emotion-oriented way, even when problem-oriented coping would be appropriate, you could practise planning concrete steps for action. If, on the other hand, you tend to want to solve every problem immediately, even when this is not possible, learning acceptance and emotion-oriented strategies could be helpful. The trick is to be flexible: resilient people have a range of coping strategies at their disposal and can choose the most appropriate one for each situation.
It is also important not to view coping with stress as a purely individual task. Seeking social support is itself an effective coping strategy. Talk to people you trust about your stress, share your experiences in self-help groups or seek professional help if you realise that your own resources are not sufficient. Seeking help is not a sign of weakness – on the contrary, it shows realistic self-assessment and is itself a functional coping behaviour. Psychotherapy can help to identify dysfunctional patterns and replace them with healthier strategies, especially if these patterns are deeply rooted.
When does stress become a crisis, and coping is no longer enough?
Not every stressor leads to a crisis, and not every stress requires professional intervention. Nevertheless, there are situations in which standard coping mechanisms are no longer sufficient. A crisis arises when people are confronted with a stressful situation that overwhelms their usual coping strategies. The body's natural response to stress – increased alertness, tension, focus on the threat – can itself become a burden in the case of chronic stress.
There are many warning signs that your coping strategies are no longer sufficient. Physical symptoms such as sleep disorders, loss of appetite, chronic exhaustion or tension can be indications. On a mental level, difficulties concentrating, constant overthinking, hopelessness or the impression of losing control often manifest themselves. If you find that you are increasingly resorting to dysfunctional strategies such as alcohol consumption, social withdrawal or self-harming behaviour, this is a clear signal that you need support.
It becomes particularly critical when normal functions are impaired: you can no longer do your job, neglect relationships, or neglect self-care. In such situations, professional help is essential. Psychotherapy offers specialised methods of coping that go beyond general coping strategies. Therapists can help you understand the roots of dysfunctional patterns, develop new coping mechanisms and change the way you evaluate stressors. This is not a weakness, but a rational response to an overwhelming situation – itself a form of problem-oriented coping.
What does research say about effective coping strategies?
Empirical research on coping is extensive, and some findings have been consistent. Studies show that active coping – i.e. problem-oriented action – is most effective for controllable stressors. People who actively seek solutions and take concrete steps to change a stressful situation show better psychological adjustment and fewer symptoms of anxiety or depression. This is especially true for everyday stressors such as professional challenges or interpersonal conflicts.
In the case of uncontrollable stressors – such as serious illness, bereavement, or traumatic events – emotion-oriented and acceptance-based strategies show better results. Mindfulness, cognitive reappraisal and the search for meaning under challenging experiences help people adapt to unchangeable realities without falling into resignation. Positive psychology research has also shown that the ability to perceive positive aspects even in difficult times (without denying reality) is associated with better mental health.
One crucial factor is the importance of flexible coping. People who can use their repertoire of coping strategies appropriately to the situation cope better with challenges than those who rigidly adhere to specific patterns. This flexibility can be trained. In addition, research clearly shows that social support is one of the strongest protective factors. People with stable social networks cope with stress more effectively, recover more quickly from crises, and have a lower risk of mental illness. Building and maintaining social relationships are central coping resources in themselves.
How are coping and mental health related?
The way we deal with stress has a direct impact on our mental health. Chronic stress that is not effectively managed is a risk factor for numerous mental illnesses – from anxiety disorders to depression and addiction. The mechanism behind this is that when people repeatedly experience failure in their attempts to cope, they develop a feeling of helplessness. This learned helplessness, a concept from psychology, is a key factor in the development of depression.
Dysfunctional coping can itself become a burden and set off a vicious cycle. Avoidance behaviour, for example, reduces anxiety in the short term but increases it in the long term. People develop an increasing fear of anxiety and increasingly restrict their living space. Substance abuse as a coping strategy creates new problems and prevents the development of healthy mechanisms. Social isolation leads to the loss of essential support resources. Psychotherapy often aims to break these dysfunctional cycles and build functional alternatives.
Conversely, effective coping strategies actively protect mental health. People with good coping skills recover more quickly from setbacks, experience fewer symptoms when under stress and show greater life satisfaction. The development of coping mechanisms is therefore not only relevant for dealing with acute crises but also serves as a form of preventive health care. Stress management programmes offered in companies, schools and health care facilities are based on this insight: good coping strategies can be taught preventively before mental health problems arise.
Maladaptive daydreaming as a dysfunctional coping strategy
Maladaptive daydreaming describes excessive fantasising that becomes so time-consuming and immersive that it impairs everyday functioning. Those affected lose themselves for hours in detailed fantasy worlds, often accompanied by repetitive movements such as pacing back and forth. Although the phenomenon has not yet been officially classified as a disorder, research since Eli Somer first described it in 2002 shows that maladaptive daydreaming can cause significant suffering. The central problem is that what begins as a coping mechanism becomes a burden in itself.
Most people with maladaptive daydreaming report that their intense fantasies originally began as emotion-oriented coping. In stressful life circumstances, such as trauma, chronic loneliness, emotional neglect or other difficult situations, the fantasy worlds offered a place of refuge. The inner narratives made it possible to regulate unbearable emotions, imaginatively satisfy needs for connection or recognition, and temporarily escape painful reality. In this phase, daydreaming fulfilled a functional role, similar to other forms of imaginative coping. The problem arises when this mechanism takes on a life of its own, and control over it is lost.
Dysfunctional coping manifests itself in maladaptive daydreaming on several levels. In terms of time, those affected often spend several hours a day fantasising, which leads to neglect of work, study, relationships and self-care. Functionally, daydreaming becomes the preferred means of regulating emotions, preventing the development of other, more adaptive coping strategies. A dynamic of avoidance develops: instead of addressing real problems or building genuine social connections, those affected escape into their fantasy worlds. Paradoxically, this leads to an intensification of the original stress that daydreaming was supposed to protect them from. Loneliness is intensified by social withdrawal, professional problems are exacerbated by procrastination, and self-esteem issues grow due to the awareness of having lost control over one's own behaviour. Many affected individuals also experience shame and hide their daydreaming, which further isolates them.
Functional approaches to coping with maladaptive daydreaming require a nuanced understanding. The aim is not to eliminate daydreaming completely, but to regain control over it and develop alternative coping strategies. Psychotherapy, primarily cognitive behavioural therapy, can help to identify the triggers for excessive daydreaming and understand which emotional needs are being satisfied by the fantasies. It is essential to address these needs more realistically, such as by building genuine social contacts instead of imaginary relationships. Mindfulness techniques can help one notice when they drift off into a fantasy and consciously return to the present. Behavioural strategies such as setting time limits for daydreaming or creating daydream-free zones can gradually restore control. It is essential to address the underlying stresses and traumas that initially made maladaptive daydreaming necessary as a coping mechanism. Professional help is often indispensable because those affected are rarely able to break out of the pattern on their own and usually have comorbid disorders such as depression, anxiety or ADHD that also need to be treated.
How does coping differ in ADHD, and which strategies are functional?
People with ADHD face specific challenges in coping with stress that are directly related to their neurobiological characteristics. The central problem lies in executive function impairment: planning, organisation, impulse control and emotion regulation are impaired. This means that the very cognitive abilities necessary for problem-oriented coping are weaker in ADHD. In addition, there is increased stress reactivity – people with ADHD often experience stressors more intensely and have greater difficulty achieving rest from stressful situations.
Functional coping in ADHD must take these neurobiological realities into account. External structuring aids are central to this: checklists, timers, visual memory systems and digital planning tools compensate for weaknesses in self-organisation. Physical activity has a powerful effect on ADHD because exercise increases the availability of dopamine and noradrenaline in the brain – precisely those neurotransmitters that are out of balance in ADHD. Social support is critical because ADHD-related impulsivity or disorganisation often leads to interpersonal conflicts. Building an understanding social network aware of specific challenges is an essential resource for coping.
Dysfunctional coping in ADHD shows characteristic patterns. Procrastination is often used as a coping strategy to avoid the fear of being overwhelmed, but in the long term, it exacerbates the problem. Self-medication with caffeine, nicotine, alcohol or other substances is above average – those affected unconsciously try to compensate for their neurotransmitter imbalance. Impulsive reactions to stress, such as emotional outbursts or rash decisions, are also dysfunctional. It is particularly problematic that people with ADHD often fall into a cycle of failure and self-deprecation: ADHD symptoms lead to difficulties in coping with stress, which in turn damages self-esteem and encourages further dysfunctional coping strategies. Psychotherapeutic coaching using cognitive behavioural therapy methods for ADHD can help break these patterns and develop functional alternatives tailored to the specific neurobiology.
What are the special features of coping in highly sensitive people (HSP)?
High sensitivity is not a clinical diagnosis but describes a temperamental trait that affects about 15 to 20 per cent of the population. Highly sensitive people process sensory information more intensively and in a more differentiated way. They perceive subtle details in their environment that others miss, have a rich inner life and react more strongly to emotional stimuli. However, this also means that they can be overwhelmed by stimuli more quickly. What is a normal, tolerable level of stress for others can be overwhelming for highly sensitive people. The stress does not arise from a lack of resilience, but from a different processing mode.
Functional coping for highly sensitive people first requires acceptance of their own sensitivity – not as a deficit, but as a neutral characteristic with advantages and disadvantages. Stimulus control is a key strategy: highly sensitive people benefit from consciously shaping their environment. This can mean creating spaces to retreat to, avoiding sensory overload through time management (e.g. by taking breaks after social events) or using sensory filters (headphones in noisy environments, dimmed lighting at home). Emotion-oriented coping is particularly relevant for HSPs because their emotional response to stressors is often more intense than that of others. Emotion regulation techniques, such as mindfulness or creative forms of expression like writing or art, help to channel emotional intensity. Seeking social support can also be functional, but highly sensitive people benefit particularly from in-depth one-on-one conversations rather than extensive group interactions.
Dysfunctional coping strategies in highly sensitive people often arise from attempts to suppress or compensate for their own sensitivity. Many try to function "normally," ignoring their limits and chronically overworking themselves – a pattern that leads to exhaustion and burnout. Social withdrawal can become dysfunctional when highly sensitive people avoid critical social contacts and become lonely for fear of overstimulation. Over-identification with high sensitivity can also be problematic when it serves as an excuse not to face stressful but necessary situations. Another dysfunctional pattern is the tendency to take responsibility for the emotions of others. Highly sensitive people perceive emotional nuances in others so strongly that they often feel obliged to regulate them, which leads to emotional exhaustion. Psychotherapy can help to find a balance between respecting one's own limits and developing strategies to participate in life despite increased sensitivity.
What does functional coping look like in autism?
People on the autism spectrum experience specific challenges in coping with stress that are related to the neurobiological characteristics of autistic perception and information processing. Particularly relevant are difficulties in social communication, a preference for routines and predictability, and often different sensory processing – some stimuli are experienced as overwhelmingly intense, others as barely perceptible. Stressors that are minor for neurotypical people can be significant for autistic people: unforeseen changes, social demands that require implicit communication, or sensory overload in environments with lots of people, noise or light stimuli.
Functional coping in autism is often based on structure and predictability. Fixed routines do not act as rigid behaviour, but as a coping mechanism that creates security in a world that is usually experienced as chaotic. Visual aids such as daily schedules, checklists or social stories help to clarify expectations and reduce uncertainty. Stimming – repetitive movements or actions such as rocking, hand shaking or playing with particular objects – is an essential self-regulatory strategy that helps to process sensory or emotional overload. Modern autism research increasingly recognises that stimming should not be suppressed, but is a functional coping strategy. The conscious design of the sensory environment is also central: noise-cancelling headphones, certain clothing materials, controlled lighting or places of retreat can prevent sensory overload. Social support often works differently for people with autism than for neurotypical people – many benefit more from written communication or structured exchange formats than from spontaneous social interactions.
Dysfunctional coping in autism often arises from attempts to mask or suppress autistic traits – a phenomenon that researchers refer to as "masking" or "camouflaging". Many autistic people learn early on to hide their natural reactions to be socially accepted. This is significantly cognitively and emotionally exhausting and leads to exhaustion, anxiety disorders and depression in the long term. The constant attempt to imitate neurotypical behaviour without this corresponding to one's own neurology is a form of dysfunctional coping. Social withdrawal can also become problematic when autistic people avoid all social contact and become isolated for fear of being overwhelmed. Meltdowns or shutdowns – intense overload reactions that result in either an emotional explosion or complete withdrawal and paralysis – are signs that stress management has already failed. Functional coping in autism means recognising early warning signs and taking preventive action before these breakdowns occur. Professional help from therapists with autism expertise can be crucial in developing individual, neurodiversity-affirmative coping strategies that respect autistic neurology rather than pathologising it.
Practical recommendations: Which coping strategy is appropriate for which situation?
The choice of the appropriate coping strategy depends on several factors. First, you should assess whether the stressful situation can be changed. If you can influence the situation, such as in the case of work conflicts, organisational problems or interpersonal difficulties, problem-oriented coping is the first choice. Identify the specific issue, gather information, develop possible solutions, implement them and evaluate the results. This systematic approach, which originates from problem-solving theory, has proven itself in practice.
In uncontrollable situations – chronic illness, bereavement, job loss due to economic factors – emotion-oriented coping is more appropriate. The aim here is to regulate the emotional response to stress and develop acceptance. Relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, breathing exercises or meditation can dampen the physical stress response. Cognitive strategies help to reassess the situation and reduce catastrophising. Seeking social support provides emotional backing. These strategies do not change the problem, but they allow you to remain functional and healthy despite the stress.
In many real-life situations, a combination of different approaches is optimal. In the case of a serious illness, for example, you can search for the best treatment options in a problem-oriented manner and at the same time work on dealing with fear and uncertainty in an emotion-oriented manner. In the case of work-related stress, you can improve your work situation on one hand and ensure mental regeneration through relaxation and social activities on the other. The key lies in balance: change what can be changed, accept what cannot be changed, and develop the wisdom to distinguish between the two – a principle that, incidentally, comes from search therapy but applies universally to effective coping.
Summary: The most critical points about coping strategies
· Coping refers to all efforts to deal with stress and strain, whereby a distinction is made between problem-oriented, emotion-oriented and evaluation-oriented coping.
· Richard Lazarus' transactional stress model emphasises that it is not the objective situation that is decisive, but rather its subjective evaluation and the estimated coping capacity.
· Functional coping strategies reduce stress in the long term and promote mental health, while dysfunctional strategies such as avoidance or substance abuse lead to further problems in the long term.
· Flexible coping is crucial: the ability to use different strategies depending on the situation correlates more strongly with resilience than the use of a specific "best" strategy.
· Problem-focused coping works best for controllable stressors, while emotion-focused coping works best for uncontrollable situations.
· Proactive coping, i.e. preparing in advance for possible stressors, can prevent stress from becoming a crisis in the first place.
· Social support is one of the most effective resources for coping with stress and is an essential strategy in itself.
· Resilience develops through experience and can be strengthened throughout life as people learn to develop effective coping mechanisms.
· Maladaptive daydreaming often starts as functional emotion-oriented coping but becomes dysfunctional when it becomes the primary avoidance strategy, preventing the development of real solutions.
· In ADHD, external structuring aids and exercise are remarkably effective functional strategies, while procrastination and self-medication are common dysfunctional patterns.
· Highly sensitive people benefit from stimulus control and consciously designing their environment, but should avoid chronically suppressing their sensitivity.
· Autistic people use routines, stimming and sensory adjustments as functional coping strategies, while masking leads to exhaustion in the long term.
· Seeking professional help is itself a form of problem-oriented coping when one's own coping strategies are no longer sufficient.
· Research clearly shows that active coping, cognitive flexibility and the integration of different strategies are associated with better mental health and greater well-being.
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