Stress and coping behaviors piqued my interest, as it always has, and I was certainly excited to
learn a bit more about myself with these assessments. My highest scales were proactive (48 of
56) and reflective coping (38 of 44), which does not surprise me. I find myself in seemingly
unique situations a lot for whatever reason and can never seem to prepare myself for such
events. However, I am a problem solver when obstacles appear and enjoy wracking my brain
for possible scenarios and their solutions. As I am more on an introvert, I feel I spend most of
my time contemplating and making sense of things in my head or considering the "what-ifs",
therefore my scores did not surprise me in the slightest. I think it is so important to be aware of
one's coping strategies because everyone handles stress or obstacles differently, so
understanding your own (as well as others') process of handling stress can be very beneficial
for working through any issue. However, I must say I find it slightly more helpful to
understand our own weaknesses and identify them so we can try to confront them going
forward (this may just be the proactive/reflective strategic side of me speaking though). The
fact I tend to neglect future planning for "unplanned" stressors shows me that I need to put
some time aside for self-care now to focus on securing myself in the future. Knowing I can
handle a stressful situation in the moment is wonderful, and knowing that I can reflect on it
and think about it at another time is great, but not working at breaking the cycle and trying to
better plan ahead would help me significantly. In addition, being conscious about one's
strategies as discussed is related to emotional regulation, specifically because with this
knowledge, we can work on making mor attempts at positive and intentional coping
mechanisms that may better our mental and physical health.
As previously mentioned, having conscious knowledge of our own coping behaviors allows
us to take better care of ourselves mentally and physically by equipping us with tools to
process our stress safely, appropriately, and positively. Prolonged periods of stress have been
scientifically proven to weaken our immune systems and decrease our brain functionality in
addition to the less predictable consequences such as depression, anxiety, social withdrawal,
or avoidance, and in some cases may lead to unhealthy coping strategies such as substance
abuse. Furthermore, coping behaviors can also be applied to emotional intelligence. Being
aware of your own, as well as others', coping behaviors allows us to identify and rationalize
what our next thoughts, words, or movements should be in a given situation. Identifying these
behaviors allows us to handle a situation with more experience and insight, increasing our
emotional intelligence. Lastly, I think this concept can be applied to ethics and how we learn
to cope in ways that are positive for yourself as well as those around you. It is important to at
the very least aim to practice healthy coping behaviors and strategies, however it is very
common for this idea to slip through the cracks in the heat of the moment when we are
unexpectedly confronted with a new stressor. For example, some people may choose to avoid
confrontation while, on the other extreme, some chose to run into it head on and headstrong
with loud verbal or physical outbursts. Ethically, we must remain aware of our coping
behaviors with the understanding that other people may cope in a different manner. In my
opinion, this concept must be treated with the same respect for diversity as any other topic
we've discussed so far for this very reason.
Stress and coping behaviors piqued my interest, as it always has, and I was certainly excited to
learn a bit more about myself with these assessments. My highest scales were proactive (48 of
56) and reflective coping (38 of 44), which does not surprise me. I find myself in seemingly
unique situations a lot for whatever reason and can never seem to prepare myself for such
events. However, I am a problem solver when obstacles appear and enjoy wracking my brain
for possible scenarios and their solutions. As I am more on an introvert, I feel I spend most of
my time contemplating and making sense of things in my head or considering the "what-ifs",
therefore my scores did not surprise me in the slightest. I think it is so important to be aware of
one's coping strategies because everyone handles stress or obstacles differently, so
understanding your own (as well as others') process of handling stress can be very beneficial
for working through any issue. However, I must say I find it slightly more helpful to
understand our own weaknesses and identify them so we can try to confront them going
forward (this may just be the proactive/reflective strategic side of me speaking though). The
fact I tend to neglect future planning for "unplanned" stressors shows me that I need to put
some time aside for self-care now to focus on securing myself in the future. Knowing I can
handle a stressful situation in the moment is wonderful, and knowing that I can reflect on it
and think about it at another time is great, but not working at breaking the cycle and trying to
better plan ahead would help me significantly. In addition, being conscious about one's
strategies as discussed is related to emotional regulation, specifically because with this
knowledge, we can work on making mor attempts at positive and intentional coping
mechanisms that may better our mental and physical health.
As previously mentioned, having conscious knowledge of our own coping behaviors allows
us to take better care of ourselves mentally and physically by equipping us with tools to
process our stress safely, appropriately, and positively. Prolonged periods of stress have been
scientifically proven to weaken our immune systems and decrease our brain functionality in
addition to the less predictable consequences such as depression, anxiety, social withdrawal or
avoidance, and in some cases may lead to unhealthy coping strategies such as substance abuse.
Furthermore, coping behaviors can also be applied to emotional intelligence. Being aware of
your own, as well as others', coping behaviors allows us to identify and rationalize what our
next thoughts, words, or movements should be in a given situation. Identifying these behaviors
allows us to handle a situation with more experience and insight, increasing our emotional
intelligence. Lastly, I think this concept can be applied to ethics and how we learn to cope in
ways that are positive for yourself as well as those around you. It is important to at the very
least aim to practice healthy coping behaviors and strategies, however it is very common for
this idea to slip through the cracks in the heat of the moment when we are unexpectedly
confronted with a new stressor. For example, some people may choose to avoid confrontation
while, on the other extreme, some chose to run into it head on and headstrong with loud verbal
or physical outbursts. Ethically, we must remain aware of our coping behaviors with the
understanding that other people may cope in a different manner. In my opinion, this concept
must be treated with the same respect for diversity as any other topic we've discussed so far for
this very reason.
My coping skills are avoidance coping (10/12) and preventative coping (36/40) t.
Avoidance: I am not terribly surprised by this. I have always been one to avoid and withdraw
from many situations. Even as a child, these traits were pointed out to me. I would do
anything to get out of situations in which I was instructed to do specific tasks that would cause
me discomfort, such as going places where there were a lot of people, loud noises, and a lot of
excitement. I also avoided anything that would break up my normal routines. If mom
randomly asked me to take out the trash, but it was time to feed my chickens, I would really
struggle with that and do anything I could to avoid it. I have a pretty great family, though and
my mom knew exactly what I was doing. We saw specialist and learned how to deal with these
sort things. I still learn strongly towards avoidance but I am able to work through it.
Preventative: I actually like this part of my coping abilities! I consider it a strong point. I am
always prepared! I make plans for situations, run them through my head, write them down and
go over check lists. There’s a lot of things in the world that scare me but being prepared and
having a plan takes that stress off me. My entire family loves this about me too. I make sure
everyone prepared!
I have even found that I can generally gear myself up when anticipating upcoming events that
I would originally be uncomfortable with. c I prepare mentally and physically ahead of time and
then when the time comes, I feel less stressed and I enjoy myself more.
Coping behaviour apply to the programmatic themes by giving us a wide view of how we deal
with stressful situations. Anytime you can understand and learn more about how you function
as a human being is beneficial. When you have a clear understanding of how you cope with
stress, you can develop methods of coping with social interactions with family, friends and in
the workplace. Emotional intelligence is vital to being self-aware, and being self-aware is
important for having a healthy, functioning life.
My primary coping strategy is proactive coping. I do agree with these results as I am a very
meticulously organized person that does things very methodically. I am a planner that likes to
think ahead and be prepared for any upcoming events, tasks, or jobs. I fell into the range of
using this coping strategy consistently. This makes sense because when I am stressed out, I fall
back on my planning capabilities to move through the stress and come out on the other side. c
Being conscious of your way of coping with stress is important and holds high value. If you
are familiar with the way you cope with stress, then you can emotionally regulate your stress
and psychologically continue to function instead of shutting down. Understanding your own
personal way of dealing with stress will allow you to minimize your frustration and work
through the problem efficiently and effectively. c
Coping behaviors apply to the programmatic themes by granting you the opportunity to
understand how your interactions with others and within yourself during a stressful situation
are significant. One's ability to cope will stress affects how you interact with others socially at
work, during social functions, and with family. Emotional intelligence allows you to be self-
aware of your own coping strategies when you are feeling stressed, so you can manage it
appropriately when you are around others. This plays a direct role in your overall wellbeing.
My highest PCI scores are Emotional Support Seeking and Strategic Planning. This is not a
surprise to me; when I plan an event or anything that could be stressful, I typically have a
couple of lists started. I also seek advice or opinions from peers when planning things. Over
the last year, I planned my wedding; I had a notebook of lists and plans written down and
backups in case something did not work. The one issue I run into with my Strategic Planning
strategy is that I can get highly stressed if things don't go as planned. The good part is when
this happens; I can fall back on my Emotional Support Seeking; that is when I turn to my loved
ones or friends and ask for help. I do not often need physical help in stressful situations.
Usually, a kind word or a hug is enough to keep me on track.
Knowing my strongest coping strategies allows me to know the best possible solution when
dealing with stress or to anticipate a stressful event. I know that when I am stressed, the best
solution for me will likely be to seek help from a loved one. I also am aware of my weakest
coping strategy, avoidance. I know from personal experience that if I try to avoid stress, I end
up prolonging my stress instead of solving my problem and alleviating the stress. Some people
are great at stepping back, taking a breath, and taking a break from a problem; I am likely to
spend my break thinking about how to fix the problem.
How you cope with stress fits well with the programmatic themes of Emotional Intelligence,
particularly self-regulation. It can be tough to self-regulate emotions when you are stressed.
Poor stress coping strategies can lead to irritability and temporarily weaken emotional
intelligence skills. Coping with stress effectively is an important part of self-care; dealing with
stress constantly can be very draining on a person.
My primary coping strategy is prevention and I feel this is 100% correct. The easiest way to
deal with stressful situations is to avoid them if possible. This is not always possible, but often
if I do run into stressful issues, I have thought about them beforehand and have rehearsed
different ways to approach the problem. When I am presented with a new project, I start
talking out loud and try to anticipate every problem. This can lead to some negative feedback
from team members. Then I must deal with the stress of explaining to them that I'm not being
negative, just trying to identify the pitfalls beforehand to strategize possible solutions.
If you know how you cope with stress you can intentionally start the process as soon as you
identify a stressor. This allows you to deal with the stress in a shorter amount of time,
eliminating some of the negative effects stress has on you. Less stress leads to a happier,
healthier life. Utilizing your coping strategies can help you to eliminate the highs and lows of
the emotional spectrum also leading to a better quality of life.
One place where knowing your coping strategy can pay off is carrier connections. Every job
has its unique issues that cause stress. Being aware of the best way for you to deal with stress
allows you to easier work through the issues that may arise, making one more positive and
productive in the workplace. This improves you at home as well as at work because it can help
in not bringing work issues home to the family.
c
