Different Ways to Cope

What are some ways you cope?

Lets’ be honest, there is good coping and there is bad coping. But, after learning about the definition of coping, bad coping, would mean, not effectively dealing.

When I was in that difficult time in life, I used alcohol(liquor) to cope. Especially, after miss Monroe stopped nursing. That really started me down this dark path.

I was drinking to cope, to numb, and to suppress. I think it was really because I did not know what was really happening to me. And once I saw how alcohol at least let me get some sleep, it became the norm. I was ‘coping,’ but, I was still struggling. I was merely numbing the difficulties, temporarily. This is an example of bad coping.

Ways to cope, effectively…in my viewpoint

Writing

Therapy

Working out

Music

Traveling

Venting to the right person

Support groups

Healthy friendships/relationships

Exploring interest

Volunteering

Walking away

Saying no

Self-care

These listed ways create outlets to help explore who you are, by inadvertently making you see positive lights about yourself. All while peeling back what got you to the difficult place.

Writing made me see the ugly, but it let me express the ugly and no judgement came from it, at least not from others.

Therapy, let me talk, talk a lot. I did not know how much I needed that.

Working out, helped me release and sweat it out. It was a way of sweating out that bad moment.

Music has healing wrapped up in it. You can just let it go, let it flow. Even though you may not be talking about the issue at hand, you are changing the atmosphere.

Venting to the right person!!! This can be a game changer (we will discuss this more in another posting).

Support groups, connecting with people who get it, but also learning to connect with people that get it and got through it and over it.

Healthy friendships/relationships, having people in your corner that hold you accountable but build you and encourage you.

Exploring interest, take the art class, take the dance lesson, you never know what will happen once you do. I signed up for a 10k as a push interest. I already did not mind running, but I wanted something to push for—COVID mess this up (major eye roll).

Walking away when I tell you this is it!!! If you say 2 +2 is 7, at this point, you are right, because my peace is much more important. I was not good at this and still figuring it out. I would stay in it, take the heat, embrace the confrontation, and find myself going head to head with negativity—knowing I was going to be HURT at the end.

Saying no!!!! I STRUGGLE with this unless you make me mad and I feel taken advantage of. But saying no, would have allowed me to see that I was hurting a long time ago. Because I would have said no, I AM NOT OK, no, I AM STRUGGLING….

Self-care---still a work in progress here, but I have heard people say self-care is important. I have not got to the place of really taking care of myself like I used too, but I see myself getting there…

Meditation allowed me to center myself and I was able to start seeing myself as a soul again, and that was a big turning point for me.

Finding ways to cope, helps with healing. You may not get through that difficult situation right then and there, but you are changing the course of a bad habit. You are saying to that difficult situation that you no longer control who I am. And that is important. Find what effectively works for you and heal!!