Coping strategies to handle stressful situations

1. Task-oriented Strategy (Endler and Parker)

1.1. involves obtaining information about the stressful situation and about alternative courses of action and their probable outcome; it also involves deciding priorities and acting so as to deal directly with the stressful situation. Problem solving focused and effective when resources are within the control of individiaul

1.1.1. e.g scheduling one's time and tasks- goal management through confrontation with problem

2. Emotion-oriented Strategy (Endler and Parker)

2.1. involve efforts to maintain hope and to control one’s emotions; it can also involve venting feelings of anger and frustration, or deciding that nothing can be done to change things. Alterating emotional responses to stressors and effective when the individual might not be familiar with the resources.

2.1.1. e.g venting or telling oneself that something is not actually happening

3. Avoidance-oriented Strategy (Endler and Parker)

3.1. involves denying or minimising the seriousness of the situation; it also involves conscious suppression of stressful thoughts and their replacement by self-protective thoughts.

3.1.1. e.g ignoring or suppressinga task by watching tv, reading a book etc.- escapism through defense mechanisms

4. Coping as a dynamic process (Lazarus and Folkman)

4.1. Problem-focused strategies attack the problem itself, with behaviours designed to gain information, to alter the event, and to alter belief and commitments. They increase the person’s awareness, level of knowledge, and range of behavioural and cognitive coping options. They can act to reduce the threat value of the event.

4.1.1. e.g making a time schedule or action plan- confornting problems using all available resources

4.2. Emotion-focused strategies call for psychological changes designed primarily to limit the degree of emotional disruption caused by an event, with minimal effort to alter the event itself.

4.2.1. e.g distraction oneself, gaining comfort through others etc.- Reduction of negative emotional reaction