Do you ever reflect on the way you cope with stress? There are the “correct answers” we hear about on the news. We “should be” meditating, exercising, eating well. Whether we transform that “should” into “doing” is a completely different story.
We also know about the “should not’s” of coping to some degree. We know that addiction to substances but also to behaviors (e.g., binge-watching, binge-eating, binge-gaming) beyond moderation can do more harm than good.
But sometimes, I reflect on those gray “in-betweens” that sit between “should” and “should not.” Particularly, I think about how some (and by some, I mean me) cope by producing, scheduling stuff to do for every hour of the day. Work is useful, and a good distraction, but often overworking is maladaptive coping.
Where do you fall on this spectrum? What are your coping strategies?
