This past year I have become more in tune with myself, my mental and emotional stability and the coping mechanisms I use on an everyday basis. Good Therapy defines coping mechanisms as strategies people often use in the face of stress and/or trauma to help manage painful or difficult emotions that allow them to maintain their emotional well-being. Coping mechanisms can be both positive and negative. Negative coping examples can be social isolation, drug and alcohol abuse, and self harm. Positive coping mechanisms can be exercise, therapy or simply relaxing to name a few.
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I have struggled with accepting the fact that I am not always doing okay or taking care of myself the way I should be to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It was difficult for me to turn down opportunities despite a busy schedule, take a break or even ask for help. If college has taught me anything it’s been to be in sync and accepting of your instability. It has taken me a long time to realize and understand that there is power in taking care of mental and emotional health, that asking for help is the best thing you can do during hard times and that a simple question can lead to a network of support.
Learning about mental and emotional health has lead me to realize that I was living with the help of negative coping mechanisms. I never asked for help, I’d isolate myself and I would generally repress emotional and mental struggles. I thought that by ignoring what I was feeling and the mental exhaustion I felt was the best way to move forward. Only later after I had a series of emotional and physical breakdowns, did I realize that repressing these feelings and thoughts had piled up to create more internal stress for myself. I was tired of living an unhealthy lifestyle. Despite being such a positive person in social settings, I was lacking personal positivity and healthy ways to deal with high stress situations and trauma.
Coming to terms with the importance of emotional and mental health, changing my perspective and finding positive support systems has allowed me to recognize when I begin to rely on negative coping skills. I’ve grown as a person and learned more about myself throughout the changes I’ve made. It is perfectly normal to feel uncomfortable in the face of vulnerability but being accepting of that only generates a stronger connection with oneself. It took getting sick and breaking down for me to realize I was living an unhealthy lifestyle. Now I know that wanting perfection and success doesn’t have to come at the cost of personal health. Take time to reflect on the mechanisms you may be using to cope with stress and make positive changes. Surround yourself with positive relationships and helpful resources that will allow you to succeed in healthy ways instead of giving power to negative coping styles that may turn into bigger problems down the line.
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