Coping Skills and Self-care

Coping is not a new concept. All beings, including animals, adapt to their environments by making adjustments so that they fit in. Depending on their adaptive abilities, everyone reacts differently to stress and crisis (Vattano, 1978). Some panic, while others take it in their stride. When the adaptation process falls short, stress occurs and can even trigger the fight or flight response in a crisis. Coping is integral to minimizing these responses since it encourages adaptation (Lazarus, 2006). As Lazarus says, coping is “concerned with our efforts to manage adaptational demands and the emotions they generate” (2006, p. 10).