{"id":92561,"date":"2023-02-12T11:35:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-12T15:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=92561"},"modified":"2023-02-20T10:34:51","modified_gmt":"2023-02-20T14:34:51","slug":"healthy-coping-mechanisms-for-stress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/healthy-coping-mechanisms-for-stress\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Healthy Coping Mechanisms for Stress in Daily Life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What are some healthy coping mechanisms for stress? How can you choose the right coping mechanism for certain stressful situations? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Robert Sapolsky wrote Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers<\/em> to explore the biological reasons behind chronic stress<\/a> in modern society. According to him, the key to finding healthy coping mechanisms for stress is choosing the right strategy based on the stressful situation you’re experiencing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on to learn three healthy coping mechanisms for stress, according to Sapolsky’s method.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Cope Better With Stress: Sapolsky’s 3 Strategies <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers<\/em>, Robert Sapolsky contends that you can reduce stress by finding ways to displace frustration, implement a sense of predictability in your life, and lean on social support. Although these are all healthy coping mechanisms for stress, there are caveats and exceptions to these methods you should be aware of. The key is to find the right strategies and coping mechanisms for certain situations and to figure out which ones work best for you<\/em><\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we’ll look at each of these coping mechanisms in detail so that you can use them in a healthy way to reduce psychological stress in your life while keeping in mind some of their caveats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

#1: Use Exercise to Vent Frustration<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sapolsky’s first coping mechanism suggests a popular, well-studied, and healthy way to reduce stress and vent frustration: exercise. Remember, the stress response<\/a> is preparing your muscles to exert energy, so by exercising, you give your body the chance to release that energy.<\/strong> Exercise can also reduce stress by simply taking your mind off the stressful event. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Using the energy created by a stress response can help you avoid stress response hyperstimulation<\/a>, in which your body is constantly semi-prepared to respond to stress, and anxiety-induced excess energy<\/a>, in which you feel you\u2019re too excited or have too much energy. By simply getting rid of some of the energy caused by stress, you may be able to decrease your likelihood of developing an anxiety disorder.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s important to note, however, that exercise only reduces stress if it\u2019s something you <\/strong>want <\/em><\/strong>to do.<\/strong> If it\u2019s something you feel like you have to force yourself to do, it may add to your stress levels and worsen <\/em>your <\/em>health. Sapolsky points to a study where rats that voluntarily ran on a wheel saw health improvements, but rats that were forced to run saw their health decline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: A 2016 study reinforces Sapolsky\u2019s claim that forced exercise can be harmful, as it found that mice that were forced to exercise saw increased stress hormones and neuronal damage<\/a>. It should be noted, however, that the rodents in these experiments are being forced to exercise against their will<\/em>, which is much different than not wanting<\/em> to exercise. As a human, you\u2019re rarely if ever forced to exercise against your will. Though you may not want to exercise, it\u2019s still a voluntary decision, so you may still see health benefits. In any case, finding a form of exercise you enjoy is still important<\/a> as it increases motivation and helps you maintain healthy exercise habits.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also important to make sure you don\u2019t exercise too much.<\/strong> Too much exercise can be just as bad as or worse for your health than too little exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Experts say around 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week<\/a> is enough to see reduced stress and other health benefits. Too much exercise, however, can lead to an increased chance of injury, exhaustion, and a decline in mental and physical health<\/a>. Excessive exercise can even be an addiction<\/a> similar to eating disorders. Like those who practice extreme diets, exercise addicts exercise because they feel a need for control, even though their excessive working out is actually harming them.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#2: Use Predictive Information Wisely<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The next coping mechanism Sapolsky recommends is finding healthy ways to use predictive information since predictability can help reduce stress in humans. Sapolsky claims that it can be helpful to make your life more predictable:<\/strong> Make schedules based on various timeframes (daily, weekly, yearly), make a budget to keep track of expenses, look up the weather before going to an outside event, and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Globalization and the Decline of Predictability<\/strong>

Even though people benefit from it, predictability has rapidly declined for many people due to globalization.<\/a> This could be a significant contributor to rising global stress levels<\/a>. 

When globalization took off in the 1980s and 90s<\/a>, many organizations discarded standard practices and procedures that made life predictable for the average person\u2014like lifelong job security<\/a>. To remain competitive in a globalized economy, organizations felt the need to constantly adapt and change alongside it. People across the globe lost stability and predictability, not knowing if their jobs might be discarded, offshored to another part of the world, or made obsolete by rapidly advancing technologies. The rapid changes in the modern world were bound to make life less predictable and thus more stressful.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There are, however, several exceptions to the rule that predictive information is a healthy coping mechanism for stress:<\/p>\n\n\n\n