Print You can investigate how you typically react and cope in stressful situations. For instance, you can reflect on stressful situations from your past and examine how you responded. The following steps will guide you through this process:
- Describe your usual reaction to a stressful situation. Be specific about your behavior. Do you often avoid things? Or do you do nothing at all? Are you a worrier or a problem solver? Do you handle things alone or with someone else? What stands out or is typical about your own responses? Do you notice similarities or differences between situations? Write down everything that comes to mind!
- Examine the various emotion regulation strategies below. Which ones do you recognize in yourself? Connect a strategy to each of the behaviors you listed above.
- What do you observe? Which strategies do you tend to use the most? Are you more emotion-oriented or problem-oriented? More active or more passive?
- Which coping strategy you’ve read about would you like to apply more often? Why? What benefits could it bring if used more frequently? Is there someone you know who often uses this strategy? What do you notice about that?
- Select a recent problematic situation and try to categorize your behavior in the table below. First, acknowledge what you are already doing well! Then consider what you would do differently if you were to encounter the same situation again. For instance, what passive strategies can you identify? And which active strategy would you substitute? What actions are necessary for this? And what should you avoid? Who or what do you need to make this plan succeed?
- Describe all the specifics you need in a concrete plan with actionable behaviors. Now you’re prepared to try this experiment. Remember to reflect on how it went and what you learned from it afterwards!
A reliable method often used in treatment to investigate emotion regulation is the Utrecht Coping List (UCL). This is a validated questionnaire through which you can gain a comprehensive overview of your most frequently used coping strategies based on 47 questions. You could discuss with your professional whether it’s possible to complete and review this list.
| Active | Passive | |
| Emotion-oriented | Seek Social Support Expression of Emotions Reassuring Thoughts ● Finding the positives ● Exercise (walking) ● Acceptance of what you can’t change ● Seeking Emotional Support |
Palliative response Passive reaction pattern ● Drinking alcohol, smoking, eating unhealthy food ● Blaming yourself for the situation ● Focusing on your own shortcomings ● Being hostile to others, blaming others |
| Problem-oriented | Active approach ● Making and following an action plan ● Seeking practical support from others ● Investigating how to solve the problem |
Avoid ● Denial of the problem ● Avoiding the problem ● Worrying ● Waiting for it to resolve itself |
Sources:
https://bsw.ugent.be/VVGP/UCL.pdf
https://mentaalbeter.nl/artikelen/copingstijlen-hoe-ga-jij-met-stress-om/
