Emotion-focused coping

Emotion-focused coping is "a stress management technique that involves regulating negative emotional reactions to a stressor, rather than directly addressing the problem causing the stress. It's often used when a person feels the stressor is beyond their ability to change, focusing instead on managing their feelings about the situation.

Emotional-focused coping vs. problem solving

"Life is one long series of problems to solve. The more you solve, the better a man you become." - Sir Radzig Kobyla, March of 1403.

See also: Problem solving and Creative problem solving and Positive thinking

According to the American Society for Quality: "Problem solving is the act of defining a problem; determining the cause of the problem; identifying, prioritizing, and selecting alternatives for a solution; and implementing a solution."

Being adept at problem solving is vital to thriving in one's personal and professional endeavors.

"Emotion-focused coping and problem-focused coping are two distinct strategies for managing stress, but they are not mutually exclusive. Problem-focused coping aims to directly address the source of stress by changing the situation, while emotion-focused coping seeks to manage the negative emotions that arise from stress."

Being adept at problem solving and fixing problems while they are still small is superior to mere coping skills. See also: Proactivity

Also, having a growth mindset and engaging in positive thinking helps one look at problems as opportunities for learning.

Journal articles and academic works

• Emotion-Focused Coping. Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. January 2017. pp.1-4. DOI:10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_512-1
• Problem-focused and emotion-focused coping options and loneliness: how are they related?, European Journal of Ageing. 11 February 2015. Volume 12, pages 153–161, (2015) (Springer link)
• Can emotion-focused coping help explain the link between posttraumatic stress disorder severity and triggers for substance use in young adults?, Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. Volume 36, Issue 2, March 2009, Pages 220-226

See also

• Cognitive therapy
• Emotional intelligence
• Emotional stability
• Emotional conflict
• Rumination (psychology)
• Positive psychology
• Positive thinking
• Optimism
• Self-talk

External links

• 5 Emotion-Focused Coping Techniques for Stress Relief by Elizabeth Scott, PhD
• Emotion-Focused Coping: Definition, Examples & Strategies by Michelle Risser, LISW-S
• What Is Emotion-Focused Coping? Techniques and Examples
• What are the best ways of engaging in self-help emotion-focused coping?, AI
• What is the optimal balance of problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping?, AI

Videos:

• Emotion-focused coping - video playlist, Video playlist