Coping is a stabilizing factor that can help individuals maintain psychosocial adaptation during stressful periods. It encompasses cognitive and behavioral efforts to reduce or eliminate stressful conditions and associated emotional distress (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984; Moos & Schaefer, 1993)
Ada dua cara atau strategi coping:
1.Problem-Focus
- Responses directed at the external event
- Attempt to solve
- Active to alleviate stressful circumstances
- Deal with controllable problems (work-related problems)
2.Emotion-Focus
- Responses directed at the individual’s emotional reactions/internal state
- Efforts to regulate the emotional consequences of stressful events
- Tend to deal with uncontrollable problems (certain kinds of health problems)
Coping juga bisa dibedakan antara:
- Active coping:
Behavioral or psychological responses designed to change the nature of the stressor itself or how one thinks about it. - Avoidant coping:
Lead people into activities (such as alcohol use and smoking) or mental states (such as withdrawal) that keep them from directly addressing stressful events.
Selain itu, Newman dan Beehr (1979), juga menawarkan beberapa strategi coping yang dapat dilakukan ketika seseorang mengalami stres:
1. Psychological conditions:
- Planning ahead, making realistic self-assessment etc
2. Physical conditions:
- Diet, exercise, sleep
3. Changing one’s behavior:
- Becoming less type A, relaxing, taking time out, developing social support
4. Changing environment:
- Changing less demanding environment
Dalam melakukan coping, ada beberapa hal yang perlu diperhatikan.
External Resources:
- Money, time, distance from professional, social support
Internal Resources:
- Energy, physical strength, personality characteristics: intelligence, trait, anxiety, depression, optimism, autonomy, ego-strength, hardiness, locus of control, self-efficacy.
