Coping with pain - Positive VS Negative Coping Skills

Coping skills are things we use to get through our day to day life, the ups and downs with being human. Our actions or re-actions are often affected by our experiences and our emotions.  How we are feeling on any given day, particularly if we're in a negative mood or feeling our pain, can affect how we cope and how we interact with those around us. 

Whether you live with pain or not, life requires coping skills.  With chronic pain, having a skill set that is empowering and encouraging will lessen the impact chronic pain can have on our lives.

Positive coping skills are things we do that are calming, encourage personal growth and improvement. With the use of positive coping skills, we are empowered to take a more positive pro-active approach with our lives.  Our behaviours can be changed, and our goals can be reached

Negative coping skills are things we do that perpetuates the cycle of negativity.  With the use of negative coping skills, we are keeping ourselves from being able to move forward in a healthy productive manner.  Some negative coping skills can be physically harmful, some even deadly.

Here are just a few examples: 

Positive Skills

• going for a walk
  
• listening to music
  
• spending time with family and friends
  
• play, art and music therapy
  
• talking with a counsellor
  
• support groups
  
• relaxation/meditation

Negative Skills

• avoiding social functions
  
• addiction, abuse or use of illegal substances
  
• causing harm to oneself
  
• self-isolation
  
• avoiding family and friends
  
• avoiding activities you enjoy
  
• ignoring personal needs

Now that you have an idea of what coping skills are, what do you do that would be considered a positive coping skill? What do you do that would be considered a negative coping skill? Please take the time to write your own list. When you are struggling, go back to your list of positive skills to help you through. The more you use your positive skills the easier they will come to you.. Until then, you may want to carry your list with you to remind you of your positive choices.

We all have things that happen to us in life........it's how we respond to it that counts.

take good care of you