coping mechanism

American  

noun

Psychology.

1. an adaptation to environmental stress that is based on conscious or unconscious choice and that enhances control over behavior or gives psychological comfort.

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Usage

What are coping mechanisms? A coping mechanism is a psychological strategy or adaptation that a person relies on to manage stress. Sometimes, coping mechanisms are intentional choices, while other times a person may be unaware that they’re using them.In this context, mechanism refers to a method or process, and coping means “dealing with problems or difficulties.” So a coping mechanism is a way to deal with the stress caused by life.The term coping mechanism is used in psychology. but it’s more than just a technical term used by psychologists and therapists. It has entered the popular vocabulary to the point that you may hear it in everyday life, such as in self-help books or from people on social media discussing their mental health.

Example Sentences

The journalists wear their foreign-agent designation as a badge of honor, mocking the comically lengthy disclaimer text they’re forced to run with their broadcasts, a pitch-black coping mechanism to make sense of their tense, surreal moment.

From Los Angeles Times

“If people hurt me, I would pretend they were dead. I would think of how it happened — whether they had a heart attack in the front lawn or died in a car accident — and it was a coping mechanism for me. I practically convinced myself that they were really gone and not in my life anymore. Then, I could move on.”

From Los Angeles Times

Analysts also caution that the trend may prove cyclical—an emotional coping mechanism tied to the current downturn rather than a permanent shift in values.

From Barron's

What was once a coping mechanism became a way of chronicling the quotidian and memorizing the mundane.

From The Wall Street Journal

“His own coping mechanism was radical niceness to everybody — making human connections so that he would have community and feel like he’s making things better.”

From Los Angeles Times