Sometimes, when relying on your own coping mechanisms, it can be challenging to remember that there are friends and family ready to help unload some stressors. It is fun to hang out with friends and keep things “positive”, but given how complex college life or life in general can be, it is not realistic to be completely emotionally stable all of the time. In my own experience, finances have been the source of some stress. While it is fun to make cute crafts out of hard times, it isn’t always the most accessible option. On occasion, it is amazing to let yourself cry and release your emotions without having to worry about them being packaged into a cute drawing or poem. To increase the amount of support, getting a therapist has also helped me tremendously. While it may be tough to get professional help, it is also sufficient to rely on trusted people. After seeing my therapist this past week, I reached out to a close friend of mine. In this phone call, I was not making my feelings into something, but just releasing them as they came. On occasion, there may be no remaining energy to make something new, but just to reprocess. Letting the tears fall and frustration come out without judgement is not a sign of weakness. Even when it does feel weak, having someone remind oneself in the moment that this is not a weak moment aids a lot with feelings of embarrassment. Carving out time for oneself is an act of coping because it involves recognizing one’s worth and understanding that breaks are not just wanted, but needed for human beings to function. Therefore, in order to finish up my thoughts, I would love to say a quick thank you to those in my life and the readers’ lives who help us recognize the worth within ourselves and drag us off our desks to experience the outside world.
About the Author
My name is Emma Lorens and I am currently a sophomore at DePaul getting my major in psychology. I am aiming to be become a psychiatrist. The topic of this series, coping mechanisms, are important to be because they allow people to overcome difficulties that are inevitable in life.
Read more on the Honors Blog.
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