What distinguishes healthy vs. harmful coping habits?
Written by
Robert Kelly
Reviewed by
Prof. Benjamin Murphy, Ph.D.Habits that allow you to cope more healthily provide sustainable relief without harmful consequences. Habits that help you cope healthily build resilience over time. Harmful coping habits provide fast relief but lead to dependence, or worse, a health crisis. It is critical to know the difference if you want effective, prolonged health stress relief.
Sustainable Relief
- No rebound effect: Benefits last beyond immediate use
- Consistent results: Works reliably across situations
- Progressive improvement: Effectiveness increases with practice
- Accessibility: Requires no special equipment or substances
Resilience Building
- Self-reliance: Strengthens internal resources naturally
- Adaptability: Works in diverse environments
- Skill transfer: Techniques apply to new challenges
- Preventive effect: Reduces future stress vulnerability
Harmful habits can start as simple solutions but evolve into problems, creating a need for solutions that inadvertently fuel the issue. For example, emotional eating provides immediate relief for the moment but later leads to weight gain. Likewise, drinking too much provides temporary relaxation but can lead to permanent sleep disruption. Some cycles produce long-lasting damage, requiring effort to escape.
Transitioning from harmful to healthy habits requires strategic substitution. One can substitute late-night snacking with herbal tea ritual-type behaviors. Replace smoking breaks with a 5-minute walking meditation. I have substituted my after-work wine habit with gardening. Making an incremental shift for developing habits as replacements makes them better choices for durability and sustainability.
It's easy to differentiate between habit types with physical effects. Healthy habits, such as regular movement, enhance immunity and promote better sleep, while harmful habits, like procrastination avoidance, can increase stress or cause blood pressure spikes. Pay attention to your body's signals to assess how well your habits work for you.
Evaluate habit quality by using straightforward indicators. Healthy behaviors leave you feeling energized and clear-minded afterward. Unhealthy habits leave you feeling guilty, tired, or uncomfortable. Track these responses reliably. Your body provides trustworthy feedback about what is truly in your best interest.
Read the full article: 10 Stress Coping Mechanisms That Work
