The 2 types of coping skills every worker needs to combat burnout in 2024

Whether you know it or not, you’re probably already putting coping strategies to work each day. Perhaps you go for a brisk walk when your to-do list feels overwhelming or practice mindfulness after a stressful conversation with your manager. But Minaa says that being aware of why and how you’re coping can help us take the best care of ourselves when overwhelm—and even burnout—strikes. 

“There are two coping methods that are essential for the quality of our mental health, which is problem-solving coping as well as emotion-focused coping,” she says. 

Problem-solving coping vs. emotion-focused coping 

When you’re deciding what type of coping strategy to choose, the first question you should ask yourself is: Is the stressor within or beyond my control? “Problem-solving coping is when we recognize that there is a problem, and we engage in self-efficacy to find a solution to that problem,” says Minaa. In other words, problem-solving coping is necessary when you have the power to change—or at least mitigate—the issue. 

For example, if you realize that hours of meetings each day are resulting in feelings of burnout, you may block off your calendar on Tuesdays and Thursdays so that no one can reach you. Alternatively, if you find that social interaction increases your bandwidth for stressful situations, problem-solving coping could look like taking more opportunities to connect with your co-workers. 

Emotion-focused coping comes into play when the stressor is beyond your control. Maybe your boss has given you an…