Unhealthy coping skills, on the other hand, only serve to make our problems worse. These can include self-destructive behaviors, such as substance abuse, harmful thought patterns, such as toxic positivity, or negative thoughts and emotions, such as reflection. Many people turn to smoking as a way to cope if they feel stressed, as it gives them a sense of immediate relief. It also gives you something to focus on and keep your hands busy.
While smoking is a form of distraction, it's negative and has serious negative financial and health implications for the future. Whenever you feel stressed or scared, you should face your fears and try to avoid running away. By staying in the situation, you'll eventually learn that anxiety decreases over time. You should also maintain a positive lifestyle, exercise and eat moderately and healthily.
By taking up a productive hobby such as knitting, woodworking, or baking, you can also learn to distract yourself from stress in a positive way instead of resorting to negative distraction techniques, such as compulsive shopping or excessive drinking.
