Coping is the set of cognitive and behavioral efforts used to manage demands that are appraised as stressful or exceeding one’s resources. It is the active attempt to deal with difficulty rather than the difficulty itself.

Psychologists commonly distinguish problem-focused coping, which aims to change the stressful situation, from emotion-focused coping, which aims to regulate the emotional response to the situation. Seeking information, making a plan, and taking direct action are problem-focused; reappraising the meaning of the event, seeking emotional support, and using distraction are emotion-focused. Both can be adaptive depending on the controllability of the stressor. When a situation can be changed, problem-focused strategies are usually preferable; when it cannot, emotion-focused strategies help limit the damage.

Coping is influenced by personality, available social support, and cultural norms. Chronic reliance on avoidance or denial is generally linked to poorer outcomes, while flexible use of multiple strategies predicts better adjustment. Interventions that teach specific coping skills—cognitive restructuring, relaxation, assertive communication—form a core part of stress-management and clinical programs.

Stress is inevitable. Coping is the repertoire of responses that determines how much of that stress is carried and for how long.