Coping mechanisms

Everyone gets stressed, and you may assume there’s nothing you can do about it. For example, if you have lots of obligations at work and at home, surely

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction instructor Cheryl Jones leads us in a practice to foster self-acceptance—another of our top guided meditations of 2021.

We don’t always choose our coping mechanisms—they often choose us. When the world felt overwhelming, frightening, or unstable when we were children, our minds and bodies stepped in to protect us. We found ways to survive. But sometimes, those ways of surviving became protective armor that stayed with us long after the threat was gone. Maybe you learned to numb yourself to avoid feeling too much. Maybe you sought control over every aspect of your life to keep chaos at bay. Perhaps you began…