Tired of having to cope? It’s called Coping Fatigue

Does it feel like you can’t handle one more thing on your plate? You’re not alone! It can be hard to keep coping when there is so much uncertainty in the world.

Regardless of the issues you face, when the volume seems insurmountable, like the proverbial punches won’t stop, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed. You may be experiencing “coping fatigue.”

definition of coping fatigue by allison graham when you're exhausted from having to be resilient

The risk of coping-fatigue is that it will negatively impact your mental health, your patience and your job performance. It also makes it harder to feel hopeful and be grateful for things that are going right.

Thankfully there are many things you can do to make it easier to cope with life’s punches.

In this video I share three ideas to make it easier to cope.

“https://vimeo.com/450933857”

1) Stop coping with things that aren’t important.

The old saying, don’t sweat the small stuff is critical if you’re feeling coping-fatigue.

When we get caught up in the drama of day-to-day life and give our attention to the less important issues, we steal capacity that we require to effectively process what matters most.

Check out my message around the ice cube that became the snowman for more on this topic.

2) Focus on the present and the future and mourn the past.

People say, “You’ll bounce back.” The truth is, you cannot bounce back. What was, no longer exists. Trying to return to the past does a disservice to your healing and makes it harder to craft a new future. It also adds to your coping-fatigue.

3) Stop being so hard on yourself.

Harsh self-judgment is so destructive to your day. No wonder you’re exhausted from having to cope – not only do you have to deal with world events, relationship dynamics and your workload, you pepper your inner critic on top of it all. Every time you beat yourself up for not being good enough or doing something stupid or {insert criticism here} you steal bandwidth needed to grow and deal with everything else.

As I share in the video, the answer to harsh self-judgment is to be compassionately curious about your feelings and actions.

My message to you:

If you are feeling coping fatigue, please know, you are not alone.

I’d love to say it will let up soon and the punches will stop, but the trends suggest that world events and issues out of our control are intensifying, not lessening. The only thing within your control is how you can respond better to the challenges and changes you face.

My blog, books, online programs and speeches have lots of ideas, so feel free to explore.

Watch more videos on my You Tube channel.

If you’re an executive and you’re concerned for your team’s mental well-being, please schedule a call with me and we can discuss my training or coaching programs.

Allison Graham headshot smiling leaning against a grey wall, blue cardigan and white top

Welcome! I'm Allison Graham

Let’s face it – life is tough enough without having behaviour patterns that make life harder than it needs to be! 

That’s why I’m obsessed with finding ways to make the human experience easier by offering strategies for problem solving, dealing with chronic pain, leveraging empowering stress, and stopping patterns that create destructive stress. 

I hope you find huge value in my content. To go deeper please check out my online courses, coaching, and keynote speeches