Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Section 12-2 Your Mental Health 305 Coping with Stress Learning to manage the stress in your life can help you become more mentally fi t. When physical or emotional problems result from stress, look at your lifestyle. Ask yourself the following questions: • Am I following good health practices? Am I eating regular meals and getting plenty of physical activity? Do I get an adequate amount of sleep? • Am I realistic about the goals I have set for myself? Defense Mechanisms compensation. Using a substitute method to achieve a desired goal. Example: This year, you did not make the basketball team despite much practicing. Instead, you try out for track and make the cut. conversion. Transferring an emotion into a physical symptom or complaint. Example: You fear you do not know the material to be covered on the test and you get a headache. daydreaming. Accomplishing through the imagination something you have not accomplished in reality. Daydreaming can provide both positive and negative solutions. When daydreams are used to find creative solutions to problems, this is positive. When they are used frequently to escape reality through fantasy, they are negative. Positive example: Sue was daydreaming about having the “latest look” for her party outfit. She suddenly thought of how she could combine some of her old clothes to get just the look she wanted. Negative example: Maggie turned down Sam’s invitation to the school party. Sam went with another girl and daydreamed he was with Maggie. direct attack. Overcoming obstacles or problems through realistic efforts to find solutions. Example: You are overweight because you eat mostly high-calorie foods. You decide to replace high-calorie foods with nutritious foods and eat low-calorie foods between meals. displacement. Transferring an emotion connected with one person or thing to another person or thing. Example: You get upset with a friend and take it out on your sister. giving up. Allowing discouragement to get you down. Example: You try to lose weight. After two weeks, you have not lost an ounce. You just give up the idea of losing weight and go back to your old eating habits. idealization. Placing a value on something or someone that is beyond its worth. Example: You lose a favorite piece of jewelry and lie in bed and cry for two days. projection. Placing the blame for your failures on other people or things. Example: You blame the teacher when you fail a test because he did not tell you what would be covered on the test. rationalization. Explaining your weaknesses or failures by giving socially acceptable excuses. Example: You tell your parents you went to a movie they had forbidden you to see because all your friends were going. regression. Reverting back to a less mature stage of development. Example: You get angry with someone and slam the door as you leave. 12-2 These defense mechanisms are sometimes used to hide or counterbalance feelings or behaviors.