PART III: Cognition and Coping

One thing I am certain we can all agree on is that life in 2020 is complicated. “Coping” is something we all must manage and when we understand the cognitive basis of how we interface with the complexities we face in our environments we are better equipped to cope well. In the chapters that follow, student-authors explain the basics of cognitive self-regulation and how we can harness our inner resources to help us cope, whether the stress be making wise choices in middle school, managing the anxiety that comes with college, or better understanding the connections between cognition and emotion. While some challenges with coping can be handled in the self-help manner advocated for here, please note that sometimes we additionally benefit from the help of a therapist to guide us through changing our inner cognitive landscape. While the tactics shared here are sound, they are not meant to serve as an alternative to therapy, nor are they meant to work “as well as” therapy. Sometimes self-help suffices, but sometimes the issues we are faced with require more sensitive and professional support.