Andrew Miki: Are your coping mechanisms healthy?

Are your coping mechanisms healthy?

What do you do when you're feeling stressed or anxious? Psychologist Andrew Miki explains how many of the coping mechanisms that help us feel better in the moment — like procrastinating, overusing our smartphones or endlessly scrolling social media — actually leave us feeling more depleted over time. He shows how you can break these habits in order to build up resilience and improve your self-confidence.

Habits that soothe us in the moment, like endless scrolling or procrastination, can quietly train our brains to become more anxious and depleted over time. Just as a pigeon learns to count through repeated behaviors, people reinforce coping mechanisms, even when they make things worse in the long run. Shifting from these patterns requires self-awareness, talking openly about struggles, and practicing new strategies to build lasting self-confidence. Mental health, like physical fitness, grows stronger with conscious effort and connection.