AVOIDANCE VS. DISTRACTION
ON THE BLOG WRITTEN BY LAUREN HORLICK
This month, I attended a presentation on mental health in which coping strategies were introduced. Distraction was briefly reviewed as a coping technique. Some of the individuals around me began to discuss how they implement distraction as a coping strategy. However, what they were describing was avoidance. The topic of distraction versus avoidance is a common topic that I explore in sessions, and I believe it to be helpful for all of us. Let’s look more closely into the difference between the two.
Avoidance is a pattern of behavior in which we consciously or unconsciously avoid stressful and unpleasant emotions, situations, or thoughts. While avoidance does temporarily provide relief from stressors, it often prevents us from addressing or returning to the underlying issue. Avoidance may look like pushing away thoughts or feelings by suppressing or numbing them. Avoidance may also be actively avoiding people, places, or things that cause stress or activation. Avoidance may provide temporary relief but often leads to long-term consequences.
Consequences of avoidance may include limiting personal growth, increasing anxiety (as you are never addressing the root cause of anxiety/stress), opportunities for problems/stressors to grow larger and compound in complexity, and increased disconnection from self and others. When avoidance is implemented, it may look like, “I’m overwhelmed with cleaning my house. I will scroll social media and sit on the couch for the rest of the evening.”
Distraction is a short-term coping strategy many use to temporarily and intentionally relieve stressors. When we shift our attention away from a stressor, we allow ourselves an opportunity to gain emotional regulation. With increased emotional regulation, we can access improved problem- solving, which can help reduce harmful or impulsive decision-making. Healthy distraction techniques may include (but are not limited to) going for a walk, creative outlets, spending time with family and friends, watching a comforting show, guided relaxation, etc. For distraction to be an effective coping strategy, we must engage with it mindfully and intentionally while identifying a distraction that will offer regulation. Distraction as a coping strategy allows us the regulation needed to return and address the root cause of stress. When distraction is implemented correctly, it may look like noticing to yourself: “I’m feeling overwhelmed with cleaning the house. I am going to take a short walk to help my body calm, then I will navigate the next steps needed for this task.”
In summary, the difference between avoidance and distraction is the intentional regulation before returning to a stressor. Distraction as a coping strategy is a healthy and productive technique that allows us a chance to regulate before switching our focus back toward solving and facing a stressor. If you notice that you are engaging in avoidance and not a distraction, I encourage you to bring this topic up with your counselor! A small way to help bring awareness into the moment is asking yourself, “Am I engaging in this to avoid a task, or am I engaging in this to help regulate my body/mind before I shift focus to the task"?” Facing challenges while implementing coping strategies can help lower anxiety and help build healthy patterns to navigate life stressors for the future.