It is not easy to live with mental illness. It is a persistent problem with no clear solution. Treatments like medication and psychotherapy can be incredibly helpful, but sometimes, people with mental illness need to go through the entire day to feel comfortable. The most commonly accepted self-help tips are to exercise, to meditate, and attend more. But other proven methods are not often mentioned. Many of them can easily incorporate daily routines.

Populations affected by armed conflict are frequently exposed to traumatic events and daily stressors and are at a greater risk of elevated levels of mental health disorders. A substantial body of research has examined risk factors for poor mental health among conflict-affected civilian populations, but fewer studies have examined protective factors. As a result, research on protective factors, including coping, has been identified as a priority research area for mental health and psychosocial support among conflict-affected populations.

Coping can be described as "an attempt to master, tolerate, or reduce internal or external stressors that an individual perceives as exceeding existing resources". Most current coping measures build upon the problem- and emotion-focused domains are suggested.

If a situation is appraised as intractable or impossible to change, a person will employ emotion-focused modes of coping. Problem-focused modes are used when a person appraises a troubling situation as surmountable through action. Problem-focused coping entails an "attempt to solve, re-conceptualize, or minimize the effects of a stressful situation", while emotion-focused coping includes "self-preoccupation, fantasy, or other conscious activities related to affect regulation".