Each person repeatedly in his life is faced with the need to adapt. For the adaptation process to proceed successfully, it is necessary to understand the essence of this process and master different adaptation strategies.
Adaptation is the process of interaction of an organism with the environment, as a result of which the organism, the environment, or both, change, acquire new properties.
In psychology, it is customary to talk about social adaptation or psychological adaptation. Both social and psychological adaptation describe the process of interaction of an individual with a social environment.
Speaking of psychological adaptation, we mean the interaction of a person with himself, with his immediate environment (relatives, friends, colleagues) and with a wider society represented by social institutions (the state, education and health care systems, the church, and others).
Features of social adaptation are such that a person - a person - can influence the environment, change it. For example, having become a leader in a new group, a person can create new rules for all people in it. Another example of a change in the environment under the influence of a person is the mechanism of emotional contamination. Vividly showing his emotions, a person infects others with them, and now - the environment has already changed.
Adaptation is an ongoing process. It is impossible to reach the state of adaptation once and for all and freeze in it. Both the person himself and the social environment around him are constantly changing. The individual has to constantly adapt to these changes.
The most effective adaptation strategies are two:
- Changing yourself in accordance with the requirements of the environment, adjusting to the environment.
- Changing the environment to suit your desires, goals, abilities. Active influence on other people.
Different situations require different adaptation strategies. The main thing is flexibility in their use. It is important to have a large arsenal of strategies, choosing them in accordance with the current situation.
