Maladaptive coping strategies are often a stand-in for true nervous system regulation. This requires awareness of our emotional states. Mindfulness practices hone so-called interoception, allowing us to notice what is there. By seeing things clearly, we can then choose to respond in conscious ways.

Many maladaptive coping strategies are trauma responses. With emotions sometimes being referred to as "stored in the body", they often need to be processed through the body, too. No wonder that intellectual analysis doesn't always cut it! Thankfully, there are several practices and forms of therapy that can help integrate traumatic events on a physiological level. That is, somatically.

Behaviors become habit by repetition. Acting differently is about creating new neural pathways. Practicing them until they become second nature is what constitutes rewiring. Yes: in order to change, we must literally change our minds.