Not all disengagement coping strategies are created equal: positive distraction, but not avoidance, can be an adaptive coping strategy for chronic life stressors.

Positive distraction involves distracting oneself from a stressor by thinking about or engaging in activities that induce positive emotion. We hypothesized that although it is a disengagement coping strategy, which have been historically viewed as maladaptive (e.g., avoidance), positive distraction can be an adaptive version that predicts positive outcomes. To test this hypothesis, we developed a scale to measure positive and neutral distraction (distracting oneself by engaging in daily activities) in response to chronic stressors in 3 samples (MTurk1,  = 206; undergraduate,  = 376; MTurk2,  = 200). We then correlated the use of these strategies with outcomes in these samples and another undergraduate sample ( = 370). Exploratory SEM confirmed that the scale consists of two factors corresponding to positive and neutral distraction, which were positively correlated with avoidance. However, unlike avoidance, positive distraction (and to a lesser degree neutral distraction) was related to positive outcomes such as higher well-being and positive emotions, and fewer depressive symptoms especially when controlling for avoidance. Our results suggest that positive distraction can be an adaptive disengagement coping strategy for chronic stressors when controlling for avoidance and should be incorporated into coping studies and interventions.