Meera, a Class 12 student in Jaipur, wants to study hard for her board examinations. Yet she agrees every time her friends ask her to go out, and she keeps telling herself she will revise later. Late at night she panics about the syllabus. During these weeks she also finishes packets of fried chips, biscuits and sweets every night, although at other times she eats simple home food. Her school counsellor starts working with her on refusing requests politely, planning her day hour by hour and starting tasks on time.
The counsellor is helping Meera build abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable a person to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life. What are such abilities called?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Life skills
Option (1) Life skills — Correct. Life skills are abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that help a person deal effectively with everyday demands and challenges. Saying no politely (assertiveness), planning the day (time management) and starting tasks on time (overcoming procrastination) are all life skills.
Option (2) Coping strategies — Incorrect. Coping is the constantly changing effort to master, reduce or tolerate the demands of one stressful event. It is a response to a stressor, while the question describes abilities that can be learned and improved for everyday life.
Option (3) Stress buffers — Incorrect. Stress buffers are factors such as diet, exercise, positive attitude, positive thinking and social support. They protect health and well-being, but they are not abilities like refusing requests or planning time.
Option (4) Resilience — Incorrect. Resilience is a dynamic developmental process of keeping positive adjustment under hard life conditions, the capacity to bounce back. It is an outcome built on strengths.
NCERT (2026-27): “Life Skills |