cope/handle

Gene93Isn't cope more often used about emotional problems and situations?

Perhaps.

Gene93What in your opinion is the difference between: "The task is rather difficult and I don't think she can cope with it/handle it."?

I see no real difference; 'handle' seems more usual with 'task', 'job', etc.

There's something I failed to mention. Cope, however is different from "deal" isn't it? When someone copes with something, he deals with it successfully. Deal is more neutral. It's more similar to tackle/address. Does it make sense?

Gene93When someone copes with something, he deals with it successfully

Coping is not necessarily very successful; it is merely an adequate response.

Mister MicawberCoping is not necessarily very successful; it is merely an adequate response.

I agree. The way some people use the word, it shades into the meaning of tolerating (something) without being entirely synonymous.

CJ

Can we then say deal>cope>handle? Deal basically means to address a problem, issue, or to tackle something. It might be successful or unsuccessful. Cope is an adequate response, as Mr Micawber has pointed out.

In this sentence: "How do you deal with/cope with/handle the stress at work?" which one would you choose? I think that cope and handle can be used (they are different), but I

Gene93Can we then say deal>cope>handle?

Roughly and often, yes.

Gene93In this sentence: "How do you deal with/cope with/handle the stress at work?" which one would you choose?

Frankly, I'm liable to use any of those three verbs with the same intention. They are all quite common and nearly synonymous.

Thank you. I think "How do you deal with the stress?" would mean something like "What do you do in order to handle cope with it/handle it?". This is only an assumption. Handling the stress would mean to me "dealing with it successfully." I going to say that "handle" is similar to overcome, but I am not sure if we can overcome stress. It sounds okay to me, but it might be foreign.