What does “coping” mean?

Those who deal with mental illness, or really any chronic illness, whether as sufferers or caretakers throw around the term “coping” often. “How are you coping?” or “What are your coping strategies?” are questions I think every mental health care provider I’ve met has asked me. But there are different levels of coping. For instance I’m coping right now because I’m writing and I’m doing household chores and I’m not a complete puddle of tear-stained numbness. I’m not suicidal or self-harming, but that doesn’t mean I’m effectively managing my depression. I’m not working currently and feel overwhelmed with panic at how to take the steps forward to professional fulfillment. Right now my full-time job is employing coping strategies. But if those coping methods only work in getting me to wake up and repeat the next day, are they effective? How do we measure the efficacy of coping strategies and what does it mean if they don’t help a person be fully functional?