Published: 10/11/2018 Updated: 06/23/2021
With prolonged exposure, stress triggers a cascade of physiological reactions that negatively affect health. The heart rate and breathing rate increase, and body temperature rises. All this can lead to problems with the heart and blood vessels, exacerbation of chronic diseases, and decreased immunity.
Learning to cope with the normal stresses of life will help you maintain strength and a positive attitude for productive work and communication with your loved ones. Below are recommendations to help you get rid of stress.
How to deal with stress: methods, treatment and tips
Treatment of stress and nervous tension should be comprehensive.
It is necessary to eliminate the factor that caused the tension and normalize the condition. This can be achieved in different ways: taking medications, resting, reassessing the situation, and also working on the psychological state. It is important to remember that fighting stress is often a battle with yourself. Stress is not only what happened to you, but also how you perceive what happened. Take yourself as an ally. Stop and ask yourself: what is happening? How can I influence this? What will be the consequences? Maybe everything is not so scary and you can even laugh at it?
Of course, it’s not possible to completely eliminate stress from life. And not even because modern life is full of overloads - informational, emotional or professional. But also because a stressful state is, in essence, the body’s defense against what it considers a threat, be it a real or imaginary danger. But it is possible and necessary to reduce the discomfort caused by stress and its impact on the physical and psychological state, so that protection does not turn into an attack on the quality of life .
Many of us are well aware of how to deal with stress. Unfortunately, knowing does not mean applying. There are always good reasons - there is not enough time, there is no mood, resources are needed to change something, but they are not there... and so on. But everything is in your hands.
How to quickly relieve stress and calm your nerves?
If you need to calm your nerves and learn to relieve tension quickly, “here and now,” immediately after the influence of a negative factor, then simple but effective methods will help.
"Chill out"
For example, shout (if you are in a deserted place and are sure that you will not harm anyone). If possible, it is useful to speak out, to express everything that you consider necessary about what happened, your actions or the offender. However, this method should be used with caution and only taking into account the situation.
Movement
This can be fast walking, energetic, sudden movements - dancing, jumping, running, strength exercises. Many people find comfort in household activities or housework that require movement and muscle work (from mopping floors to beating carpets or digging garden beds). It is also good to combine this with water procedures: running water calms you down.
Breathing exercises
In any version: Strelnikova’s gymnastics, exercises according to the Buteyko system, slow breathing, exercises combined with visualization. The main thing is to master the technique correctly and remember it at the right time.
Head massage
Movements should be light, unsharp, more reminiscent of stroking than deep kneading. Rub your forehead, temples, go down to the back of your head. Use your fingers to go through your hair from top to bottom and in the opposite direction - as if you were combing with a fine-toothed comb. Repeat from temple to temple. Rub your forehead, massage the point between the eyebrows. Using the same movements, massage the point on the chin and near the wings of the nose. This way you will come into balance faster.
Water treatments
Water will relieve not only stress, but also negative energy. Any contact with water is suitable: a warm or contrast shower, a relaxing bath, or even just washing your hands under a running tap. If you are at home, you can wash the dishes or the floor - there will be double benefit.
Profound effect: we fight nervous tension thoroughly
“Delayed” methods of assistance are good because they will be effective not only “on the spot,” but also after some time.
Look for the good
Positive emotions help you cope with stress, which means you need to try to find them around you. Try to focus your eyes on everything that makes you happy, even if it’s a “little thing” like good weather, delicious tea, a funny cat from a meme on the Internet.
Do not neglect any way to make yourself smile or feel satisfied, and gradually a lot of these “little things” will help you look at life more positively. Filling out a diary every day will help you find joy, for example, in the section “10 good things you encountered today.”
Meditate
Now this method is gaining popularity. The main thing is desire and perseverance, and training will help you master the technique correctly.
Ask loved ones for help
Tell trusted friends about your concerns and problems. You will receive support or good advice, you will feel that you are not alone with life, and the tension will significantly decrease. If you want to cry, don’t hold back, you will be understood. But it’s better not to abuse alcohol: if it relieves stress, it’s only slightly and for a short time, but it will most likely worsen your condition.
Contact a psychologist
If there is no person you trust and you do not have the strength to cope with stress on your own, you can and should turn to specialists. The psychologist will not only listen carefully, but will also help you form a more constructive and positive view of the situation, and everything you share will not go beyond his office. The specialist will determine whether you need medication support and, if necessary, will refer you to the right doctor.
Get creative
Any one you like best: from drawing and sculpting to literary studies or decoupage. There is only one condition: you should like not only the resulting result, but also the process itself.
Go to the bathhouse or sauna
They affect both body and soul. However, this method should be used with caution and only if there are no contraindications for health reasons.
Relax
Of course, mastering the relaxation technique will have to be learned - the process requires some patience and perseverance. The methods are different: warm bath, autogenic training, stretching. You can add massage or elements of yoga to these same remedies - they also allow you to achieve the desired level of calm.
Try aromatherapy
The aromas of geranium, incense, patchouli, mint and ylang-ylang will calm and help you relax. However, many scents act differently, so it is better to choose them for yourself and your preferences.
Medicines are also suitable
The arsenal of medicines to combat nervousness, anxiety or fear is varied: from home remedies like warm milk with honey to medications like tablets or herbal remedies. However, it is important to remember that both herbs and drugs should be prescribed by a specialist: a doctor or herbalist. Self-prescription and uncontrolled use can be harmful. And be sure to check with your doctor what diseases you already have: the side effects of sedatives are not as harmless as they might seem.
Medicines may include sedative tablets, tinctures of the same herbs, and tranquilizers. If the condition has led to depression, the doctor will prescribe the necessary medication. But their use must be under supervision, according to a strict system, with control and adjustment of the dose and duration of use.
In any case, medications do not cancel all the recommendations listed above, but only complement them and enhance the therapeutic effect.
Signs of stress
The signs of stress, as well as the causes, are different and are divided into several groups, depending on the area in which they manifest themselves.
Physiology: stress-related disorders
Physiological manifestations relate mainly to bodily reactions:
- Headache or dizziness, fainting.
- Sleep problems (drowsiness or insomnia, nightmares).
- Pain of various localizations (pain in internal organs or muscles, joints, spine).
- Fluctuations in blood pressure (hypotension or hypertension).
- Asthmatic and allergic reactions and attacks.
- Gastrointestinal problems: stomach or intestinal disorders, changes in eating habits, nausea.
- Fast weight gain or loss.
- General malaise, feeling overwhelmed, tired, exhausted.
- Decreased vision or hearing.
- Problems with libido.
The list of violations can be extremely extensive.
Emotional Signs
These symptoms are not as noticeable to an outsider as physiological ones. Their brightness and strength depend on a person’s ability to control himself and methods of self-control.
A state of irritability, anger or fear; inability to concentrate and make decisions; apathy, melancholy or depression; “dark” humor or sarcasm - all these symptoms indicate a state of stress.
Changes in behavior
Behavioral responses refer to a person's actions and reactions to events. These include:
- fluctuations in appetite;
- errors while performing usual actions;
- frequent smoking or taking alcohol and drugs.
A slowdown in work or even walking, a reluctance to pay attention to appearance, a loss of neatness are clear signs of nervousness, overexcitation or depression.
Increased conflict in communication, refusal to communicate with loved ones, impulsiveness and too strong a reaction to minor irritants also indicate that the situation is getting out of control.
Intelligence
There are also intellectual signs of stress:
- inability to concentrate or make decisions;
- difficulty concentrating and focusing;
- hesitation in choice, the desire to shift responsibility to someone else.
A state in which all thoughts are focused on the same thing without the possibility of distraction is also considered to be an intellectual consequence of stress.
How does stress occur?
The founder and “parent” of the theory of stress is considered to be the physiologist G. Selye. He paid close attention to this problem and was able to notice that the process has certain patterns and is subject to the same laws.
Selye developed a model of adaptation syndrome. He argued that stress goes through three phases in its development.
Alarm stage
The body notices stimuli and tries to adapt to them. At this stage, a person’s activity increases, the biochemical composition of the blood changes, many organs (for example, the adrenal glands) work in an enhanced mode and produce an increased amount of hormones.
A person mobilizes forces to counteract the stress factor. However, it should be borne in mind that these forces may not be enough - in this case, the person dies.
Adaptation stage
Due to the fact that at the previous stage all forces are mobilized, the body manages to cope with the increased load. For some time, thanks to its reserve of strength, regeneration and the ability to neutralize harmful effects, it functions in a new mode. During this period, you can notice how a person’s productivity increases, he feels a surge of strength and for some time successfully copes with the changed situation. If at this stage the influence of stressors stops, the body returns to its original state and gets the opportunity to rest and gain strength. If not, stress moves to the next stage.
Exhaustion
If the threatening circumstance does not disappear, then over time the body’s defenses decrease: it becomes more vulnerable to diseases, injuries and troubles of the external environment. However, this stage can last quite a long time: if the stress is not too great, then a person is able to live in this mode for a long time. But the changes that occur at this stage affect the internal organs, and this influence is too significant to be neglected . In addition to physiological ones, there are also psychological consequences: a person loses the ability to rejoice, notices only troubles in life, and loses the ability to critically evaluate himself and the situation. This often leads to real depression, mental illness or serious illness.
Causes of stress and tension
The factors that cause stress are very diverse. In psychology, they are called irritants - they change the state of the body, throw it out of balance - homeostasis. However, not every stimulus is strong enough to become a stressor.
Physical (physiological) stimuli
This is everything that affects our body. Cold, heat, pain, excessive exercise, lack of sleep, not enough or too much food - any of these problems can become stressful and cause tension.
This type of reason, in turn, is divided into:
Chemical reasons
They are triggered by the action of not only those substances that we are accustomed to consider negative: taking alcohol or drugs, smoking. Such stress can be caused by an excessive dose of medications or vitamins, coffee, tea or even water (more than 10 liters of clean drinking water per day can be fatal to a person).
This type of stress also occurs when poisoned by various heavy metals or environmental problems.
Biological reasons
Stress occurs when the body is poisoned by viruses, pathogenic microorganisms, and bacteria. Note: the body has its own stable, already established system of microorganisms, which is considered normal and familiar to it. But if some bacteria become too few or too many, this condition is already considered stressful.
Physiological reasons
These include improper daily routine, cold or heat overload. Too much noise or pain, too much or too little movement also lead to stress.
Unfortunately, a person often brushes off the consequences of such stressors, tries not to notice headaches or muscle pain, a constant feeling of fatigue, or heaviness in the stomach after overeating. But if stress is not eliminated, it can result in illness or even death.
Psychological stimuli
Psychological stress occurs under the influence of a number of factors. But if the physical reasons are quite simple to list, then the situation with psychological ones is much more complicated.
There are many psychological causes of stress; it is impossible to take them all into account. In order for a factor to become a stressor, it is necessary for our body to consider it as such. The meaning of the stimulus for us has a great influence. The same event can become stressful for someone, but leave someone calm; it all depends on how a person treats him.
Moreover, over time, a person’s attitude towards the same event changes. For example, in her youth, a girl may attach great importance to the shortcomings of her appearance, and leaving the house without makeup will become a great stress for her. In old age, this becomes unimportant, and a woman will calmly accept the fact that she goes to the store without makeup.
Stressors that cause tension are external and internal.
External stressors
These are various events that can be both sad (loss of a job) and joyful for us. For example, the birth of a child is extremely stressful. On the Holmes-Ray stress scale, it scores even higher than the death of a close friend.
Psychologists distinguish several types of stressful experiences:
- Death of a loved one. The maximum severity group of causes of psychotrauma. These also include the expectation of death: for example, among relatives or friends of seriously ill people.
- Problems with finances. Financial difficulties are one of the main, if not the main, causes of stress.
- Loss of control both over oneself and over situations in one’s life. An ancient curse “May you live in an era of change!” It's rooted here.
- Illness, loss of sense of security. Fear of pain, death, illness is a loss of a sense of security. And they plunge a person into a state of severe stress.
- Difficulties with work. Unfortunately, most people in the modern world consider work to be a strong source of negativity. The attitude of management, dissatisfaction with salaries or relationships in the team, difficulties in the work process trigger a state of constant mental tension and do not allow you to relax not only on weekends, but also on vacation.
- Communication problems. Relationships with people not only bring joy, but also irritate, anger or make you despair. This means they can easily put you into a state of stress.
- A separate group is considered to be problems in the family: with spouses, children or parents. This type of event often exceeds the previous groups in severity, with the possible exception of death and illness.
Worry about loved ones, especially children, is a constant source of stress for a modern parent. Did the child make it to school? Is everything okay with him? Are adults and peers hurting him? Did he get involved with bad company? Cover all these questions with one application “Where are my children”. With it, you will always know where your child is, what is happening around and can quickly reach him in any situation. Down with stress!
Internal stressors
These are our experiences. One of the most likely reasons for this group is considered to be intrapersonal conflicts. This is a state in which a person is overcome by conflicting emotions and motives; when he sees different goals at the same time, but cannot decide on anything; when he doesn’t understand how to act and what is important to him and what can be neglected.
Internal causes of stress also include constant pessimism, a negative attitude towards people or oneself, the inability to realize one’s desires, lack of self-esteem, etc.
Stress prevention: how to protect yourself from overstrain?
It is impossible to completely eliminate all stressful situations from life, but we have the power to make sure that they do not interfere with living a full and happy life. There are very simple rules that help calm your nerves and live in peace with yourself.
Accept or change
The medieval monk-thinker Carl Friedrich Ettinger wrote: “Lord, give me the serenity of spirit to accept what I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can change, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
The causes of stress can be external circumstances, and they are not always in our control. But changing the attitude towards each specific situation is entirely within the power of the person himself. The good news is that often after this happens, the person begins to see ways for change in the “outside world.” Any stress is “black glasses” that distort the real picture of what is happening.
All stressors are divided into three types:
- something we cannot influence. Rising prices, the government, the weather, the character of an unpleasant colleague - all this can be depressing, but it is not in our power to change them. So is it worth worrying about them?
- something that can be changed. These are our own erroneous decisions, suboptimal actions, careless words spoken in the wrong place and in the wrong place. It is wiser to influence them than to be nervous;
- what we ourselves consider stress. Excessive worry about the future and worries about the past not only steal time from the present, but also create tension that is not easy to cope with. Reassess your values, and some of the anxiety will go away on its own.
This is a great guide for dealing with stress. Don't blame yourself for things that are beyond your control and don't take responsibility for things that go beyond your capabilities.
Flexibility of thinking
The next time life brings you trouble, think about how to use it to your advantage. Negative experience is also experience.
