In everyday life, it is difficult for a person to avoid stress and situations that increase the level of adrenaline in the blood. So what can be done to make life more pleasant, calmer and not cause a rapid heartbeat in any extraordinary situation?
Table of contents:
- A few words about the effects of stress
- Physical layer
- Working on the mental level
- Alignment of the psychoemotional state
- Finally
In general, trying to cope with stress is like trying to cope with bad weather: there is no way you can cope with it. It just exists, and you need to adapt to it in order to avoid consequences for yourself in the form of a runny nose or a broken leg, or at least minimize them. It is the same in any crisis situation: first you need to realize and accept the fact that stress has always been, is and will be present in a person's life, and then take all the necessary actions to minimize its impact.
A few words about the effects of stress
Any situation that knocks a person out of balance "knocks" him out in three directions: at the physical level, mental and psychoemotional. If it is more or less clear with the physical, then with the other two, everything is not so obvious. When the body is under stress, the hormones adrenaline, beta-endorphin, thyroxine, cortisol, prolactin are produced in it. We will not analyze what these hormones are and why they are needed, we note only one important point: they are all biological waste that must be disposed of. Otherwise, the consequences are inevitable. Regular nervous tension affects the metabolic process, the functioning of the genitourinary system, provokes an increase in blood pressure, increases the load on the central nervous system, etc.
Almost any stressful situation leaves an imprint on a person's memory. Subsequently, this can manifest itself in the form of formed patterns of behavior, negative attitudes and limiting beliefs, incorrect conclusions and generalizations, cause cognitive dissonance, etc. These things are best explained with examples.
Take the beloved "All men - …" and "All women - …". This is a generalization. It, initially put into our heads by parents with sincere love for us and a desire to protect us from the sorrows of this world, was confirmed in practice by a relationship that did not work out with anyone (and it is quite possible that only once). Or the negative attitude "I'm not good enough / I don't deserve": such attitudes are formed after strong emotional upheavals, such as breaking up with a boyfriend or being fired from a job, for example, to lay off. It is difficult for our brain to objectively assess the situation at such moments, and it makes the "only correct" and logical conclusions from what happened. I think there is no need to say how such mental constructions affect a person's life in the future.
As for the psycho-emotional aspect, it is both more complicated and simpler here than with the mental one. On the one hand, we perfectly understand what emotions are, we can identify them, but it is much more difficult to learn emotional intelligence. For example, during a conflict or disputable situation, everything begins with irritation, then it develops into anger, then into aggression, and then into anger. Everything is clear and logical. We understand WHAT we are experiencing and we are aware that we are EXPERIENCING it. Only this happens after the fact. In a moment of conflict, the mind, or intellect, turns off and reactions, or emotions, turn on.
Emotional intelligence helps to understand what is the trigger for triggering negative emotions, learn how to properly experience them and, as a result, control them. At the same time, controlling does not mean suppressing, but means tracking, being aware of them in the moment and choosing a more constructive reaction to the situation.
Negative emotions during stress worsen mood, a person feels depressed, his performance decreases, relations with others deteriorate, or even completely collapse. Here you can observe the inverse proportionality in action: the more negative emotions, the less joy in life. At some point, a person simply stops experiencing happiness in the moment and slides into depression.
Summarizing all of the above: during stress, hormones are produced that, while remaining in the body, affect the work of all organs and systems (liver, adrenal glands, cause migraines, etc.); negative emotions spoil not only relationships with others, but also a person's life as a whole, provoking apathy and depression; incorrect conclusions after a crisis situation for a long time (or even for the rest of your life) make it impossible to build harmonious relationships with people and be realized in society.
Since stress affects the entire triad, "body-mind-soul", it is also necessary to work with the consequences at all 3 levels.
Physical layer
Physical activity is one of the best ways to get rid of negative emotions. It is not for nothing that during quarrels, plates fly around, and they themselves end with a slam of the door and a long walk "to calm the nerves": emotions need a way out.
Any type of physical activity - running, swimming, aerobics, rock climbing, walking - helps to relieve stress on a regular basis and helps to eliminate stress hormones. So it is better not to wait for an explosion, but to take care in advance of regular physical activity, which not only allows you to get rid of negative emotions, but also increases resistance to stress.
Another great, if not basic, way to relieve stress is sex. Maintaining intimate contact has a positive effect on the entire body, providing a calming and relaxing effect. So do not neglect your intimate life.
Working with the physical body consists not only in maintaining constant activity, but also in proper nutrition. A proper diet should be rich in magnesium and vitamin B6 to increase absorption of this element. Magnesium deficiency negatively affects the nervous system. Therefore, it is necessary to enrich your diet with magnesium-containing products, including cocoa, chocolate, buckwheat, nuts, pumpkin seeds, beans.
Many herbs also have a beneficial effect on the nervous system. Drink lemon balm or mint tea in the evening or during a busy day. Pharmacies sell different preparations based on valerian and hops, which have a calming effect. Drinking green tea also helps in the elimination of hormones from the body.
Working on the mental level
Scientists have proven that a stressful situation depends entirely on its interpretation. What people imagine at the moment and what they think about themselves strengthens or weakens negative emotions. A person often has an internal dialogue with him that is full of negative thoughts. They paralyze him, causing fear. In stressful situations, the habit of seeing everything in black is triggered: "I can't handle it", "What to do if I'm deceiving myself", "I'm not good enough for this."
At the initial stage, you need to learn how to catch such thoughts and identify all situations that provoke their appearance. And then, at the moment when they appear, use positive self-hypnosis, that is, find the opposite of black thoughts, for example: “I won't be able to” replace with “Try first, because until you try, you won't know”, “What if I get off crazy "- to" Relax, people are not perfect, everyone experiences stress just like you."
It is necessary to accept yourself with all the pros and cons. You need to give yourself the right to make mistakes, but at the same time learn from them. Nobody is perfect and infallible. Tony Robbins, author of many books on motivation, said: "There is no failure, only feedback."So use the feedback that life gives, and then there is no point in worrying about failure. However, one must always be prepared for new challenges.
You need to learn to understand each situation that happened. Even the most difficult and tragic events take on a different meaning when meaning is given to them and an understanding comes about why this happened in your life, and then an appropriate attitude towards them is formed. It all depends on the interpretation - it is better to try to see the "problem" as a "challenge". Changing the "angle of view" evokes other layers of energy in a person and gives him more strength to withstand the situation he is facing.
It is also very important to learn to talk about your emotions and needs, to learn to say “no”. It is necessary to understand that any reactions, any emotions, any states have a right to exist, so they need to be voiced and discussed. During quarrels or conflicts, you need to make yourself a habit of sending your opponent “I-messages” without feeling shame, guilt, or embarrassment. Thus, by clearly identifying your position, when communicating with other people, you can avoid many contradictions and misunderstandings, which are most often the causes of everyday stress.
Alignment of the psychoemotional state
It is necessary to give vent to emotions when it is necessary. The outburst of feelings helps to disidentify with them and to distance themselves. Screaming or crying clears and relieves tension. If the situation is too difficult, and there is a reliable person nearby with whom you can share your problems, it is better to enlist his help. Scientists have proven that people who, in difficult life situations, could count on the support of loved ones, were much less likely to get sick and came out of emotional crises much faster.
A positive attitude towards the surrounding reality and the belief that people are able to cope with any obstacles in their path means that they are much less worried and treat stressful situations as problems that are able to overcome. Believing in your own resources and skills is half the battle in overcoming stress.
If possible, it is better to spend as much free time as possible in nature. Nature is a natural environment for humans, and it is in its bosom that one rests best. Green has a calming effect, and time spent in the fresh air is relaxing and rejuvenating quickly.
When working in a noisy environment, remember to relax in silence. Noise builds up in the body, destroying the nervous system, while silence has a calming effect and allows you to relax. Free time is best used for activities / hobbies that you really enjoy. Thus, the state is harmonized.
Relaxation, yoga and meditation teach you how to stabilize your breathing, which is very important for achieving "peace of mind" and reducing inner tension. However, to notice the beneficial effects of these methods, you need to devote at least 20-40 minutes a day to training.
Finally
Until a person learns to identify the factors that cause stress, he will not be able to cope with it and avoid its negative consequences. When a stressful situation arises, it is important to answer the following questions: what emotions have arisen? how did the body react? what thoughts have appeared? what actions were taken?
This retrospective and breakdown of the situation into main fragments allows you to better identify stress factors in the future and learn about the multivariance of your own behavior (develop emotional intelligence) in order to cope with them.
Finally, you shouldn't take life too seriously: a smile and a sense of humor act as a protective shell against negative emotions. You need to learn to laugh as much as possible both at the situations that happen in life and at yourself. Looking at a difficult situation with a grain of salt allows you to achieve greater objectivity: then it no longer seems so terrible, although at first it was beyond your capabilities.
Laughter relaxes and calms the nervous system. People say, "Laughter is health" for a reason. It boosts immunity and affects self-esteem. And it is also worth remembering more often that life is just a game, and in it we are just actors. Understanding this fact makes it much easier, and having learned how to quickly change roles, "change clothes" for the next scene, in other words, becoming more flexible, you can completely forget about what stress is. But this is already aerobatics, and this needs to be learned.
