Techniques for dealing with stress in psychology. Basic methods of dealing with stress. Methods for independent implementation and treatment methods from a specialist. Resort and SPA therapy

Medical psychology. Full course Polin A.V.

Basic ways to deal with stress

The following are ways to deal with stress.

1. Relaxation. The automatic reaction of anxiety, according to the theory of G. Selye, includes three successive phases: impulse, stress and adaptation. It follows that if stress sets in, soon the stressful state begins to decrease - the person somehow calms down. If adaptation is disrupted or absent altogether, then psychosomatic disorders or diseases may appear. Therefore, if a person wants to direct his efforts to maintain health, then he must consciously respond to a stressful impulse with relaxation. Through this type of active defense, a person is able to intervene in any of the three phases of stress. Thus, it can interfere with the influence of the stress impulse, delay it, or (if the stress reaction has not yet occurred) reduce stress, thereby preventing psychosomatic disorders in the body. By activating the activity of the nervous system, relaxation can control mood and the degree of mental arousal, and allows you to weaken or relieve stress-induced mental and muscle tension. With the help of relaxation, you can partially or completely get rid of physical or mental stress. To master this method, no special education or natural gift is required. A necessary condition for mastering this method is the presence of motivation, i.e. everyone should know why they use relaxation techniques. With regular training relaxation exercises will gradually become a habit and will be associated with pleasant impressions, although perseverance and patience are required to master them. Most people are so accustomed to mental and muscular tension that they perceive it as a natural state, without realizing how harmful it is. Having mastered relaxation, you can regulate this tension, suspend it and relax at the moment that the person himself needs.

2. Concentration. Mastering this technique helps to more successfully use available time resources to complete specific tasks. A person under stress in most cases experiences difficulty concentrating. For example, most women are characterized by the constant combination of several functions: mother, wife and housekeeper. Each of the listed functions is very voluminous and requires concentration, concentration, physical and moral effort. But it is very difficult for any person to perform several functions equally well at the same time; as a result, there is no concentration on any of them. The woman feels that she cannot properly concentrate on any of her functions, therefore, she constantly does something not as well as she would like, all this leads to stress. Long-term stress ultimately leads to mental exhaustion. In such a situation, concentration exercises that do not require additional equipment or a long time can help. Concentration exercises on words or counting are suitable.

3. Autoregulation of breathing. In everyday life, no one constantly remembers or thinks about breathing, but in various unusual situations, breathing changes, and a person cannot help but notice it. With physical effort, stressful situation breathing becomes difficult and heavy. If a person is frightened, he reflexively holds his breath, as if holding it. Knowing what has been said, a person can consciously control breathing, changing it depending on his goals. By changing the rhythm of breathing and doing this for several minutes, a person notices how he begins to calm down, which helps him continue the exercise he has started.

From the book Self-Hypnosis author Alman Brian M

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— Symptoms of stress
— Nature and causes of overvoltage
- Fighting stress. Methods of psychologists
— 6 effective ways how to overcome stress
— Relieving tension: five simple and incredibly effective steps
— 8 methods from scientists on how to get rid of shock
- Conclusion

The reality is that it is difficult to avoid stressful situations. Throughout his life, a person often faces difficult situations that can cause stress. Changing jobs, passing exams, divorce, conflicts at work, or simply going on a diet - all this is stressful for the body.

Stress- a real modern epidemic, the symptoms of this disease are known to everyone.

The body's response to stress is characterized by insomnia, headaches, increased nervousness, loss of strength, stomach and back pain. If the consequences of stress are not eliminated in time, then self-doubt and depression will appear.

Against this background, a person may start drinking, smoking, and may develop drug addiction. This is why it is important to neutralize the effects of stress to protect yourself from its potential harm.

— Nature and causes of overvoltage

For stress modern man reacts in the same way as a million years ago, when our ancestors chased the mammoth and fought with neighboring tribes. The body receives the command: “There will be a fight,” and as a result, blood pressure rises sharply, blood clotting improves (in case of injury), the immune system is mobilized (to protect against microbes), and sugar is released into the blood. The body is completely ready to run or defend in case of danger; a lot of stress hormones - adrenaline - are released into the blood.

But we... stay in place, don’t run anywhere, we just clench our fingers into fists and nervously bite our lips. As a result, the adrenaline accumulated inside, which the body has prepared, does not release, and it begins to negatively affect the person from the inside. This may manifest itself in a significant increase blood pressure, increased heart rate, muscle tension, headaches, stool upset, heart rhythm disturbances, deterioration of oxygen supply to the heart muscle, which can lead to angina.

In addition, unspent adrenaline keeps the muscles in a spasmodic state, which can provoke attacks of cervical and lumbar osteochondrosis, due to pinching of the nerves passing through the thickness of the back muscles. And thickening of the blood (in case of injury) leads to a deterioration in its circulation through the vessels, its content of cholesterol, sugar and uric acid, which has a bad effect on the functioning of the heart, brain and internal organs.

Restraining emotions and suppressing aggression become habitual for us; we don’t even suspect how strong the psychic energy is heating up in us, unsuccessfully looking for a way out.

- Fighting stress. Methods of psychologists

2) Shorten your to-do list.
Don’t plan too many things, go through your worksheet thoughtfully, add time for reserves and unforeseen things, throw out everything that is unimportant. A number of scientific studies indicate that excessive demands on oneself are the cause of increased stress levels.

3) Take deep breaths/exhales.
According to scientists, deep inhalations/exhalations are one of the most simple ways relax, activate the “relaxation mode” in the body, this also normalizes blood pressure and simply allows you to feel better.

4) Recognize the signs of stress.
The American Psychological Association has compiled the following list of signs of stress:

a) irritability,
b) fatigue,
c) headaches,
d) stomach upset,
e) changes in eating behavior/loss of appetite,
f) nervousness.
g) Anger

5) Create and maintain a budget.
By analogy with drawing up a business plan, psychologists also recommend putting things in order in your financial plans.

6) Eat and drink wisely.
In stressful times, it is important to eat wisely - in the usual way, not to overeat, to get the required amount of nutrients - all this affects your condition.

8) Do not put off solving a stressful situation until later.
If you don't deal with situations that cause you stress (procrastination, avoidance, hoarding of undone tasks), this only makes the situation worse and can develop into chronic stress, anxiety and depression. Psychologists recommend finding the strength to cope with stressful situations here and now.

- Conclusion

Nowadays, most of the people are stressed every day. If you do nothing to get rid of this condition, then over time you can become seriously ill or even die. This is why it is so important to learn how to combat this condition now.

Besides, if you strive for success and prosperity, then you simply must relieve yourself of stress. Otherwise, he will constantly slow you down. And you will never achieve anything.

Dealing with stress will not be easy, especially if you are used to being led by such a condition. However, for a person who is determined to live life to the fullest, difficulties will never be an obstacle. The tips and techniques from this article will help you in this difficult task.

The material was prepared by Dilyara specifically for the site

The ability to manage your emotions and remain calm in stressful situations directly affects your work productivity.

The TalentSmart portal conducted a study and surveyed more than a million people. The result revealed that 90% of successful people are able to manage their emotions under stressful conditions in order to remain calm and in control of the situation.

If you've read our newsletter, you're probably aware of research that shows stress can damage your mental and physical health. physical health humans (for example, a Yale University study found that long-term stress causes atrophy of the part of the brain responsible for self-control). Stress and its accompanying anxiety are an integral part of our lives. Our brains are unable to make important decisions without being under pressure. Moreover, when we are in a state of mild stress, we work at maximum productivity. If this condition does not last long, it is absolutely harmless to the human body.

UC Berkeley Study Reveals positive sides mild stress. Scientists also emphasize the need to control stress levels. Study leader Elizabeth Kirby found that stress affects the rapid proliferation of brain cells responsible for improved memory. However, this effect is only noticeable at low levels of stress. As soon as the pressure reaches a certain level, cell regeneration stops.

"Occasional stress keeps our brains on alert so we can be productive," says Kirby. For animals, stress is a direct consequence of their personal experience, a reaction to the physical threat posed by the world around them. Once upon a time, people experienced something similar. As it develops and becomes more complex human brain, we have acquired the ability to be constantly nervous. Prolonged tension of the nervous system is called severe stress.

In addition to increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, depression and obesity, stress reduces a person's cognitive abilities. Fortunately, stress is easy to control (unless you are being chased by predatory animals, of course). All successful people developed their own own methods reducing stress levels. Regardless of the events that happen to them, these people can be confident that they are in control of the situation and are not subject to prolonged exposure to stress.

I present to your attention 10 effective ways to deal with stress. Some of them may seem obvious to you, but under stressful conditions many of us forget the obvious statements.

1. Appreciate what you have

Take some time to identify what you are grateful for. This will lift your mood because the levels of the stress hormone (cortisol) in your blood will drop by about 23%. A study conducted by the University of California, Davis, shows that people who develop the habit of being grateful for what they have are always in high spirits, feel more energetic and enjoy great well-being. Low cortisol levels may play a role here.

2. Avoid subjunctive moods

Expressions like “What if?...” only increase our stress levels and make us worry. Any situation can take an unexpected turn. The more time

You will think about how things could have been, the less time you will have for real actions that require concentration and complete control over the situation. Calm people know that success does not tolerate the subjunctive mood.

3. Keep a positive attitude

Positive thoughts help you take your mind off problems and focus on what is absolutely not causing stress. Help your brain by getting rid of dark thoughts. Any positive emotions contribute to a quick switch of attention. If you're doing well, following this advice will be easy. If something goes wrong and you can't get rid of bad thoughts, you'll have to work a little harder. In such moments, try to think about the pleasant moments that happened during the day, no matter how small they may be. If nothing good happened that day, increase the interval to a week. You can also think about upcoming events that you are looking forward to. In any case, you should learn to switch from negative thinking to positive thinking.

4. Take a break

Remember that to reduce stress levels, it is extremely important to organize proper rest. By forcing yourself to work 24/7, you expose yourself to negative factors. By turning off your computer and cell phone, you eliminate major sources of stress and allow your body to get some rest. Research shows that even a short break can reduce stress levels.

Modern technology allows us to easily communicate with colleagues and clients who expect us to be available to them 24/7. Sometimes it can be so difficult to be distracted from an important task when the phone rings nearby and email notifications invariably bring your thoughts back to work. If you can't bring yourself to get distracted on weekdays, use the weekends for this. Determine the periods of time in which you will turn off all equipment. You'll be surprised how effective this kind of rest can be, and you'll probably want to incorporate it into your schedule on a weekly basis. If you are afraid of missing an important call or message, first plan your vacation for a period of time when other people are least likely to text or call you (for example, Sunday morning). Once you get used to the “silence,” gradually increase the time and frequency of periods you spend away from high-tech devices.

5. Limit the amount of caffeine you consume

Caffeine consumption stimulates the release of adrenaline, which in turn triggers the fight-or-die survival mechanisms. When faced with danger, the body sacrifices rational thinking for the sake of a quick reaction. This is great if you are being chased by a huge bear, but it is not practical for work. Under caffeine, our stressed brain and body are unable to properly control ourselves. This condition is not normal and should be avoided.

6. Get more sleep

The importance of sleep for emotional stability and stress management cannot be overstated. When you sleep, your brain literally energizes itself by processing information received during the day, forgetting it, or storing it (causing dreams), and you wake up refreshed and refreshed. If you don't get enough sleep, your self-control, attention, and memory suffer. In addition, lack of sleep uncontrollably increases or decreases the level of hormones in the blood, even if the body is not under stress. Stressful projects often don't leave us enough time to rest, but good sleep is something that can help you stay in control.

7. Never blame yourself

If you want to manage stress, you need to stop internal conversations in which you analyze your own mistakes and blame yourself for them. The more you focus on negative thoughts, the more they control you. Most of them are just thoughts, not facts. Thinking about bad things puts you in a negative mood. It's time to stop this. Having learned to stop negative emotions and dark thoughts, you will be able to more rationally and soberly assess their authenticity.

Any statement that includes the words “never”, “always”, “worst” is not 100% true. Write them down and then show them to a friend or colleague and ask if he agrees with you. Together you can find the truth. If you feel like an event never happens or can't happen, you're probably just underestimating its frequency. By identifying and writing down your thoughts, you can separate them from facts and eliminate negative thinking.

Stress and anxiety often distort our perception of certain events. Unrealistic project deadlines, strict managers and constant traffic jams are just some of the factors that contribute to stress. You can't control everything around you, but you can control how you react to things. Instead of overthinking a thought, try to put the situation into perspective. It is quite possible that the scale of your expectations and experiences does not correspond to reality. If you tend to exaggerate, claiming that “Everything is not going according to plan” or “It’s definitely not going to work out,” it’s time to rethink the situation. If you are committed to changing a faulty behavior pattern, make a list of the processes and ideas that you think are “going wrong” or “won’t work.” Most likely, you will come to the conclusion that not everything is bad, and the problems are not at all as great as you thought.

9. Breathe deeply!

The easiest way to reduce stress is to breathe as deeply as possible. This will stimulate your brain activity, forcing you to focus on getting the job done. When you feel intense tension, take a short break and focus on your breathing. Close the door, eliminate all possible irritants, sit in a comfortable chair. During this time, try not to think about anything. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. It sounds quite simple, but after a couple of minutes you will notice that focusing becomes more and more difficult. Various thoughts may distract you from the very beginning, but you should push them away. To make this task easier, try counting each breath from 1 to 20 and back. If you mess up, you can always start counting again.

This method may seem too easy or stupid to you, but after the exercise you will feel much calmer and will be able to get rid of unnecessary thoughts more easily.

10. Get the support you need

The desire to solve all issues on your own is commendable, but it leads to rapid fatigue. To remain calm and productive, you will need to admit your shortcomings and ask for help if you really need it. If the situation is getting out of control and you feel like you can't cope, seek support. Surely there is a person in your environment who can make your work easier. Identify such helpers in advance and try to win them over. In some cases, a simple conversation about experiences will help, in which the interlocutor can offer a new, alternative vision of the situation. Often other people see a way out that you don't, simply because they aren't as emotionally invested in the problem. Asking for help will reduce your stress levels and strengthen your relationships with those you can rely on.

Travis Bradberry, President at TalentSmart
Translation: Airapetova Olga

  • Career and Self-development

It was said above that stress has not only a negative, but also a positive side. Moreover, it is obvious that it is impossible to completely rid a person of it. Therefore, when developing and implementing measures to combat stress, the manager must focus on those aspects of the stressful states of employees that directly and directly affect Negative influence on production behavior and the effectiveness of their work activities. The fight against excessive stress is, first of all, identifying and eliminating stressors - the factors that cause it. They can be identified at two main levels: at the individual level - identification of factors that cause stress in a particular employee and require changes in the organization and his working conditions; at the organizational level - identification of factors that negatively affect a significant group of employees and require changes in the activities of the entire organization.

There are several methods of working aimed at reducing stress in an organization.

Firstly, these are measures related to changing working conditions and including the placement of workers, their training, planning and distribution of work. They should be carried out already at the selection stage, selecting people who meet the requirements of work assignments and are able to cope with the assigned work without internal stress.

Secondly, this is a change in the attitude of employees, their perception and assessment of certain processes and events. For example, employees may be experiencing stress due to the ongoing reorganization; clarifying company policies and involving a large number of employees in this process will help relieve the tension and stress caused by it.

Thirdly, measures directly aimed at combating stress - physical training breaks, ensuring adequate rest for employees, creating psychological relief rooms, and the like.

When developing methods to combat stress, one should take into account the individual psychological characteristics of people. Those measures that will have a positive effect on some employees may be ineffective or even harmful for others. For example, manuals on organizational behavior and personnel management often say that it is necessary to diversify and enrich the content of employees’ work. Many consider this a universal means of combating stress. However, such a recommendation should be used taking into account the individual characteristics of workers. Thus, for some, variety of work is optimal, while for others, consistency and familiar forms of work are optimal.

You should not spare money and effort spent on preventing stress and combating its consequences; you can lose much more.

Ways that will help protect against the adverse effects of stress or even “prepare” for it:

The ability to relax. According to the famous West German specialist, doctor of medicine, who deals with the problems of stress, Hannes Lindemann, a balanced change of tension and relaxation is a decisive factor determining our well-being.

What kills us is the lack of unloading and the inability to relax. Which ultimately leads to nervous exhaustion, insomnia and cardiovascular diseases.

The ability to relax is a natural reflex process, which is beyond the capabilities of many in our time of “crazy” rhythm and lightning-fast flow of information, when one overload is superimposed on another, one stress replaces another. However, this valuable skill can be learned by using the SPS - H. Lindemann's system of psychophysiological self-regulation.

SPS consists of a set of exercises that teach psychophysical relaxation. Let's look at some of these exercises.

In the coachman's position.

To take it, you need to sit straight on a chair, straighten your back, and then relax all your muscles. Don't lean forward too much. The eyes are half closed. The head is lowered on the chest, the legs are slightly apart and bent at an obtuse angle, the hands are on the knees without touching each other, the elbows are slightly rounded - in a word, the characteristic pose of a cab driver dozing while waiting for the rider.

Passive pose.

In a passive pose, the back and back of the head rest on the back of the chair or a head bolster, and the arms rest relaxed on the armrests. Otherwise, the passive pose is the same as the active one: legs slightly apart, toes slightly apart. The arms are slightly bent at the elbows and do not touch the legs.

If the coachman's pose can be taken at work, for example, during a work break, then other exercises require not only a special place, but also additional time for their training.

Relaxation exercises for “heaviness and warmth.”

This is an exercise for alternate tension or relaxation of one organ, which leads to the transfer of this state to others. Thus, relaxation of the right hand automatically leads to relaxation of the left. Relaxing the legs stimulates relaxation of the legs, which in turn leads to general muscle relaxation.

Mastering these exercises, in addition to eliminating many functional disorders, also leads to normalization of heart function. The feeling of warmth in the left hand reflexively spreads to the entire left half of the chest and expands the coronary vessels of the heart, which receive additional blood flow, and with it oxygen. Frequent exposure to exercises with heaviness and heat is enough to relieve neurological pain in the heart and regulate the rhythm and strength of its pulsation.

"My right / left hand heavy..."

The “heaviness” formula allows you to quickly relax your muscles.

You need to imagine it clearly: the muscles of the arms are relaxing - the fingers, the hand, the whole arm has become heavy. But this is a pleasant weakness: let it be the state that is experienced after a long and pleasant walk in the fresh air in the forest, after swimming in the river, or playing sports.

“My right/left hand is warm...”

The “heat” formula dilates blood vessels.

In order to perform it, you need to mentally imagine a light down blanket that envelops your hand, or a stream of warm July air that warms your fingers...

It should be noted that in the first and second cases, left-handers will begin practicing these exercises with the left hand, since it is more subject to suggestion.

After each exercise, you must use the formula for exiting the immersion state:

Hands are tense

Deep breathing

I open my eyes

I relax my hands.

H. Lindeman recommends devoting at least a few minutes a day to the “Heaviness and Warmth” exercise, constantly increasing its duration.

Autotraining (method of psychotherapy based on self-hypnosis):

Auto-training classes increase concentration, especially if you introduce a goal formula into the exercise system:

Work brings joy.

It's easy for me to work.

I'm getting the job done.

Everything is working out well.

I am attentive, my thoughts are focused.

The train of thought is stable.

These formulas relieve internal stress, increase motivation and are a kind of antidepressants.

Formulas of intentions (goals) can also help with insomnia:

The head is free of thoughts.

I am indifferent to the worries and impressions of the day.

I feel peace of mind.

I want to relax.

Sleep sets in.

But we must not forget that each person may have their own goal formulas. According to the recommendation of H. Lindeman, they cannot be numerous, since in each specific stressful situation they will mobilize a person in a certain way.

Psychophysical relaxation and auto-training will be more effective with the additional use of so-called “unconscious” methods of dealing with stress, which include color and aromatherapy.

Color therapy.

Psychologists studying the influence of color on human perception have found that color, or rather the physical wave emanating from it, in a certain way affects a person’s well-being and even has a healing effect. Thus, red color increases internal energy, sexuality, normalizes blood circulation and metabolism. Orange - helps relieve fatigue, blues, depression, uncertainty and fear. This color helps to induce a surge of vitality. It is no coincidence that the ancients considered it the color of health and well-being. Yellow - increases concentration, improves mood and memory. Its effect is very beneficial for liver disorders. Green - promotes the rhythmic functioning of the heart, drainage of the eyes, has a moderate anti-inflammatory and antiallergic effect, is useful for reduced kidney function, dizziness, and nervousness. Blue - calms, improves immunity, relieves inflammation and burning sensation, for example with sunburn, has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the thyroid gland. Blue - helps with insomnia, causes a feeling of comfort and peace, relieves stress, lowers blood pressure, calms breathing. Purple - develops intuition, normalizes the state of the lymphatic system, helps with migraines. Thus, by choosing one color or another, you can not only cheer yourself up, but also adjust your physical condition.

Aromatherapy.

Since ancient times, the method of treatment with “aromas” has been one of the main methods of combating ailments. Even before the advent of medicines, people learned to use the healing properties of plants in the treatment of various diseases. They have not lost their relevance even today. On the contrary, after a certain period of oblivion, herbal and aromatherapy again received their second wind. And they began to be actively and successfully used not only in medicine, but also in psychotherapy. Especially when working with clients who are in the stage of “deep” stress.

It has been established that lavender essential oil reduces the excitability of the central nervous system, helps normalize the function of the autonomic nervous system, acting as a phytovegetative regulator.

Essential oils of pine, spruce and basil are used for nervous exhaustion, insomnia, and nervous overload.

Essential oils that “create a mood” are orange, grapefruit, tangerine, lilac.

Jasmine essential oil has anti-stress and relaxing effects.

Sage essential oil strengthens the nervous system.

As has already become clear, there is a whole system of preventive measures - auto-training, color and aromatherapy, which will help prevent the negative effects of stress on the body. There is, however, one more effective remedy“fighting stress”, it consists in the following golden rule: “If you cannot change the situation, try to change your attitude towards it.”

Methods for preventing stress

Lifestyle is ours everyday life from early morning to late evening, every week, every month, every year. The components of an active and relaxation lifestyle are the beginning working day, diet, physical activity, quality of rest and sleep, relationships with others, reaction to stress and much more. It depends on us what our lifestyle will be - healthy, active or unhealthy, passive.

If we can positively influence our basic principles in life, ensuring that relaxation and concentration become an integral part of our lifestyle, then we will become more balanced and will respond more calmly to stressors. It is necessary to know that we are able to consciously influence certain processes occurring in the body, i.e. We have the ability to autoregulate.

We can highlight the main methods of stress prevention using autoregulation: relaxation, anti-stress “remodeling” of the day, autoanalysis of personal stress and other methods of prevention. The use of these methods, if necessary, is available to everyone.

Anti-stress “remake” of the day

Very often, when people return home, they transfer their work activity and excitement to their family. What do you need to get rid of your daytime impressions and, having crossed the threshold of the house, not take out your bad mood on your family? After all, in this way we bring home stress, and the fault is our inability to detach ourselves from the impressions accumulated during the day. First of all, you need to establish a good tradition: when you return home from work or school, immediately relax.

Sit in a chair, relax and rest peacefully;

Brew yourself some strong tea or brew some coffee. Stretch them out for 10 minutes, try not to think about anything serious during this period of time;

Turn on the tape recorder and listen to your favorite music. Enjoy these wonderful moments. Try to completely immerse yourself in the music, disconnecting from your thoughts;

Fill the bath not very well hot water and lie in it. Do calming breathing exercises in the bath. Take a deep breath through closed lips, lower your lower face and nose into the water and exhale very slowly. Try to exhale as long as possible (exhalation with resistance). Imagine that with each exhalation the total tension accumulated during the day gradually subsides;

Take a walk in the fresh air;

Put it on sports suit, sneakers and run for these 10 minutes.

It is very important that the initiative for such “changes” of the day comes from ourselves. It is necessary to warn your loved ones that in this short period of time we forget about our household responsibilities and try to spend these 10 minutes with them. With a fresh head, solving all household problems will require much less energy.

Self-analysis of personal stress

Now let's look at how you can detect and explain your body's reactions to stressful situations, i.e. How can you identify your personal stress? Understanding your own stressful situation is extremely important: firstly, the manifestation of stress varies from person to person; secondly, stress, as a rule, cannot have a single cause - there are always many such causes; thirdly, you will be able to find the most acceptable way out of the current situation.

The most proven method of autoanalysis of personal stress is a stress diary. This method is simple, however, it requires patience. Over the course of several weeks - daily if possible - you need to make simple notes in your diary: when and under what circumstances signs of stress were discovered. It is better to write down your observations and feelings in the evening after work or before bed, when it is easier to remember the smallest details and details.

Analyzing your diary entries helps you quickly and easily determine which events or life situations contribute to stress. It is the regularly repeated situations described in the diary that can cause stress.

It is useful to write down your feelings immediately upon the onset of acute stress, so that later you can analyze them in a calm and balanced state.

If we look through our own records and try to organize them, we will find that some of the main signs of stress are repeated: irritability, inability to concentrate, forgetfulness, muscle tension, a feeling of inner heaviness, dry mouth, restless sleep, fatigue, inexplicable feeling of fear, Bad mood, frequent headaches (especially in the back of the head), joint pain, lack of appetite, rapid heartbeat.

By analyzing the records, you can determine what time of day the illness most often occurs, whether it happens at work or upon returning home. By keeping a stress diary, you can find out for yourself what is bothering us in life, what causes our personal stress.

Article content:

Stress is a physiological (which can be considered natural) reaction of the human body to a certain non-standard situation. Stress is divided into several types, which are distinguished by the nature of the influencing factor. One of the most common stresses in everyday life is emotional. Positive emotions are often not considered stress, so we will only cover stress that is characterized by negative emotions. But first of all, you need to remember and assimilate important information: in order to effectively overcome stress, first eliminate its factor!

Symptoms of stress tension

So, what are the signs of normal stress?

  • Loss of concentration;
  • The occurrence of systematic errors in work;
  • Memory loss, forgetfulness;
  • Rapid onset of feeling tired;
  • Unintelligible, accelerated speech;
  • The inability to “gather” all thoughts into one pile;
  • Frequent pain in the head, back, stomach;
  • High nervous arousal;
  • Loss of satisfaction from favorite activities;
  • The emergence of psychological cravings for alcohol and tobacco;
  • Loss of appetite, sense of taste;
  • Violation of work deadlines.

Have you experienced similar symptoms of stress? Psychology says: only after the cause of the problem is clarified will it be possible to promptly eliminate the germ of stress. Below we list the most common factors that can cause stress in a person.

Causes of stress tension

  • More often you need to do not what you have a craving or interest in, but what is necessary, which is your daily routine duties;
  • Constantly lacking time means increased academic failure;
  • Constant rush, criticism from relatives and superiors;
  • You are not allowed to get enough sleep or replenish your body with new energy;
  • You often abuse alcohol for one reason or another;
  • There is no mutual understanding with family and friends, there are only differences in interests and needs;
  • Dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs in any area of ​​life;
  • Increasing debts systematic pressure from creditors;
  • Dissatisfaction with one's appearance, complexes, including inferiority;
  • There is no opportunity to “vent” your anger to someone, to “give vent” to accumulated emotions;
  • Lack of opportunity for full self-realization.

Short-term stress relief

If your health condition allows this, it is recommended to take a hot bath or contrast shower. In the case of the first option, you will get good relaxation, and if you take a tonic shower, you will give “new breath” to your nervous system.

Hello, a long sleep is probably the best cure for all stress. A new day should be accompanied by new emotions, new sensations, it’s time to leave all the troubles in yesterday.

What to eat? Tea with lemon, black strong coffee, dark chocolate will lift your mood, make you more cheerful, and calm your nerves.

If you use short-term methods of calming, you are unlikely to get rid of the root cause of stress and will forget about it for a long time. It is impossible to ignore and put off solving your problems that promise irreversible damage to the nervous system. The cause and options for eliminating them must be sought immediately! Why? It is unlikely that you dream of the development of depression and its transformation into more threatening forms: neurosis, asthenia and even schizophrenia.

Psychological ways to deal with stress

Psychology, its sphere of the inner world of a person, contains sources of stress. Often, when we are faced with problematic, insoluble situations that may threaten our normal life, the body triggers a psychological reaction in the form of stress. There are two components of psychological stress: the problem and the attitude of the human psyche towards it. If we are unable to get rid of the problem, it is worth changing our attitude towards it. Make sure you do everything possible to eliminate the causes of your dissatisfaction, and convince yourself that if you perceive the current situation in a simpler way, the negative impact of stress will automatically decrease until it “goes away” completely.

Communication factor

Under no circumstances should you isolate yourself. Imagine how many people around you are struggling with their problems in the same way, and do not always win these heroic battles. Talk to them, vent, or distract yourself with more positive topics. Eliminate this self-criticism that haunts you at every step. New experiences, communication with new people are very useful for prolonged stress. Find the best option for you (go on a visit, to a club, with friends for a beer, with girlfriends on a swing), and go ahead - jointly suppressing the obsessive blues and depression.

Easy in words, more difficult in deeds? All the methods listed above do not lead to the desired result, or do you have no desire/strength to do something specifically to get out of stress? Then it's time to think about benefiting from the offerings of modern medicine. Drug treatment for blues does not consist in correcting psychological symptoms, but in taking drugs with an anti-anxiety (anxiolytic) effect, for example, Phenibut or Noobut ​​(developed back in Soviet times to reduce stress levels in astronauts; there is no relaxing effect). These drugs have complex effects: anxiolytic and antidepressant.

Of course, if our inner world were simpler and more primitive, we would not have to react painfully to all the difficulties and troubles. But each of us is a human being, a rational being, endowed with extraordinary emotional wealth, and therefore stress is our eternal companions. Remember that problems tend to arise and disappear, but this will not give us health. Take care of yourself!

Proper nutrition, relaxation and exercise as ways to combat stress

Eliminating the source of stress itself is not always the right decision, which gives the required result. It would be much more correct to learn how to manage stress and subordinate it to your will. Never deal with stress by eating too much. It should also be noted that some products contain nutritional products and are able to effectively counteract stress. One of the most famous is magnesium. Chocolate is not the only source of magnesium; it can also be found in lipids and carbohydrates. Cereals and dried fruits also boast high magnesium content. include foods rich in vitamin B1 in your diet. It will strengthen your nervous system. If you need to overcome weakness, take vitamin C.

Regarding physical stress and relaxation. This is an excellent way to relieve stress. Fresh air, long walks, admiring nature, listening to the gentle singing of birds - all this will help improve your mood and allow you to take another step towards overcoming stress. Combating stress may include yoga, meditation, and going to the gym. In addition to the fact that you will have a positive effect on your mood, you will also be able to get rid of unnecessary pounds. However, sport must bring pleasure, and not the other way around, so give preference to the sport that you love most.

Learn to identify the real causes of stress in your soul, determine your real, most pressing priorities, because during the experience of stress, even small problems can seem insurmountable. Free your mind from the imaginary problems that fill your head. Optimism and frequent smiles are an additional + to your mood.

Don't overuse pills. It is often irrational to resort to the use of various medications in case of minor blues or mood changes. However, if your stress has entered a more serious, complex stage, take such drugs with great caution. For example, the antidepressant benzodiazepine reduces anxiety, but at the same time, it can impair memory, disrupt concentration and provoke addiction. If you cannot avoid taking these medications, monitor dosage moderation and treatment breaks. Special beta blockers, for example, are able to block the action of adrenaline and reduce unpleasant symptoms, such as rapid heartbeat, trembling, and unnatural sweating. However, they have many contraindications, so their use is permissible only in the most extreme cases, for example, when you need to overcome fear and anxiety before an important event or life event.

Creativity as a way to deal with stress

Determine what you like to do in free time and give this matter your all when anxiety suddenly floods your soul. Balance the negative with the positive through creativity, and inspiration will come on its own. The main thing in this process is not even receiving desired result, since this can only be achieved with experience and practical skills, you need to concentrate on enjoying your favorite activity. Find your positive in this, look for even more good in the good, and then any causes of stress will fade into the background and lose their epoch-making significance for you.

If you are friends with the art of words, write some fascinating story, or look on copywriting exchanges for an order to write a turnkey article on a topic in which you are well versed. In this way, you will gain experience in a new activity for yourself, and will take your mind off thoughts about the bad, and on top of everything else, you will earn money. He who seeks himself in the flow of life will definitely find his haven, even if depression has surrounded this person from all sides and does not allow him to break the shackles of despondency and melancholy.

Shopping as a way to combat stress

Do you like to go shopping? Update your wardrobe, buy for yourself a few things that are not so valuable and useful, but rather pleasant to the soul. However, be careful - this can lead to a painful addiction. Focus on your financial capabilities - an empty wallet after purchasing unnecessary things can further aggravate an already stressful state.

Interestingly, the shopping process can have a double anti-stress effect. For example, if you purchase a bicycle and use it for its intended purpose, using physical activity There will be a possibly irreparable blow to your stress.

How to leave stress at work?

Sometimes, exhausted at work, you come home and begin to rant and rant, be negative and lash out at everyone around you. How to prevent this? “Hold on” for about ten minutes after you cross the threshold of your home. Do something pleasant, warming, listen good music, take a bath, have sex, if this is appropriate and all your strength was not left at work. Immerse yourself entirely in pleasant moments, and throw bad thoughts and all negativity out of your head - the next working day will be set aside for this. In general, draw an invisible boundary between the working day and rest in your home.

In conclusion...

Remember: overwhelming anxiety and empowerment are mutually exclusive concepts. Every time stress minimizes your performance, fight it, don’t let it happen. Human psychology is a complex science, but, nevertheless, who should be the master of whom: Are you in your mood, or is it your mood?