Stress relief. Basic methods of dealing with stress

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Psychologists are specialists who help us solve problems, overcome fears and understand ourselves so that we feel calm. However, they are also people and, like all of us, are subject to stress, which needs to be dealt with somehow.

website will tell you about the methods of quickly relieving stress that the professionals themselves use.

1. Write down everything that comes to mind

Psychotherapist, writer and teacher Jeffrey Sumber(Jeffrey Sumber) uses several aesthetic ways to deal with stress:

“When I'm nervous, I like to eat well. But it must be healthy food or a new dish for me. I spend a long time shopping, choosing the right ingredients, then carefully cutting them, preparing dressings and slowly, with pleasure, eating the dish. I also often post the results on Facebook to make my friends jealous!”

3. Tighten all your muscles

American psychotherapist Kevin Chapman(Kevin Chapman) uses the method of progressive muscle relaxation, which was developed back in 1920, to combat stress.

The principle is simple: After any strong tension, strong relaxation occurs. That is, you need to tense your muscles for 10 seconds, and then concentrate for 20 seconds on the subsequent feeling of relaxation.

A total of 200 exercises have been developed for all muscle groups, but using 16 is quite sufficient. Find exercises and.

4. React correctly or not at all.

Psychologist Susan Krauss Whitbourne(Susan Krauss Whitbourne) does not fight stress, but tries to avoid it in advance. To do this, she has a mantra that she repeats when she gets into a stressful situation. She says, “I can’t change the situation, but I can change my reaction to it.”

A positive reaction to a negative event helps not only to avoid stress, but also to gain some experience if you look at it as a test and learn from mistakes.

5. Stop the flow of thoughts

Psychologist Martin Seligman(Martin Seligman) advises using one simple and very popular method to get unnecessary thoughts out of your head.

Clap your hands and shout " Stop! I'll think about it later!" You can also wear a rubber band on your wrist and snap yourself with it (or just pinch yourself). Use such stimuli to stop the cycle of thoughts and postpone the problem until later, for a certain time. Then try to switch your attention to some unusual object or activity.

6. Set aside 1 hour for your favorite activities and pleasures.

Psychotherapist Amy Przeworski(Amy Przeworski) advises setting aside a period of time during which you will do only what you want. Read, draw, eat delicious dishes- in general, do what makes you happy. No work, no responsibilities, negative thoughts and everything that you don’t like and ruins your mood.

7. Stimulate the nerves

An unusual but effective method based on physiology is offered by a therapist Tony Bernhard(Toni Bernhard). Lightly run your index finger over your lips several times. This movement affects the nerves on the surface of the lips, stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system and helps you calm down quickly.

8. Try different classic methods

Of course, there are also classic methods for relieving stress and relieving tension that work just as well.

For example, clinical psychologist and author of the book “Living with Depression” Deborah Serani(Deborah Serani) during times of stress tries to give the body what it wants. “I use everything that touches the senses. For example, I can just sit in the car and listen to jazz on the radio, draw, lie in hot bath or enjoy delicious gourmet tea.”

) uses yoga, exercise, or just healthy sleep to cleanse the head.

Main principle

The main principle of getting rid of stress is to completely abstract yourself for some time from the problem and from any source of anxiety. And the better you do this, the faster you will recover and be ready for new achievements.

Which way of dealing with stress did you like best? Maybe you have your own unique method?

Usually, when we are upset, we begin to hold our breath. Releasing your breath is one of the main ways to “get out of your head.”

Put aside all the problems that bother you. You can return to them whenever you wish, but there is no harm in giving yourself a break. Breathe slowly, calmly and deeply for three minutes. You can even close your eyes if you prefer. If you like, count to five as you inhale and to seven as you exhale. (Spending more time exhaling creates a gentle, calming effect.) Imagine that as you enjoy this deep, leisurely breath, all your worries and troubles melt away.

Taking a breather is a relaxation technique. But at the same time, it can also work as a means of distracting attention, taking our thoughts away from our problems at least for a few minutes.

1. Simple statements.

Repeating short, simple statements helps you cope with emotional stress. Here are some examples:

• I feel better now.
• I can completely relax and then quickly get ready.
• I can control my inner feelings.
• I can handle stress any time I want.
• Life is too short to waste it worrying about anything.
• No matter what happens, I will try my best to avoid stress.
• Internally I feel that everything will be fine.

Try to come up with your own wording. Keep them short and positive; Avoid negative words like “no” and “it doesn’t work out.” Repetition is very important. Repeat your affirmations out loud several times every day or write them down on paper.

1. Magic word.

Interrupts the automatic flow of thoughts with a calming word or phrase.

Choose simple words like: peace, rest, calm, calm down, balanced. Instead of words, you can count: 1001, 1002, etc., or use phrases like: "deep and even deeper relaxation". Let thoughts run through your head, don't let them take over you. Close your eyes and concentrate. Repeat a word, phrase, or count to yourself for 60 seconds. Breathe slowly and deeply.

1. Stress relief at 12 points.

Do the following exercises several times a day. (Always remember your physical capabilities.) Start by rolling your eyes gently—twice in one direction, then twice in the other. Fix your attention on a distant object, and then switch it to an object located nearby. Frown, tensing the muscles around the eyes, and then relax. After this, engage your jaw and yawn widely several times. Relax your neck by first shaking your head and then rolling it from side to side. Raise your shoulders to ear level and lower them slowly. Relax your wrists and move them. Clench and unclench your fists, relaxing your hands. Now turn your attention to your torso. Take three deep breaths. Then gently bend your spine back and forth and from side to side. Tighten and relax your buttocks, then your calves. Roll your feet to relax your ankles. Curl your toes so that your feet curve upward, repeat three times. (If you find it difficult to move your whole body, you can try moderately tense and relax each part of your body individually.)

1. Self-massage.

Even during a busy day, you can always find time for mini-vacation and relax. You can lightly massage certain points on the body. Don't press too hard, you can close your eyes. Here are some of these points:

• Eyebrow area: Rub the area using slow circular motions.
• Back of neck: Gently squeeze several times with one hand.
• Jaw: Rub on both sides where the back teeth end.
• Shoulders: Massage the top of your shoulders with all five fingers.
• Feet: Rub your aching feet.

A more penetrating version of self-massage consists of simultaneous stroking with your hand tense muscle and imagining heat emanating from the hand and penetrating the tense area. The most effective, vigorous approach is to lightly spank yourself, starting from your head to your toes. It both relaxes and gives a certain boost of energy.

1. Breathing on a count of 7-11.

Helps relieve severe physical tension without leaving a stressful situation.

Breathe very slowly and deeply, so that the entire breathing cycle takes about 20 seconds. You may feel difficult at first. But don't strain yourself. Count to 7 as you inhale and to 11 as you exhale.

The need to stretch your breathing so much requires full concentration. Taking a deep breath softens the tension that inevitably appears in the intercostal muscles. Exhalation extended over time relaxes the stomach. If you feel a little dizzy the first time you try this method, next time shorten the cycle and breathe less deeply.

1. Warm up.

Some people find it easier to relieve tension while moving than at rest.

Try to express your feelings in physical exercise by doing gymnastics or aerobics, dancing or wrestling with an imaginary opponent. Even a short, vigorous activity (such as a few squats) will lift your tone and change your mood. Fast walking and running are effective. At the same time, of course, take care not to overwork.

1. Questions for yourself.

Neutralizes the means that block the feeling of happiness by creating new perspectives in pressure situations.

When you suspect that you are exaggerating the significance of a problem, ask yourself the following questions:

• Is this really such a Big Deal?
• Is anything really important to you at risk right now?
• Is it really worse than what it was before?
• Will it seem as important to you two weeks from now?
• Is it worth it to worry so much?
• Is it worth dying for?
• What's the worst that could happen and can I handle it?

1. Distraction.

Distraction is a form of positive distraction that blocks stressful thoughts and feelings.

Concentrate your attention on some neutral object for a few minutes. Below are four possibilities:

• Write down 10 names of objects or things that you dream about. These may not necessarily be important things, just things that you enjoy, such as a home party.
• Slowly count objects that are emotionally neutral in color: leaves on a flower, spots on a square of tiles, letters on a printed page, etc.
• Train your memory by remembering 20 actions you took yesterday.
• Spend two minutes listing the qualities you like about yourself and give examples of each.

1. Self-perception.

Stop for a minute and think about the fact that you should also like yourself. Say out loud or think to yourself: "I take care of myself, my well-being is very important to me. I want to support myself and do everything in the best possible way. I want a really good life for myself. I'm always on my side.". The feeling of your own support will increase if you hug yourself or simply squeeze your hands, as if reinforcing your words of approval.

1. Your valuable qualities.

Resists the inherent tendency to criticize oneself and reinforces self-belief with specific, positive statements.

Make a list of your definitely valuable qualities. You can also add some of the following items:

• I take care of my family.
• I am a good friend.
• I have achieved something in life. I help people.
• I want to succeed
• I admit my mistakes.
• I try to behave intelligently.
• I'm trying not to make any more of the mistakes I made before.
• I'm quite attractive.
• I am talented in some areas.
• I try to live in moral purity and be kind to people.
• I began to understand myself better.

Write this list on a piece of paper and carry it with you always. When you feel down, take it out and focus your attention on your strengths. Give examples of your positive behavior. It’s even better to say them out loud or write them down. All this will significantly increase your self-confidence.

1. Non-resistance.

If you are irritated by a person or a specific situation, try to think of it as a source of unpleasant energy. This negative energy affects your senses in the same way that loud noise does to your ears. Then imagine that you have become invulnerable: imagine a shield in front of you, from which the energy that hurts you “bounces off”. Or that you “lost” it, that it passed through you completely painlessly, like cosmic rays that constantly penetrate our body. And if someone says unpleasant things to you, criticizes you, imagine that negative words“fly” over your head without even touching you.

How to properly relieve stress and tension: simple ways to deal with it

Good afternoon friends! We, the Valitov brothers, are again glad to meet you again on our blog. Today we want to help many of you understand the issue of how to relieve stress and tension.

After all, stress, in its negative aspect, has a detrimental effect not only on the health of men, women, adolescents, but also children.

He drains them nervous forces, energy; reduces immunity, leads to depression or chronic fatigue.

A huge number of people are susceptible to this disease of the century, therefore, today we will look at how to free ourselves from negative emotions, relieve stress and manage it.

What is stress, what symptoms does it manifest in an adult or child? You will learn about what folk remedies can be used to remove it at home.

Stay tuned to our blog! It will be interesting next!

Defining the concept of stress

The frantic pace of modern life involves many people in a network of stress and nervous tension.

Stress refers to the external pressure of certain factors that exert Negative influence on a person, unbalance his nervous system with a psychological component.

Most often, this condition is experienced by many men, women and children before a threat to their lives, during dangerous situations or major domestic troubles.

At the same time, it is not only negative emotions that shock the human nervous system. Great happiness or joy can also upset the emotional balance with its shock.

How to recognize stress

You can determine the occurrence of a stressful state in a person by his:

• Sudden fatigue;
• General weakness;
• Nausea;
• Headaches.

In adult men or women, emotional stress and nervous tension manifest themselves:

• Pain in the heart or back;
• High blood pressure;
• Development of diabetes or oncology;
• Insomnia;
• Increased anxiety;
• Depression.

The child has stressful conditions usually accompanied by:

• Increased irritability;
• Muscle tension;
• Tearfulness;
• Sleep disturbance;
• Losing or gaining weight;
• Pain in the back or stomach;
• Functional impairment Bladder or intestines.

It is at this point in our story that we want to give you the opportunity to rest a little and talk about your son.

After the death of his beloved dog, your child has become very absent-minded, withdrawn, and his inappropriate actions bother you very much? It is clear that your concerns are not accidental.

Take our advice! Talk to your child urgently, reassure him, try to distract him, and if this does not help, consult a psychologist to develop a favorable strategy for dealing with the negative. emotional state Your child.

Why is stress dangerous?

The state of stress is familiar to every person. However, such statistics do not bode well.

Especially if prolonged stress or nervous strain exhausts the human body and deprives it of moral and physical strength.

Moreover, even if a man or woman looks calm on the outside and behaves with restraint, stress from within undermines their health, provoking:

1. Increased fatigue.
2. The appearance of psychosomatic diseases such as gastritis, stomach ulcers, hypertension.
3. Immune suppression.
4. Poor resistance to viruses and pathogenic bacteria.
5. Irritability.
6. Hot temper.
7. Apathy.
8. Depression.
9. Increased blood sugar levels.
10. Problems arising in the family or at work.

Ways to relieve nervous tension and stress

The modern rhythm of life puts increased stress on the human nervous system, which affects his psyche and physiology.

Therefore, everyone needs to know what simple methods can be used to relieve stress at home. Let's consider several options.

Ambulance

Most in a simple way for a person in an unforeseen life situation, as a primary remedy for relieving tension, we can recommend a few simple folk remedies, time-tested:

• Initially, change the environment, take a walk in the fresh air, shopping helps a lot;
• Drink a glass of water or a cup of chamomile and mint tea;
• Eat a piece of orange or dark chocolate;
• Soak a regular towel in cool water and apply it to your face for a few minutes;
• Keep your hands busy with something: knitting, embroidering, typing on a computer;
• Scream into your pillow;
• Try jumping or walking up and down a few flights of stairs.

Meditation

Meditation is a very good way to relieve stress at home. This requires:

• Ventilated room;
• Silence;
• Peace;
• Pleasant music;
• 15 minutes of free time.

Where to begin?

1. Take a comfortable sitting position.
2. Straighten your back.
3. Relax and close your eyes.
4. You can pronounce the words “love”, “happiness”, “health”.
5. Instinctively observe what thoughts come to you.
6. Don't judge them by letting them disappear.

Long-term training will begin to slow down negative thoughts, and then lead to their complete disappearance.

Afterwards, you can add autogenic training to meditation. They will restore your nerves faster and make you more balanced and calm.

Breathing and relaxation exercises

Simple breathing exercises will help you overcome stress and its consequences at home. They must be performed at least once, but preferably 2 times a day.

After all, breathing is one of the basic unconditioned reflexes of a person. It affects all vital processes. Therefore, to strengthen his nervous condition, he needs:

1. Take 5 to 10 breaths through your nose. They should be deep and calm. In this case, exhalations should be made through the mouth and each time it is advisable to focus on the feeling of filling the lungs with air.
2. In order for the inhalation or exhalation to be really slow, they must be performed in four counts.
3. Then to these breathing exercises you need to connect the diaphragm. To do this, take a deep breath so that the efforts of the lungs are transferred to the diaphragm, and the stomach and chest inflate.

Over time, when these exercises become easy to perform, you can add gymnastics to them to relieve stress.

Typically, nervous tension involuntarily blocks muscles, most often it is:

• Shoulder area;
• Jaws;
• Facial muscles;
• Hand area.

Here it is good to alternately knead the cervical-collar area while inhaling.

You need to roll your shoulders or relax your facial muscles.

Prevention of prolonged stress

• Healthy lifestyle;
• Visit to the swimming pool;
• Physical education and sports classes;
• Weekends in nature;
• Listening to calm music;
• Sex with your loved one.

There is an interesting book " Antistress. How to overcome stress, anxiety and depression, without drugs and psychoanalysis", in which you will find very interesting ways to deal with your stress. With the help of this book, the author promises to normalize your emotional state.

If you want to know more about ways to relieve stress, we advise you to become a subscriber to our blog.

Take care of your nerves, good luck to everyone!

Goodbye, see you again!

Stress is a condition known to every person these days. The pace of life, overcrowding in big cities, overwork, family troubles, even an unfavorable environmental situation - all this creates a constant situation of discomfort. Not everyone has the opportunity to go to a psychologist and work through negative situations, and for such events you need to find time, which is always in short supply. Therefore, it is useful to know how to quickly relieve stress without a specialist.

What kind of stress is there?

Biologically, stress is the body’s reaction to a dangerous or simply unusual situation. There's nothing wrong with it. A situational stress reaction is expressed by the active work of the adrenal glands and a sharp release of adrenaline. A person gets a rise arterial pressure, heart rate increases. Evolutionarily, such a reaction was useful - it helped to activate the body’s internal reserves, fight an enemy or run away to save one’s life.

Problem modern people- in chronic stress, psychologists call constant nervous tension distress. Unlike a situational adrenaline rush, which does not harm the body, repeated discomfort is fraught with the following health problems:

1. Hypertension - the production of adrenaline is disrupted; the constant presence of the hormone in the blood causes chronic high blood pressure.
2. Heart disease - stress causes tachycardia, which is not dangerous if it does not last long, but increases muscle wear with constant failures of this kind.
3. Nervous breakdowns - any stress resembles a “spring” that sooner or later unclenches. Neuroses and psychoses destroy the human psyche.
4. Gastritis, stomach ulcers, other digestive disorders. In ancient times, people either ran or ate in a safe place, away from enemies and predators. With chronic distress, the normal process is disrupted, which leads to diseases of the esophagus, stomach, and intestines.
5. Oncological diseases. The connection between chronic nervous stress and the occurrence of cancer has been scientifically proven.

Many people in the fight against negative manifestations of distress turn to drug therapy. However, such drugs are always accompanied by a whole list side effects- from sleep disturbances and apathy to headaches and subdepressive states. Ability to calm nerves independently medicinal methods healthier.

Ways to relieve stress

There are many ways to deal with negative situations. It should be noted that it is much easier to relieve situational stress at home than to get rid of the effects of a chronic traumatic situation. However, in both cases, a person can learn to protect himself and his health from unpleasant phenomena.

1. Warm your hands

The advice may seem strange, but it is completely physiologically justified. Stress is a sharp outflow of blood from upper limbs and a rush to the heart, brain, legs, because the body “thinks” that we need to run away. If you return the blood to your hands, the temperature in your head and chest will decrease, which will reduce blood pressure and reduce discomfort.

2. Meditate

In the minds of most people, meditation is something very difficult, something only monks, yogis and other enlightened individuals can do. However, this opinion is wrong. Anyone can master a simple meditation:

1. Get some privacy. Isolate yourself from any annoying noise.
2. Play monotonous soothing music, such as nature sounds.
3. Close your eyes, take a comfortable position.
4. Try not to think about anything, completely relaxing all your muscles.

You can afford this procedure even in the middle of a working day, because it will not take more than ten to fifteen minutes. And much healthier than a traditional “smoke break.”

3. Drink coffee with milk

Black coffee is a bad idea when you're stressed, but milk has a calming effect. In addition, it is subconsciously associated with childhood, baby food and safety. Coffee activates nerve cells, and milk will calm you down.

4. Exercise

Stress was “invented” by nature in order to quickly escape from a predatory animal or catch up with a mammoth in order to beat it with a club. Remove it in the most “natural” way - by jogging, doing a few squats or push-ups. This way you will throw out excess adrenaline, and it will stop destroying your internal organs.

5. Herbal medicine

Some smells have a relaxing effect. Among them are vanilla, cinnamon, citrus. Tangerine and orange scents are especially effective. Sweet and fresh aromas not only reduce the activity of the adrenal glands, but also help you think more productively and “clear” your mind.

6. Chew gum

Monotonous chewing movements improve the functioning of the digestive tract, while simultaneously relieving the feeling of anxiety. The method works in any situation, and is especially effective against the feeling of fear. It is recommended for people who are afraid of flying on airplanes.

7. Wash with cold water

The message to “cool down” when you are angry with someone can be taken quite literally. Cold water applied to the temples and face reduces blood flow to the vessels of the brain, lowers blood pressure and helps restore “sober” thinking.

8. Eat dark chocolate

Even the most strict diets Do not exclude a small amount of dark chocolate. Unlike other foods, this product really helps not only with short-term stress, but is also recommended as a natural antidepressant, since it provokes the production of dopamine, the “pleasure hormone.”

9. Have sex

A method that can hardly be applied directly at the workplace, but after a hard day it will help you relax a lot better than tablets or alcohol. Sexual activity stimulates the production of endorphins, renews the body, and improves the condition of the heart and blood vessels. This way of relaxation is useful for both men and women.

10. Socialize with pets

Pet the cat, play with the dogs, watch the aquarium fish- Absolutely any living creature will do. If you go to a psychologist, you will probably be advised to “change the scenery” and go to nature. This is not always possible, but arranging contact with nature will not be difficult.

Stress itself is not a negative thing. The “emergency mobilization” system is extremely useful, it helps us mobilize in difficult situations and cope effectively with difficulties. The main task is the ability to tell your body in time “that’s enough, you don’t need any more adrenaline,” so that the situational release of the hormone does not turn into a chronic one. And this is something that is easy to do even at home without serious financial costs.