A method of psychological self-help for stressful conditions. Negative effects of stress on the body

Who among us has not been in such a situation? "I have a problem. I do not know what to do! How to find a way out of this situation? Unpleasant thoughts constantly swirl in your head. How can I not think about the problem? I feel my emotions run high over a minor remark or a trivial misunderstanding. There is no strength, all the energy has gone somewhere. How my body hurts, tension in my back, cramps in my head. My head hurts again...” Did you find out? Has this happened to you? Most likely, more than once.

So let's talk about stress. Stress for a working person in a modern company can arise for a variety of reasons.

Here are some of them:

1. Critical consciousness is sufficient, which, in turn, comes from:
- thoughts, beliefs (“nothing will work out for me...”, “it’s always like this...”, “it’s only with me...”, “they want me harm...”, etc., etc.);
- a negative emotional experience experienced sometime in the past.

2. Due to the lack of time (there may be really little of it or the person does not know how to structure time), as a result, a lot of unfinished tasks accumulate.

3. Due to confusion in the superior-subordinate relationship. When a person has three bosses or there is no clear agreement on responsibilities. Sometimes even managers are incompetent and therefore do not set tasks clearly. The leaders themselves are emotionally unbalanced. There is no planning, no organization, and control is crazy.

4. Due to lack of information. This is very stressful, because a person does not know what to grab onto. Or he is afraid to speak, for fear of saying something stupid.

As they say, there are no ready-made recipes. Everyone has their own self-help, which has helped out more than once. For many, the advice of others will not help, everything is individual.

However, let's look at some recommendations.

Determine for yourself that there is a problem with calming your nerves, and want to change it. This is already 80% success. Read the article “What you need to know about stress and distress”, there is a lot of useful information there.
The most effective thing is to formulate competent guidelines. For example: “Anything can happen...”, “Everything will end kindly and happily”, “We have no problems, we only have opportunities”, “Difficulties strengthen”, “Difficulties are good, it’s even interesting”, etc. .
Holding on to your values, to what supports you in life and gives you positive emotions. Connect to what “nourishes”: spiritually – faith in yourself, family, friend, religion, etc.; emotionally – music, films, sauna, flowers, etc.; intellectually – books, trainings, conferences, exhibitions, etc.; physically - massage, sports, bathhouse, swimming pool, football, etc.
Develop and connect to positively significant events, affairs, and people in your life.
Inherent in a person from his ancestors is the double “B”: fight or flight. And we can hit, freeze or run, which will allow us to tense our muscles and burn off pent-up energy. Going to the gym is a great solution to this method. In the movie "Cabaret" the characters were screaming under a bridge when a train passed by. It’s good if a person can give himself an emotional “Sabre Dance”. Often we cannot afford to pour out energy because we are in the presence of other people, and they will take us for hysterical people. Your home will help here - (break unnecessary dishes), a forest or park (beat trees, shout at them). You can cry, even beat your fists against the wall. Only then is it necessary to analyze the situation, what caused such tension?
When analyzing the situation, you will also find out your attitude towards it. Most likely, the attitude can be changed. The well-known “green grapes” technique - “I didn’t really want to!” or a technique called briefly “But”: searching for the psychological advantages that a given situation brings. They definitely exist, you just have to look for them. “I didn’t get the position, but I had less responsibility.” You can build a chain of three emotions: surprise (“Wow!”), interest (“I wonder how long this will last?”) and joy (“It could be worse”).
There is another way: put everything you are experiencing on paper, without mincing words, and then re-read it and burn it.
Women often relieve stress through shopping. Moreover, you need to buy no less than $300 or more - a nice little thing will not relieve stress.
If you are overwhelmed by conflicting emotions, but the situation is not going well, tell yourself to stop and freeze. There can be a lot of emotions swirling inside – from hatred to calm. But gradually the intensity will fade away. It will weaken, like a fire that has used up its resource.
Use the rubber band method to train your mind to focus on the most positive elements in your life. Place a rubber band around your wrist. Every time negative thoughts come into your mind, pull the rubber band. Your brain will begin to associate pain with negative thinking, and you will soon develop a positive mindset.
Learn to be calm. The average person spends less than 30 minutes. per month in complete peace and quiet. Develop the habit of sitting quietly and enjoying silence for at least 10 minutes a day. Just think about what is important to you in life. Silence truly is golden.
"Truman's Trench." Harry Truman, who served as President of the United States during World War II, steadfastly endured all the hardships and tensions of the war period and held up even better than some of his predecessors in Peaceful time. When a reporter asked how he did it, Truman replied: “I have a mental trench.” He periodically went into his “mental trench”, where he completely disconnected from everything. You, too, can create this kind of refuge for yourself by imagining yourself in some ideal place for you. If you want to get there, you just need to close your eyes. Whenever you need peace and quiet, retreat to your inner sanctuary.

Always remember the main principle that the quality of your life is the quality of your communication. It is your communication with others and, more importantly, your communication with yourself. You get what you focus on. If you are looking for sources of positive emotions, you will get them. This is the basic law of nature.
Only associate with positive, focused people from whom you can learn and who will not drain your energy with complaints and bad attitudes.
Sleep less, spend less, do more, live longer and be more magnificent.

So, you find yourself in a situation where you are overcome by strong feelings - heartache, anger, anger, guilt, fear, anxiety. In this case, it is very important to create conditions for yourself in order to quickly “let off steam.” This will help reduce tension a little and preserve mental strength, which is so necessary in an emergency situation. You can try one of the universal methods:

Do physical labor: rearrange furniture, clean, garden.

Do some exercise, go for a run, or just walk at a moderate pace.

Take a contrast shower.

Shout, stomp your feet, break unnecessary dishes, etc.

Don't use a large number of alcohol, this usually only makes the situation worse.

As you can see, these methods are not psychological techniques, many people intuitively use them in life. For example, often women, when they are angry with their husband or children, start cleaning to avoid a quarrel; men, feeling angry, go to the gym and furiously hit the punching bag; Having felt resentment due to injustice at work, we complain to our friends.

In addition to universal methods, we can offer methods that help cope with each specific reaction.

Fear is a feeling that, on the one hand, protects us from risky, dangerous actions. On the other hand, everyone is familiar with the painful state when fear deprives us of the ability to think and act. You can try to cope with such an attack of fear yourself using the following: simple techniques:

Try to formulate to yourself, and then say out loud, what causes fear. If possible, share your experiences with people around you. The expressed fear becomes less.

When an attack of fear approaches, you need to breathe shallowly and slowly - inhale through your mouth and exhale through your nose. You can try this exercise: take a deep breath, hold your breath for 1-2 seconds, exhale. Repeat the exercise 2 times. Then take 2 normal (shallow) slow breaths. Alternate between deep and normal breathing until you feel better.

It is often said that when experiencing fear, a person is afraid of something specific (travelling on the subway, a child’s illness, an accident, etc.), but when experiencing anxiety, a person does not know what he is afraid of. Therefore, the state of anxiety is more severe than the state of fear.

The first step is to turn anxiety into fear. You need to try to understand what exactly is worrying you. Sometimes this is enough for the tension to decrease and the experience to become less painful.

The most painful experience with anxiety is the inability to relax. The muscles are tense, the same thoughts are spinning in the head: therefore, it is useful to make several active movements, physical exercise to relieve tension. Muscle stretching exercises are especially useful.

Complex mental tasks also help reduce anxiety. Try counting. For example: alternately subtract 6, then 7 from 100 in your mind, multiply double figures, calculate what date the second Monday of last month fell on. You can remember or write poems, come up with rhymes, etc.

Every person has cried at least once in their life and knows that tears, as a rule, bring significant relief. Crying allows you to express overwhelming emotions. Therefore, this reaction can and should be allowed to take place. Often, when they see a person crying, those around them rush to calm him down. It is believed that if a person cries, then he feels bad, and if not, it means he has calmed down or is “holding on.” It has long been known that tears have a healing function: doctors say that tears contain a large amount of stress hormone, and by crying, a person gets rid of it and feels better. This effect is reflected in the language - they say: “Tears heal”, “Cry and you will feel better!” Tears should not be considered a sign of weakness. If you cry, this does not indicate that you are a “whiner”; you shouldn't be ashamed of your tears. When a person holds back tears, emotional release does not occur. If the situation drags on, then the mental and physical health the person may be harmed. It’s not for nothing that they say: “I went crazy with grief.” Therefore, there is no need to immediately try to calm down, “pull yourself together.” Give yourself time and opportunity to cry.

However, if you feel that tears no longer bring relief and you need to calm down, the following techniques will help:

Drink a glass of water. This is a well-known and widely used remedy.

Breathe slowly, but not deeply, but normally, concentrating on exhalation.

Hysterics

Hysteria is a state when it is very difficult to help yourself in any way, because at this moment the person is in an extremely emotional state and does not understand well what is happening to him and around him. If a person has the idea that he should stop the hysteria, this is already the first step towards stopping it.

In this case, you can take the following actions:

Get away from the “spectators”, witnesses of what is happening, and be left alone.

Wash your face ice water- this will help you come to your senses.

Do breathing exercises: inhale, hold your breath for 1-2 seconds, exhale slowly through your nose, hold your breath for 1-2 seconds, slowly inhale, etc. - until you can calm down.

Apathy is a reaction that is aimed at protecting the human psyche. As a rule, it occurs after severe physical or emotional stress. Therefore, if you feel a loss of strength, if it is difficult for you to get ready and start doing something, and especially if you understand that you are not able to experience emotions, give yourself the opportunity to rest. Take off your shoes, take a comfortable position, and try to relax. Do not abuse drinks containing caffeine (coffee, strong tea), this can only worsen your condition. Place your feet in a warm place, making sure that your body is not tense. Rest as much as necessary.

If the situation requires action from you, give yourself a short rest, relax, at least for 15-20 minutes.

Massage your earlobes and fingers - these are places where there are a huge number of biologically active points. This procedure will help you cheer up a little.

Drink a cup of weak, sweet tea.

Do some physical exercise, but not at a fast pace.

After that, start doing the things that need to be done. Do the work at an average pace, try to maintain strength. For example, if you need to get to a certain place, don’t run - walk.

Do not take on several things at once; in this state, attention is scattered and it is difficult to concentrate, especially on several things.

Try to give yourself proper rest as soon as possible.

Feelings of guilt or shame

Many people who have experienced violence or lost loved ones experience feelings of guilt or shame. Deal with these feelings on your own or without outside help very hard. Therefore, consider seeking help from a specialist to help you cope with the situation.

When talking about your feelings, use the phrase “I’m sorry” or “I’m sorry” instead of “I’m ashamed” or “I’m guilty.” Words have great importance, and this formulation can help you evaluate and cope with your experiences.

Write a letter about your feelings. This could be a letter to yourself or to someone you have lost. This often helps to express your feelings.

Motor excitement

A state that is in some sense the opposite of apathy; a person experiences an “excess” of energy. There is a need to act actively, but the situation does not require this. If motor arousal is weakly expressed, then most often the person nervously walks in circles around the room or hospital corridor. In extreme cases of manifestation of this condition, a person can take active actions without realizing them. For example, after a strong fright, a person runs somewhere, may injure himself and others, and then cannot remember his actions. Motor excitement most often occurs immediately after receiving news of tragic event(for example, if a person receives news of death close relative) or if a person needs to wait (for example, as they wait for the outcome of a difficult operation in a hospital).

If motor excitation occurs, then:

try to direct your activity towards some cause. You can do exercises, go for a run, take a walk fresh air. Any active actions will help you;

try to relieve excess tension. To do this, breathe evenly and slowly. Focus on your breathing. Imagine how you breathe out the tension along with the air. Place your feet and hands in a warm place, you can actively rub them until a feeling of warmth appears. Place your hand on your wrist, feel your pulse, try to focus on the work of your heart, imagine how it beats steadily. Modern medicine claims that the sound of a heartbeat makes you feel calm and protected, since this is the sound that every person hears in a safe and cozy place - in the womb. If possible, play soft music that you enjoy.

Sometimes after a stressful event a person begins to tremble, often only the hands tremble, and sometimes the trembling covers the whole body. Often this condition is considered harmful and they try to stop it as quickly as possible, while with the help of such a reaction we can relieve the excess tension that has appeared in our body due to stress. So, if you are experiencing nervous tremors (your hands are shaking) and you cannot calm down, you cannot control this process, try:

increase trembling. The body releases excess tension - help it;

do not try to stop this state, do not try to forcefully hold the shaking muscles - this way you will achieve the opposite result;

try not to pay attention to the trembling, after a while it will stop by itself.

Anger, rage, aggression

Anger and malice are feelings that people often experience when experiencing misfortune. These are natural feelings. Therefore, if you are experiencing anger, you need to give it an outlet in a way that does not harm you and others. It has been proven that people who hide and suppress aggression experience more problems with health than those who know how to express their anger.

Try expressing your anger in one of the following ways:

Stomp your foot loudly (knock your hand) and repeat with feeling: “I’m angry,” “I’m furious,” etc. You can repeat several times until you feel relief.

Try to express your feelings to the other person.

Give yourself physical exercise, feel how much physical energy you expend when you are angry.

Acute stress disorder, a short-term disorder that occurs in response to psychological or physiological stress of exceptional magnitude, is a normal human response to an abnormal situation.

Psychological assistance techniques can significantly alleviate a person’s condition and, to a certain extent, prevent the delayed consequences of psychological trauma. Probably everyone has found themselves in a situation where the person next to them feels bad, but we don’t know how to help them. The most faithful and most old way To help a person experiencing this condition is participation, compassion, empathy; the techniques described above may also be useful.

It has already been noted that extreme and emergency situations are not always synonymous. When we talk about an extreme situation, we rather mean a person’s attitude towards the event. The concept of an emergency situation implies an objectively existing situation.

The state takes responsibility for organizing and providing assistance to people in emergency situations, creating special services: rescue, fire, medical. It is extremely important that employees of these units understand how the work of providing professional psychological assistance at the scene of an emergency should be organized.

After all, behind the word “catastrophe” there is always human grief and suffering; each such situation breaks the destinies of many people and gives rise to family and personal tragedies. Peace of mind in times of emergency large number people is destroyed. These people need the help of specialists, including psychologists.

Providing emergency psychological assistance is an independent area of psychological practice. Its originality is due to the special conditions in which the professional activity of a psychologist takes place while working to provide emergency psychological assistance. The unusual conditions are determined by four factors.

1. The presence of a traumatic event. The provision of emergency psychological assistance occurs after an event that has a strong impact on the emotional, cognitive, and personal spheres of a person. It can be large-scale emergencies natural or man-made, or smaller events that are also powerful stressors on humans (road accidents, rape, sudden death loved one). Almost always such an event can be characterized as a sudden event.

Time shortage factor - emergency psychological assistance is always provided in a short time.

Unusual working conditions for a psychologist (no or insufficient separate premises for work, poor living conditions, etc.).

Concentration in one place of a large number of people in need of psychological help.

From the above, we can conclude that emergency help from a psychologist is short-term help after a strong negative stressful impact (distress).

The main tasks that the psychologist’s activities are aimed at when providing this type of assistance can be formulated as follows:

Maintaining a person’s psychological and psychophysiological state at an optimal level (providing assistance with acute stress reactions).

Prevention of delayed adverse reactions, including by ridding a person of adverse emotional states that arose directly as a result of a traumatic event.

Prevention and, if necessary, cessation of the manifestation of expressed emotional reactions, including mass ones.

Consulting victims, their relatives and friends, as well as personnel working in response to emergency situations, about the peculiarities of experiencing stress.

Assistance to specialists taking part in emergency response efforts.

7. Help and self-help in cases of stress and emotional tension

Consider the following methods for coping with stress

Relaxation.

The automatic alarm response consists of three sequential phases:

Pulse;

Adaptation.

Intensifying activities nervous system, relaxation regulates mood and the degree of mental arousal, allows you to weaken or relieve mental and muscle tension caused by stress.

Relaxation methods need to be mastered in advance so that at a critical moment you can easily resist irritation and mental fatigue. With regular practice, relaxation exercises will gradually become a habit and will be associated with pleasant impressions, although mastering them requires perseverance and patience.

Concentration.

Inability to concentrate is a factor closely related to stress.

In such cases, short-term concentration on command is recommended - on your word or on your score. In most cases, a word (or thought) that has fallen out of memory will come to mind literally within a moment. Of course, there is no guarantee that this will always succeed. But with the help of concentration on a word or count, you can remember something forgotten faster than with the help of increased memory tension. With this simple method a person is able to make an effort and overcome himself.

Regulation of breathing.

A person has the opportunity, by consciously controlling his breathing, to use it to calm down, to relieve tension - both muscular and mental, thus, autoregulation of breathing can become an effective means of combating stress, along with relaxation and concentration.

Anti-stress breathing exercises can be performed in any position. Only one condition is required: the spine must be in a strictly vertical or horizontal position. This makes it possible to breathe naturally, freely, without tension, and fully stretch the muscles of the chest and abdomen. The correct position of the head is also very important: it should sit straight and free on the neck. A relaxed, upright head stretches the chest and other parts of the body upward to a certain extent. If everything is in order and the muscles are relaxed, then you can practice free breathing, constantly monitoring it.

With the help of deep and calm autoregulated breathing, you can prevent mood swings.

Increasing the duration of exhalation promotes calm and complete relaxation.

The breathing of a calm and balanced person is significantly different from the breathing of a person under stress. Thus, by the rhythm of breathing one can determine the mental state of a person.

Rhythmic breathing calms the nerves and psyche; The duration of the individual phases of breathing does not matter - the rhythm is important.

Autogenic training.

Autogenic training (AT) is a fairly effective technique for correcting psycho-emotional stress. Self-hypnosis can have a huge impact on mental and vegetative processes in the body, including those that are not amenable to voluntary conscious regulation.

As many researchers note, the use of AT is limited by the features of this method, which is based on the active participation of the individual in solving his problems. Regular auto-training classes require strong-willed efforts, high concentration, perseverance and other qualities that are often absent in neurotic individuals.

Rational psychotherapy.

Rational therapy has long been used to reduce emotional stress (in particular in sports practice), but its effectiveness is low. This is due, in particular, to the inability to consciously regulate processes associated with the activation of the sympathetic nervous system and glands internal secretion. In addition, as some authors point out, attempts to influence an excited person with the help of persuasion are unsuccessful due to the selectivity of the perception of emotionally significant information, because a person in a state of emotional excitement selects, perceives, remembers and takes into account only what corresponds his dominant emotional state.

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What to do to neutralize stress while preparing for exams?

Firstly, under stress, the supply of vitamins in the body is quickly consumed, especially group B. Many doctors advise adding to the diet: walnuts, dried fruits, cereals, seeds, dairy products, fish, meat, vegetables, fruits, dark chocolate and take vitamins daily, but remember everything should be in moderation!

Secondly, physical activity is very useful. Go to the gym, do exercises, dance, walk around the city, go to the forest, visit the pool, sauna, or just do household chores (wash the dishes, vacuum).

Thirdly, it is necessary to relieve tension, which usually accumulates in the muscles. Here are a few ways: beat a pillow or wring out a towel, even if it is dry - most of the energy of anger accumulates in the muscles of the shoulders, upper arms and fingers; make any spontaneous sounds, scream - tension may be “locked” in the throat; crumple or tear the newspaper and throw it away; mold your mood from a newspaper; It is easy to squeeze and unclench a small ball or rubber toy in your hand.

Fourthly, mental and physical relaxation is necessary. Try the following methods: listen to relaxing music, pet a cat or dog, take a contrast shower or a warm bath with a pleasant aroma and foam, look at the night sky, clouds, a burning candle, watch rhythmic movements such as a pendulum, dream, get a good night's sleep or just smile yourself as widely as possible.

Fifthly, for a harmonious life, the support of family and friends is necessary. Chat with friends, meet new ones interesting people. Pay attention to your parents, grandparents, sister or brother, because they especially need your love, care, and affection.

You need to clearly understand that a lot depends only on you!

Self-regulation methods are methods purposefully created by a person to control himself, or psychotechnical exercises.

The meaning of psychotechnics is to achieve and maintain mental, spiritual and physical fitness through directed concentration.

Relaxation techniques (relaxation)

Clench your fingers into a fist with your thumb curled inward. Exhaling calmly, slowly, clench your fist with force. Then, releasing your fist, inhale. Repeat 5 times. Now try this exercise with eyes closed, which doubles the effect.

 Breathe with ledges. Three or four short exhalations in a row, then the same number of short inhalations. Thanks to this, the flow of impulses going to the brain during a deep breath is broken, which is very important during stress.

Visualization techniques

This group of techniques is based on the use of imagination.

 Your emotional stress is a tightly packed balloon. A huge ball. In your imagination, pierce this ball with a needle. It burst. Along with it, your tension and despair “burst.”

 Imagine that you packed your troubles in a bag and placed them on a train platform. The train went and took away your misfortunes.

 Remember the place where you were happy. Imagine yourself there.

 Imagine yourself successful, calm, ready for the exam, knowing and remembering everything (change the “bad chair” to a “good” one). Self-hypnosis techniques Self-hypnosis should be positive, life-affirming, constructive (you cannot suggest negativity to yourself); should be expressed in simple, clear and understandable phrases in affirmative form without the particle “not” (“I want...”, “I can...”, etc.) and involves repeated repetition.

Come up with a few short, optimistic messages to repeat during times of excitement. For example:

- Everything will be fine!

- Now I will feel better!

- I already feel better!

- I am in control of the situation!

- Without a doubt, I can handle it!

Rationalization techniques

These techniques are based on the use of a mechanism psychological protection– rationalization, which contains the active and positive potential of individual behavior. Take a blank sheet of paper.

At the top, write the problem that “torments” you - for example, “Unified State Exam”. Then divide the sheet vertically into two halves. On the left, write down in the column all the unpleasant thoughts that come to mind in connection with this problem. In the right column, write down all the advantages that also exist in this situation. Which column is longer?

Now reformulate the phrases from the first column so that they sound positive, and rewrite them in the new wording in the right column. The use of such methods of self-regulation will help you ensure adequate self-control and restraint during the exam. problematic situation, which inevitably arises during testing.

It is very important to choose the right tactics when answering Unified State Exam questions.

First, skim through the entire test, answering only what you know for sure. Very quickly you will solve about a third of the questions. Then go through the questions again, trying to solve more complex questions that require logic and thought. This process will save you more time and your response rate will increase. Then stop and give yourself a 1-2 minute break. Realize that you have answered a significant number of questions in a short time and therefore will definitely cope with the rest.

In the second part of the exam, we move on to questions for which you do not have a ready answer. What should you do if the question seems very difficult to you, and at first glance you don’t know how to answer it? First of all, don't panic!

The first way of working is to use information from related fields of knowledge. The fact is that most necessary information is already stored in your head, but in a scattered, unconcentrated form, and your task is to put it together necessary information. For example, if in biology you come across the question “Metabolism of substances and energy between the body and the environment”, for which there is no ready answer, then you should merge knowledge from the sections “Metabolism”, “Digestion”, “Excretion”, “Respiration” course in human anatomy and physiology, as well as knowledge from the “General Biology” course about energy and plastic metabolism.

The second method is visualization. Try to remember as clearly as possible the page of the textbook in which you encountered this material. Relax and use your visual imagination. Very often, with this approach, it is possible to reproduce in memory the pages of a textbook, and the part where you previously saw the desired formula or drawing.

The third way is to connect logic. Having made an assumption about the correctness of some option, logically continue this assumption and see if it will cause any contradictions with the basic concepts or facts of this science? If the result is absurd, then the original message was incorrect and you should choose a different answer.

The fourth method is the elimination method. Start throwing out the most incredible answer options, and the remaining question will be the correct one. If you don’t know, after eliminating impossible options, you still can’t choose the correct answer, use the fifth method - act at random. For example, after eliminating two unlikely answers, you are left with two options. In this case, the chances of guessing correctly are 50%, which means that half of the randomly selected answers will be correct.

And finally, the last thing - never give up and fight to the end. As long as you think, remember, invent, try, you still have a real chance of gaining the required number of points. Remember that a few points can decide your fate: open or, on the contrary, slam the doors to your desired university. Therefore, use all the time allotted for preparing your answers to the end, leaving 15-20 minutes to review the selected options. Be sure to save this as a reserve so you can review your answers with fresh eyes. It often happens that at the same time you discover some mistake or inaccuracy, which you will have time to correct in time, snatching from an unyielding fate exactly those 1-2 points that will give you the opportunity to study where you want

Stress– a term literally meaning pressure or tension. It is understood as a human condition that occurs in response to the influence of unfavorable factors, which are commonly called stressors. They can be physical (hard work, injury) or mental (fear, disappointment).

The prevalence of stress is very high. In developed countries, 70% of the population is in a state of constant stress. Over 90% suffer from stress several times a month. This is a very alarming figure considering how dangerous the effects of stress can be.

Experiencing stress requires a lot of energy from a person. Therefore, prolonged exposure to stress factors causes weakness, apathy, and a feeling of lack of strength. The development of 80% of diseases known to science is also associated with stress.

Types of stress

Pre-stress state – anxiety, nervous tension that occurs in a situation when a person is affected by stress factors. During this period, he can take measures to prevent stress.

Eustress – beneficial stress. This may be stress caused by strong positive emotions. Eustress is also a moderate stress that mobilizes reserves, forcing you to more effectively deal with the problem. This type of stress includes all the body’s reactions that ensure a person’s immediate adaptation to new conditions. It makes it possible to avoid an unpleasant situation, fight or adapt. Thus, eustress is a mechanism that ensures human survival.

Distress– harmful destructive stress that the body is unable to cope with. This type of stress is caused by strong negative emotions or physical factors (injuries, illnesses, overwork) that last for a long time. Distress undermines strength, preventing a person from not only effectively solving the problem that caused stress, but also from living fully.

Emotional stress– emotions that accompany stress: anxiety, fear, anger, sadness. Most often, it is they, and not the situation itself, that causes negative changes in the body.

Based on the duration of exposure, stress is usually divided into two types:

Acute stress– the stressful situation lasted for a short period of time. Most people quickly bounce back after a short emotional shock. However, if the shock was strong, then disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system, such as enuresis, stuttering, and tics, are possible.

Chronic stress– stress factors affect a person long time. This situation is less favorable and is dangerous for the development of diseases of cardio-vascular system and exacerbation of existing chronic diseases.

What are the phases of stress?

Alarm phase– a state of uncertainty and fear in connection with an approaching unpleasant situation. Its biological meaning is to “prepare weapons” to combat possible troubles.

Resistance phase– period of mobilization of forces. A phase in which there is an increase in brain activity and muscle strength. This phase can have two resolution options. In the best case, the body adapts to new living conditions. At worst, the person continues to experience stress and moves on to the next phase.

Exhaustion phase– a period when a person feels that his strength is running out. At this stage, the body's resources are depleted. If a way out of a difficult situation is not found, then somatic diseases and psychological changes develop.

What causes stress?

The causes of stress can be very diverse.

Physical reasons stress

Mental causes stress

Domestic

External

Strong pain

Surgery

Infections

Overwork

Backbreaking physical labor

Pollution environment

Mismatch between expectations and reality

Unfulfilled hopes

Disappointment

Internal conflict is a contradiction between “I want” and “I need”

Perfectionism

Pessimism

Low or high self-esteem

Difficulty making decisions

Lack of diligence

Impossibility of self-expression

Lack of respect, recognition

Time pressure, feeling of lack of time

Threat to life and health

Human or animal attack

Conflicts in the family or team

Material problems

Natural or man-made disasters

Illness or death of a loved one

Marriage or divorce

Cheating on a loved one

Getting a job, getting fired, retiring

Loss of money or property

It should be noted that the body’s reaction does not depend on what caused the stress. The body will react to both a broken arm and a divorce in the same way - by releasing stress hormones. Its consequences will depend on how significant the situation is for the person and how long he has been under its influence.

What determines susceptibility to stress?

The same impact can be assessed differently by people. The same situation (for example, the loss of a certain amount) will cause severe stress for one person, and only annoyance for another. It all depends on what meaning a person attaches to a given situation. The strength of the nervous system, life experience, upbringing, principles, life position, moral assessments, etc. play a big role.

Individuals who are characterized by anxiety, increased excitability, imbalance, and a tendency toward hypochondria and depression are more susceptible to the effects of stress.

One of the most important factors is the state of the nervous system this moment. During periods of overwork and illness, a person’s ability to adequately assess the situation is reduced and relatively small impacts can cause serious stress.

Recent studies by psychologists have shown that people with the lowest levels of cortisol are less susceptible to stress. As a rule, they are harder to get angry. And in stressful situations they do not lose their composure, which allows them to achieve significant success.

Signs of low stress tolerance and high susceptibility to stress:

You can't relax after a hard day;
You experience anxiety after a minor conflict;
You repeatedly replay an unpleasant situation in your head;
You may leave something you have started out of fear that you won’t be able to handle it;
Your sleep is disturbed due to anxiety;
Anxiety causes a noticeable deterioration in well-being (headache, trembling hands, rapid heartbeat, feeling hot)

If you answered yes to most of the questions, this means that you need to increase your resistance to stress.

What are the behavioral signs of stress?

How to recognize stress by behavior? Stress changes a person's behavior in certain ways. Although its manifestations largely depend on the character and life experience of a person, there are also a number of common features.

Binge eating. Although sometimes there is a loss of appetite.
Insomnia. Shallow sleep with frequent awakenings.
Slowness of movement or fidgetiness.
Irritability. May manifest itself as tearfulness, grumbling, and unreasonable nagging.
Closedness, withdrawal from communication.
Reluctance to work. The reason lies not in laziness, but in a decrease in motivation, willpower and lack of strength.

External signs of stress associated with excessive tension of individual muscle groups. These include:

Pursed lips;
Tension of the masticatory muscles;
Raised “tight” shoulders;

What happens in the human body during stress?

Pathogenetic mechanisms of stress– a stressful situation (stressor) is perceived by the cerebral cortex as threatening. Next, the excitation passes through a chain of neurons to the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. Pituitary cells produce adrenocorticotropic hormone, which activates the adrenal cortex. Adrenal glands in large quantities I release stress hormones into the blood - adrenaline and cortisol, which are designed to ensure adaptation in a stressful situation. However, if the body is exposed to them for too long, is very sensitive to them, or hormones are produced in excess, this can lead to the development of diseases.

Emotions activate the autonomic nervous system, or rather its sympathetic department. This biological mechanism is designed to make the body stronger and more resilient during short term, set it up for active activities. However, prolonged stimulation of the autonomic nervous system causes vasospasm and disruption of the functioning of organs that lack blood circulation. Hence the dysfunction of organs, pain, spasms.

Positive effects of stress

The positive effects of stress are associated with the effect on the body of the same stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol. Their biological meaning is to ensure human survival in a critical situation.

Positive effects of adrenaline

Positive effects of cortisol

The appearance of fear, anxiety, restlessness. These emotions warn a person about possible danger. They provide an opportunity to prepare for battle, run away or hide.

Increasing breathing speed ensures oxygen saturation of the blood.

Increased heart rate and elevation blood pressure– the heart better supplies blood to the body for efficient work.

Stimulates mental abilities by improving the delivery of arterial blood to the brain.

Strengthening muscle strength by improving muscle blood circulation and increasing their tone. This helps to realize the fight or flight instinct.

A surge of energy due to the activation of metabolic processes. This allows a person to feel a surge of strength if he was previously tired. A person shows courage, determination, or aggression.

Increasing blood glucose levels, which provides cells with additional nutrition and energy.

Reduced blood flow to internal organs and skin. This effect allows you to reduce bleeding during a possible wound.

A surge of vigor and strength due to the acceleration of metabolism: increasing the level of glucose in the blood and the breakdown of proteins into amino acids.

Suppression of the inflammatory response.

Accelerating blood clotting by increasing the number of platelets helps stop bleeding.

Reduced activity of secondary functions. The body saves energy to use it to combat stress. For example, the formation of immune cells decreases, the activity of the endocrine glands is suppressed, and intestinal motility decreases.

Reducing the risk of developing allergic reactions. This is facilitated by the inhibitory effect of cortisol on the immune system.

Blocking the production of dopamine and serotonin - “happy hormones” that promote relaxation, which can have critical consequences in a dangerous situation.

Increased sensitivity to adrenaline. This enhances its effects: increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, increased blood flow to skeletal muscles and the heart.

It should be noted that the positive effects of hormones are observed during their short-term effects on the body. Therefore, short-term moderate stress can be beneficial for the body. He mobilizes, forces us to gather strength to find optimal solution. Stress enriches life experience and in the future a person feels confident in such situations. Stress increases the ability to adapt and in a certain way contributes to personal development. However, it is important that the stressful situation is resolved before the body’s resources are exhausted and negative changes begin.

Negative effects of stress

Negative effects of stress onpsyche are caused by prolonged action of stress hormones and overwork of the nervous system.

Concentration of attention decreases, which entails memory deterioration;
Fussiness and lack of concentration appear, which increases the risk of making rash decisions;
Low performance and increased fatigue may be a consequence of disruption of neural connections in the cerebral cortex;
Negative emotions predominate - general dissatisfaction with the situation, work, partner, appearance, which increases the risk of developing depression;
Irritability and aggression, which complicate interaction with others and delay resolution conflict situation;
The desire to alleviate the condition with the help of alcohol, antidepressants, narcotic drugs;
Decreased self-esteem, lack of self-confidence;
Problems in sexual and family life;
Breakdown– partial loss of control over one’s emotions and actions.

Negative effects of stress on the body

1. From the nervous system. Under the influence of adrenaline and cortisol, the destruction of neurons is accelerated, the smooth functioning of various parts of the nervous system is disrupted:

Excessive stimulation of the nervous system. Prolonged stimulation of the central nervous system leads to its overwork. Like other organs, the nervous system cannot work in an unusually intense mode for a long time. This inevitably leads to various failures. Signs of overwork include drowsiness, apathy, depressive thoughts, and cravings for sweets.
Headaches may be associated with disruption of cerebral vessels and deterioration of blood outflow.
Stuttering, enuresis (urinary incontinence), tics (uncontrolled contractions of individual muscles). They may occur when neural connections between nerve cells in the brain are disrupted.
Excitation of parts of the nervous system. Excitation of the sympathetic nervous system leads to dysfunction internal organs.

2. From the immune system. The changes are associated with an increase in the level of glucocorticoid hormones, which inhibit the functioning of the immune system. Susceptibility to various infections increases.

The production of antibodies and the activity of immune cells decreases. As a result, susceptibility to viruses and bacteria increases. The likelihood of contracting viral or bacterial infections increases. The chance of self-infection also increases - the spread of bacteria from foci of inflammation (inflamed maxillary sinuses, palatine tonsils) to other organs.
Immune protection against the appearance of cancer cells decreases, and the risk of developing cancer increases.

3. From the endocrine system. Stress has a significant impact on the functioning of all hormonal glands. It can cause both an increase in synthesis and a sharp decrease in hormone production.

Crash menstrual cycle. Severe stress can disrupt the functioning of the ovaries, which is manifested by delay and pain during menstruation. Problems with the cycle may continue until the situation is completely normalized.
Decreased testosterone synthesis, which is manifested by a decrease in potency.
Slowdown in growth rates. Severe stress in a child can reduce the production of growth hormone and cause a delay in physical development.
Decreased synthesis of triiodothyronine T3 with normal indicators thyroxine T4. Accompanied by increased fatigue, muscle weakness, decreased temperature, swelling of the face and limbs.
Decrease in prolactin. In nursing women, prolonged stress can cause a decrease in breast milk production, up to a complete stop of lactation.
Disruption of the pancreas, responsible for the synthesis of insulin, causes diabetes mellitus.

4. From the cardiovascular system. Adrenaline and cortisol increase heart rate and constrict blood vessels, which has a number of negative consequences.

Blood pressure increases, which increases the risk of hypertension.
The load on the heart increases and the amount of blood pumped per minute triples. Combined with high blood pressure, this increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
The heartbeat accelerates and the risk of heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmia, tachycardia) increases.
The risk of blood clots increases due to an increase in platelet counts.
The permeability of blood and lymphatic vessels increases, their tone decreases. Metabolic products and toxins accumulate in the intercellular space. Tissue swelling increases. Cells are deficient in oxygen and nutrients.

5. From the digestive system disruption of the autonomic nervous system causes spasms and circulatory disorders in various parts of the gastrointestinal tract. This can have various manifestations:

Feeling of a lump in the throat;
Difficulty swallowing due to spasm of the esophagus;
Pain in the stomach and various parts of the intestines caused by spasms;
Constipation or diarrhea associated with impaired peristalsis and the release of digestive enzymes;
Development of peptic ulcer;
Disruption of the digestive glands, which causes gastritis, biliary dyskinesia and other functional disorders of the digestive system.

6. From the musculoskeletal side systems Long-term stress causes muscle spasms and poor blood circulation in bone and muscle tissue.

Muscle spasm, mainly in the cervicothoracic spine. In combination with osteochondrosis, this can lead to compression of the spinal nerve roots - radiculopathy occurs. This condition manifests itself as pain in the neck, limbs, and chest. It can also cause pain in the area of internal organs - heart, liver.
Bone fragility is caused by a decrease in calcium in bone tissue.
Decline muscle mass– Stress hormones increase the breakdown of muscle cells. During prolonged stress, the body uses them as backup source amino acids.

7. From the skin

Acne. Stress increases sebum production. Clogged hair follicles become inflamed due to reduced immunity.
Disturbances in the functioning of the nervous and immune systems provoke neurodermatitis and psoriasis.

We emphasize that short-term episodic stress does not cause serious damage to health, since the changes caused by it are reversible. Diseases develop over time if a person continues to acutely experience a stressful situation.

What are the different ways to respond to stress?

Highlight three strategies for dealing with stress:

Rabbit– passive reaction to a stressful situation. Stress makes it impossible to think rationally and act actively. A person hides from problems because he does not have the strength to cope with a traumatic situation.

a lion– stress forces you to use all the body’s reserves for a short period of time. A person reacts violently and emotionally to a situation, making a “jerk” to solve it. This strategy has its drawbacks. Actions are often thoughtless and overly emotional. If the situation cannot be resolved quickly, then the strength is depleted.

Ox– a person rationally uses his mental and mental resources, so he can live and work for a long time, experiencing stress. This strategy is the most justified from the point of view of neurophysiology and the most productive.

Methods for dealing with stress

There are 4 main strategies for dealing with stress.

Raising awareness. In a difficult situation, it is important to reduce the level of uncertainty; for this it is important to have reliable information. Preliminary “living” of the situation will eliminate the effect of surprise and allow you to act more effectively. For example, before traveling to an unfamiliar city, think about what you will do and what you want to visit. Find out the addresses of hotels, attractions, restaurants, read reviews about them. This will help you worry less before traveling.

Comprehensive analysis of the situation, rationalization. Assess your strengths and resources. Consider the difficulties you will face. If possible, prepare for them. Shift your attention from the result to the action. For example, analyzing the collection of information about the company and preparing for the questions that are asked most often will help reduce fear of an interview.

Reducing the significance of a stressful situation. Emotions prevent you from considering the essence and finding an obvious solution. Imagine how this situation is seen by strangers, for whom this event is familiar and does not matter. Try to think about this event without emotion, consciously reducing its significance. Imagine how you will remember the stressful situation in a month or a year.

Increased possible negative consequences. Imagine the worst case scenario. As a rule, people drive this thought away from themselves, which makes it obsessive, and it comes back again and again. Realize that the likelihood of a disaster is extremely low, but even if it happens, there will be a way out.

Setting for the best. Constantly remind yourself that everything will be fine. Problems and worries cannot continue forever. It is necessary to gather strength and do everything possible to bring a successful outcome closer.

It must be cautioned that during prolonged stress, the temptation to solve problems in an irrational way through occult practices increases, religious sects, healers, etc. This approach can lead to new, more complex problems. Therefore, if you cannot find a way out of the situation on your own, then it is advisable to contact a qualified specialist, psychologist, or lawyer.

How to help yourself during stress?

Various ways to self-regulate under stress will help you calm down and minimize the impact of negative emotions.

Autotraining– a psychotherapeutic technique aimed at restoring balance lost as a result of stress. Autogenic training is based on muscle relaxation and self-hypnosis. These actions reduce the activity of the cerebral cortex and activate the parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system. This allows you to neutralize the effect of prolonged stimulation of the sympathetic department. To perform the exercise, you need to sit in a comfortable position and consciously relax the muscles, especially the face and shoulder girdle. Then they begin to repeat the autogenic training formulas. For example: “I am calm. My nervous system calms down and gains strength. Problems don't bother me. They are perceived as the touch of the wind. Every day I get stronger."

Muscle relaxation– relaxation technique skeletal muscles. The technique is based on the assertion that muscle tone and the nervous system are interconnected. Therefore, if you can relax your muscles, the tension in the nervous system will decrease. When doing muscle relaxation, you need to strongly tense the muscle and then relax it as much as possible. The muscles are worked in a certain order:

dominant hand from fingers to shoulder (right for right-handers, left for left-handers)
non-dominant hand from fingers to shoulder
back
stomach
dominant leg from hip to foot
non-dominant leg from hip to foot

Breathing exercises. Breathing exercises to relieve stress, they allow you to regain control over your emotions and body, reduce muscle tension and heart rate.

Belly breathing. As you inhale, slowly inflate your stomach, then draw air into the middle and upper sections of your lungs. As you exhale, release the air from the chest, then draw in the stomach a little.
Breathing on a count of 12. While inhaling, you need to slowly count from 1 to 4. Pause – count 5-8. Exhale on a count of 9-12. Thus, the breathing movements and the pause between them have the same duration.

Autorational therapy. It is based on postulates (principles) that help change the attitude towards a stressful situation and reduce the severity of vegetative reactions. To reduce stress levels, a person is recommended to work with his beliefs and thoughts using well-known cognitive formulas. For example:

What does this situation teach me? What lesson can I learn?
“Lord, give me the strength to change what is in my power, give me peace of mind to come to terms with what I am not able to influence and the wisdom to distinguish one from the other.”
It is necessary to live “here and now” or “Wash the cup, think about the cup.”
“Everything passes and this will pass” or “Life is like a zebra.”

Psychotherapy for stress

Psychotherapy for stress has more than 800 techniques. The most common are:

Rational psychotherapy. The psychotherapist teaches the patient to change his attitude towards exciting events, not to change correct settings. The main impact is aimed at a person’s logic and personal values. The specialist helps you master the methods of autogenic training, self-hypnosis and other self-help techniques for stress.

Suggestive psychotherapy. The correct attitudes are instilled in the patient, the main impact is aimed at the person’s subconscious. Suggestion can be carried out in a relaxed or hypnotic state, when the person is between wakefulness and sleep.

Psychoanalysis for stress. Aimed at extracting from the subconscious mental traumas that caused stress. Talking through these situations helps reduce their impact on a person.

Indications for psychotherapy for stress:

a stressful state disrupts the usual way of life, making it impossible to work and maintain contact with people;
partial loss of control over one’s own emotions and actions against the background of emotional experiences;
formation of personal characteristics - suspiciousness, anxiety, grumpiness, self-centeredness;
a person’s inability to independently find a way out of a stressful situation and cope with emotions;
deterioration of somatic condition due to stress, development of psychosomatic diseases;
signs of neurosis and depression;
post-traumatic disorder.

Psychotherapy against stress – effective method, which helps you return to a full life, regardless of whether you managed to resolve the situation or have to live under its influence.

How to recover from stress?

After the stressful situation has been resolved, you need to restore your physical and mental strength. Principles can help with this healthy image life.

A change of scenery. A trip out of town, to a dacha in another city. New experiences and walks in the fresh air create new foci of excitement in the cerebral cortex, blocking memories of the stress experienced.

Switching attention. The object can be books, films, performances. Positive emotions activate brain activity, encouraging activity. In this way they prevent the development of depression.

Full sleep. Devote as much time to sleep as your body requires. To do this, you need to go to bed at 10 pm for several days and not get up on the alarm clock.

Balanced diet. The diet should contain meat, fish and seafood, cottage cheese and eggs - these products contain protein to strengthen the immune system. Fresh vegetables and fruits – important sources vitamins and fiber. A reasonable amount of sweets (up to 50 g per day) will help the brain restore energy resources. Nutrition should be complete, but not too plentiful.

Regular physical exercise . Gymnastics, yoga, stretching, Pilates and other exercises aimed at stretching muscles help relieve muscle spasms caused by stress. They will also improve blood circulation, which has a positive effect on the nervous system.

Communication. Hang out with positive people who energize you good mood. Personal meetings are preferable, but a phone call or online communication will also work. If there is no such opportunity or desire, then find a place where you can be among people in a calm atmosphere - a cafe or a library reading room. Communication with pets also helps restore lost balance.

Visiting a spa, bathhouse, sauna. Such procedures help relax muscles and relieve nervous tension. They can help you get rid of sad thoughts and get into a positive mood.

Massages, baths, sunbathing, swimming in ponds. These procedures have a calming and restorative effect, helping to restore lost strength. If desired, some procedures can be performed at home, such as baths with sea salt or pine extract, self-massage or aromatherapy.

Techniques for increasing stress resistance

Stress resistance is a set of personality qualities that allows you to endure stress with the least harm to health. Resistance to stress may be an innate characteristic of the nervous system, but it can also be developed.

Increased self-esteem. The dependence has been proven - the higher the level of self-esteem, the higher the resistance to stress. Psychologists advise: form confident behavior, communicate, move, act like a confident person. Over time the behavior will develop into inner confidence in your own strength.

Meditation. Regular Meditation several times a week for 10 minutes reduces anxiety levels and the degree of reaction to stressful situations. It also reduces aggression, which promotes constructive communication in stressful situations.

Responsibility. When a person moves away from the position of a victim and takes responsibility for what is happening, he becomes less vulnerable to external influences.

Interest in change. It is human nature to be afraid of change, so surprise and new circumstances often provoke stress. It is important to create a mindset that will help you perceive change as new opportunities. Ask yourself: “What good can a new situation or life change bring me?”

Striving for achievement. People who strive to achieve a goal experience less stress than those who try to avoid failure. Therefore, to increase stress resistance, it is important to plan your life by setting short-term and global goals. Focusing on results helps you not to pay attention to minor troubles that arise on the way to your goal.

Time management. Proper time management eliminates time pressure, one of the main stress factors. To combat time pressure, it is convenient to use the Eisenhower matrix. It is based on the division of all daily tasks into 4 categories: important and urgent, important non-urgent, not important urgent, not important and non-urgent.

Stress is an integral part of human life. They cannot be completely eliminated, but it is possible to reduce their impact on health. To do this, it is necessary to consciously increase stress resistance and prevent prolonged stress, starting the fight against negative emotions in a timely manner.