Lifestyle is a daily reality that continues from morning to evening throughout life. The components of a relaxing and active lifestyle include a working day, eating habits, sports, sleep and rest, relationships, and reaction to emerging stress factors. All this affects the quality of the subjects’ lifestyle - depending on them, it can be either active or passive, unhealthy. Treatment consists of correcting the reaction to stressful situations that happen with modern people almost every day.

Relaxation helps relieve nervous tension

To calmly perceive stressors rather than avoid them, you need to change your main life principles. You will need to ensure that concentration and relaxation begin to occupy a significant place in your life. Every person has the ability to autoregulate, that is, they can consciously change processes in the body by mastering special techniques for relieving tension.

Types of prevention

In psychology, stress prevention methods are briefly divided into 5 types:

• relaxation;
• concentration;
• “reworking” the day against stress;
• providing emergency assistance for stress;
• autoanalysis of stress.

Anyone can master these methods to develop stress resistance, even older people, but the exercises must be done on a voluntary basis. Let's consider methods of getting rid of stressful conditions in more detail.

Relaxation

Psychocorrection of tension is carried out through relaxation. It is a psychoprophylaxis against stress. If a person masters its methods in advance, he will be able to reduce the intensity of unpleasant emotions and depression at the right time. Such psychoprophylaxis requires consistency—it is necessary to perform tasks to develop skills regularly.

To perform the exercises, you need an empty room where there are no strangers. The goal of the exercise is to ensure that the muscles completely relax.

Mental autorelaxation leads to a state resembling emptiness. During this period the brain rests.

There are many methods of getting rid of stress to achieve relaxation:

• Lie down and remain in this position for 2 minutes with eyes closed. Imagine the room in which you are lying. Take a mental walk along it, and then take a path throughout your body.
• Watch how you breathe. Notice that the air you exhale is warmer than the air you inhale. Concentrate on the breathing process for a couple of minutes, driving away all extraneous thoughts.
• After a slight inhalation, hold your breath, tense your entire body for 5-6 seconds, then begin to exhale and relax your muscles. Repeat this exercise to overcome psycho-emotional stress 3 times. Next come exercises designed for certain parts of the body.
• Tighten each leg muscle for a few seconds, then relax and repeat the same muscle tension 3 more times. After this, lie quietly for 3-4 minutes, feeling how your legs become heavy. Try not to perceive sounds coming from real world, however, register them in your mind. The same applies to thoughts.
• Then sequentially tense other muscle groups. After this, mentally concentrate on your body to make sure that the tension has completely left it. If this is not the case, repeat the prophylaxis on the desired parts of the body.

Once you have completed all the exercises, take a deep breath, hold your breath, tense and relax, exhaling. Lie quietly on your back, breathing evenly. You will feel calm inside. Preventing stress will give you the strength to cope with any stressor.

Such prevention methods fill you with energy, strength and vigor.

Over time, provided you practice regularly, you will be able to quickly achieve a state of complete relaxation of the body when the situation requires it. Methods for getting rid of stress require constant implementation.

Concentration

Stress and depression have a lot to do with the inability to concentrate. This is especially true for people who try to do several things at the same time, unable to concentrate on any one thing. As a result, at the end of the day a person feels severe mental exhaustion. To avoid such situations, regular concentration exercises will be required. The advantages of such stress prevention are that it can be done before bed, after work, or before school.

Let's consider effective exercise for concentration. Try to ensure that no one distracts you while doing it - it is advisable to conduct classes in a quiet and empty room:

• Sit on a hard chair with your side to its back, take a comfortable position. Place your hands on your knees and keep your eyes closed throughout the exercise so that your concentration is not interrupted by visual distractions. Breathing is calm, through the nose. Think about the fact that the air you exhale is warmer than the air you inhale.
• Next, you can concentrate on a leisurely extended count up to 10. If you notice that you are distracted, then start the count again. You need to count for 4–5 minutes. This “educational” method can also be taught to a child.
• Another prevention option is to focus on the word. Think about a word with which you have pleasant associations; it could be an affectionate nickname from loved ones, a delicious dish or flowers. The first half of the word must be spoken mentally while inhaling, and the remaining part while exhaling. This word Over time, it will turn into a special “anchor” - after you think about it, you will feel relaxed and ready to face any stressful situation.

The duration of the exercise is 5–6 minutes. Once completed, gently run your fingers over your eyelids, slowly open your eyes, and look around the room. Notice that you have become much more focused.

Such prevention is an indispensable assistant in cases when you urgently need to remember something (a person’s last name, a certain word, or why you came to another room). Within a few seconds, the forgotten will appear in your memory.

Redesigning your day to combat stress

If you had a bad day at work, as a result of which your mood turned out to be completely ruined, then these recommendations will help you calm down and not bring negativity to your family and loved ones. To avoid such situations, there are methods for getting rid of stressful conditions:

• Sit comfortably in a chair, and then just sit.
• Brew coffee, brew tea. During this prevention, try to drive away all thoughts about your affairs and responsibilities. Stretch the procedure for 8–10 minutes.
• To combat stress, grab some headphones and turn on your favorite music. Concentrate completely on the melody, forgetting about the rest of the world.
• When the whole family is gathered, sit next to them and discuss some things. You should not try to solve your problems when you are tired, as in this case you will not succeed. Solutions usually occur to people when they are in a calm, rested state.
• Take a warm bath and do some breathing exercises. Take a deep breath, then lower your face into the water (except your eyes) and exhale slowly. You need to inhale with resistance, slowly. At this time, mentally imagine how all the negativity that has accumulated during the day begins to disappear. This method allows you to relax even after the most stressful day.
• Take your time and stroll through the quiet, deserted streets, enjoying the fresh air.
• Go for a 15-minute run.

Making coffee will help ward off fatigue

How to help yourself in a stressful situation

A stressful situation can also arise for objectively frivolous reasons - the whims of children, criticism (even constructive) from the boss. To prevent stress, you need to mentally give yourself the command “Stop!” - this will slow down the further development of the negative state and develop mental control skills.

Next, you should follow the stress prevention methods listed below, so that at a critical moment you can relax, start thinking clearly and avoid a situation of loss of control over yourself:

• Breathe slowly through your nose. When you inhale, hold your breath and then slowly exhale. During the exhalation, you need to imagine how it takes away with it all the tension that has arisen.
• This exercise lasts for a minute. It is necessary to relax and lower your shoulders, get rid of tension in the corners of your mouth. You should take deep breaths and completely relax your facial muscles, since our facial expressions and facial expressions affect our internal state.
• Look around the environment you are in at the moment you are. Take a closer look at even the smallest details. Mentally move from one object to another, pronouncing their names and definitions - “blue curtains”, “wooden table”, “old carpet”. This consistent concentration on objects will allow you to distract yourself.
• Leave the room where you felt unpleasant emotions. It’s great if you can go outside and be alone. As in the previous exercise, examine the situation, nature, nearby houses and buildings.
• Bend forward. Try to relax completely, with your arms, shoulders and head hanging down. Take calm, deep breaths in and out for a couple of minutes. When lifting, be careful not to feel dizzy. This is an effective remedy for combating negative thoughts.
• Distract yourself by doing something - cleaning, washing dishes. These exercises are effective way cope with stress, since physical labor always distracts from unpleasant experiences.
• Listen to your favorite soothing music and focus completely on it.
• Talk to someone about neutral topics. If there is no one near you, call close friends and relatives.
• Do breathing exercises.

Stress prevention is primarily aimed at the formation and development of stress resistance - a person’s ability to endure significant stress without harmful consequences for health.

After this stress prevention, you will completely calm down and be able to continue work or any other activity.

How to analyze experienced stress

Since each person experiences different stressful conditions, it is important to determine your personal reactions to such situations and the reasons for their occurrence. This will allow you to find the most suitable way for you to cope with stress, create effective prevention such experiences.

Keep a diary in which you will make daily entries about when you discovered a stressful state in yourself, under what circumstances it appeared in you, and what its causes were. It is recommended to fill out the diary before going to bed - this way you can easily and quickly remember all the important details.

After a few weeks, review your notes to determine what specifically is causing you stress. It is facilitated by certain repeating situations - it is to them that you need to pay attention. Make a plan or reminder to overcome a stressful situation to prevent it.

The most common signs of stress include lack of concentration, jaw clenching, absent-mindedness, increased irritability, constant Bad mood, lack of restful sleep, high fatigue, anxiety, insatiable appetite or lack thereof, digestive problems, headaches. Preventing stress will help you get rid of such symptoms.

After analyzing the records, you will be able to find out when you feel stress, under what circumstances, what exactly prevents you from conducting a full-fledged happy life, what prevention to get rid of negative states must be carried out.

Surely every adult has at some point experienced stress caused by an excessive outburst of emotion. Today, stress is associated with an insidious and dangerous condition, which can invariably lead to neurosis or depression. However, this is not at all necessary.

Stress is a physiological (normal) reaction of the body to a particular situation. In general, stress is divided into several large groups, depending on the nature of the influencing factor. But the most common type is emotional stress.

In most cases positive emotions are not perceived as stress. And therefore, within the framework of the article, methods of dealing with stress that are caused by “bad” or negative emotions will be highlighted.

Remember, before you begin to implement stress management methods, you need to eliminate the stress factor!

The first method is activity:

• Walking in city parks in the morning and evening perfectly tones the nervous system and restores strength. The duration of walks is from 15 minutes to half an hour.
• Dancing or gymnastics help lift your mood and stimulate the immune system. Every day for 10-15 minutes.
• Cycling or swimming relieve tension and also tone the nervous system. The duration of the classes is approximately 10-15 minutes.
• Healthy sleep is a must after an active day.

If you wish, you can choose one of the first three points. The chosen method must be followed daily, you can also combine several types active recreation– walking and dancing, gymnastics and swimming. The main conditions are regularity of execution and healthy sleep at night!

The second method is nutrition:

• More vegetables and fruits - vitamins are needed by a depleted body, and fiber helps cleanse the intestines.
• Refusal of alcoholic drinks and heavy food - intoxication aggravates stress, and heavy high-calorie food disrupts sleep and peace.
• Daily intake of natural juices and plenty of drinking provide vitaminization and excellent mood.
• A little chocolate and ice cream - a small portion of glucose every day to stimulate brain activity and lift your mood.

As a rule, emotional stress develops against the background of intoxication and exhaustion of the body. Precisely in the background, but not necessarily as a consequence. Healthy eating and vitamins are needed to stimulate the immune and nervous systems, cleanse and unload the body. Important - Do not overuse chocolate and ice cream!

The third method is hobby:

• Drawing, sculpting or macrame - any creative activity inspires and gives positive emotions. The activity should be simple and not burdensome. You need to keep your hands busy and your head rested.
• Cooking – try cooking new dishes every day. A varied menu and interesting hobbies in one activity.
• A houseplant - a small pot with a flower on the windowsill that needs to be looked after, promotes discipline and will allow you to restore a broken routine.

Each of these activities is aimed at diverting attention from a stress factor that should not occupy thoughts. Self-realization in creativity will give joy and restore self-confidence and stability. Important - The chosen activity should please you and please you!

The fourth method is communication and entertainment:

• Communication with a loved one or a psychologist - you need to talk out all the stress! A one-time conversation in open terms is needed to throw out emotions.
• Meetings with friends and family - going to restaurants, cafes and cinemas wonderfully lifts your mood and redirects your attention.
• Movies, games and music - any of these entertainments that are available in the home are designed to relax and distract attention.

Of course, stress should be talked out, but you should not dwell on past events. It is also important not to overload others with excessive abuse of other people's attention. These recommendations are based on purposeful getting rid of unpleasant emotional aftertaste.

Methods for short-term stress relief:

• A hot bath or contrast shower - you can resort to this action if your health allows. The bath is superbly relaxing, and the shower perfectly tones the nervous system.
• Healthy, long sleep calms the nervous system and can partially restore strength.
• Tea with lemon, black coffee and dark chocolate - a single dose can distract from the problem for a while, lift your mood and calm your nerves.

Short-term methods will help you calm down only for a while. But this does not mean that stress is left behind. Ignoring and postponing stress can lead to the development of depression or neurosis. To combat stress you need to use effective methods to get rid of it forever.

For chronic stress, doctors prescribe medications (nootropics, tranquilizers). But it is advisable to try to solve the problem without using serious medications at the first occurrence of stress. You can consult a doctor or visit a psychologist.

One should not confuse a one-time manifestation of emotional stress with a chronic process or exacerbation of neurosis. All of these methods are suitable for preventing stress from becoming a chronic condition and its aggravation. Neuroses, depression and chronic stress should be treated under the supervision of a doctor!

The state of stress is familiar to everyone, from a newborn to a frail old man. The very first stress experienced at the moment of birth is beyond our control.

At a conscious age, we can completely control it: whether or not to let it into our lives, regulate the charge from positive to negative, the degree of intensity of passions and their duration. It is not for nothing that the wise Chinese designated this phenomenon with two hieroglyphs: danger and opportunity.

Hans Selye, a Canadian physiologist, was the first to define stress. He divided it into positive and negative:

• moderate positive improves attention, charges a person with positive energy, strengthens the immune system, increases interest in achieving goals, and fills life with bright emotions.
• negative, on the contrary, prepares the body to fight danger - this is its main biological purpose. According to Selye, a strong negative shock nervous system can give rise to many serious diseases and premature aging.

His point of view is confirmed by both statistics:

7 out of 10 cases of myocardial infarction are caused by psycho-emotional overload,

as well as science:

Australian scientists from the Garvan Institute (Sydney) have found that a person living in a state of prolonged stress is open to viruses and infections, and there is an increased production of the neuropeptide Y hormone, which disrupts the body’s protective functions.

Consequences of stress:

general deterioration in health and development depressive states, phobias and others mental disorders. A person’s relationships with other people deteriorate, drug addiction or alcohol addiction. Suicide attempts are possible.

What happens to the body during stress?

Vladislav Mozhaisky, a psychotherapist, describes this condition as follows: our body consists of many tiny cells, inside each of them there is its own specific environment. Imagine that in a moment of stress this environment turns into hydrochloric acid.

It is very difficult for the body to cope with such a huge amount of harmful biochemicals and enzymes. Therefore, their release invariably occurs in the blood and lymph.

A signal of danger enters the brain and, under the influence of the stress hormone cortisol and the action hormone adrenaline, the body mobilizes all its resources:

• rises sharply muscle tone, the whole body seems to be compressed, preparing to jump or run, which puts a colossal load on the heart
• heart rate accelerates,
• we lose our appetite because... digestion slows down
• , pressure rises,
• blood clotting increases.
• blood drains from the brain, we think slower, hear and see worse,

The result of such changes in the body can be loss of consciousness, vomiting, asthma, and diarrhea. Middle-aged people are at high risk of strokes and heart attacks.

How stress accumulates

We experience stress throughout our lives:

• growing up - any manifestation of individuality encounters restrictions “you can’t”, “they don’t do that”, “you must behave well” and the like. This gives rise to indignation and a nervous reaction, moreover, than younger age, the more sincere and faster the reaction.
• At a conscious age, we already code ourselves for stress: “I must,” “I must,” “I need,” and others.

Such attitudes invariably create unnecessary nervous tension; we want to get a lot done right now, but there is not enough time, we begin to take away the missing time from our children, from our family, from our favorite hobby. Life takes on a frantic rhythm, nervous and therefore muscle fatigue accumulates, we lose self-control over emotions, we can flare up, break down, get angry or burst into inappropriate tears or laughter.

In order not to expose your health to stressful shocks, you need to monitor your emotional state, your level of anxiety, etc.

If such a trifle as unwashed dishes causes a wave of indignation, and the loss of keys or a disagreement with your husband seems like the end of the world, you should think about whether you can handle the burden of responsibility and responsibilities that you have shouldered?

According to statistics Women aged 30 to 40 are most susceptible to stress,

those at the age of so-called “greatest anxiety.” During this period of life, they have to solve several priority tasks at the same time: children are small and require a lot of attention, parents are old and they need care and attention, their career is at the peak of construction and also takes the lion’s share of strength and energy.

Stress can be caused by:

• long-term nervous tension,
• constant psychological pressure,
• depressive states,
• physical exhaustion - insomnia, vitamin deficiency, malnutrition, uncontrolled use of psychotropic substances.

Ways to prevent stress

Any stress will last exactly as long as we allow it to be in our minds.

Spontaneous reaction. There is no universal cure for stress. But, if you still were unable to avoid a severe nervous breakdown, then do not hold back your emotions, listen to yourself, your body itself will tell you which medicine is suitable for it.

Look at the behavior of an animal that is afraid of a predator, it runs away, i.e. MOVING!!! Look how a child reacts when he doesn’t like something - very EMOTIONALLY: he either cries, or screams, or makes faces.

The reaction is immediate and spontaneous - the very first and needed help to yourself!

We change our attitude to the situation. Reduce the significance of an event or situation that causes mental stress: “This is not the end of the world!”, “It could have been worse,” “Everything that is done is for the better!” With such thoughts, you create a dominant focus of excitation in the brain, which inhibits and replaces the previous one.

Know how to refuse. Very often, the cause of a breakdown is the inability to refuse; as a result, at work you are burdened with a bunch of additional responsibilities in addition to your main ones, and your friends, taking advantage of your kindness, burden you with their problems.

When promising something, starting any business, leave yourself a loophole, do not reassure your interlocutor 100%. After all, no one knows the future and programming it is difficult. There is always a high probability that you will not be able to fulfill your promise.

Do not take on great responsibility; use phrases such as “I’ll think about it,” “I’ll call you back if necessary,” “I’ll try, but I can’t promise,” “I’ll do it if possible,” and the like.

This will reduce psycho-emotional stress in the event of unfortunate circumstances.

Look for helpers, do not carry the entire load yourself. Share the amount of work with colleagues, household chores with household members, do not try to do everything yourself. There is no shame in admitting that it is physically difficult for you to cope alone.

Make lists, plan your day in advance. Choose priority tasks, reschedule those that can wait until tomorrow. Don't try to solve everything at once. Such a desire will not bring anything good, but it will add fatigue and tension to the nerves. Due to the fact that planned things are not carried out, dissatisfaction with oneself grows, which becomes the cause of irritability and conflicts with others.

How to cope with anxiety

Divide the alarms into three groups:

1. "Alarm bells." These problems require an urgent response.
2. Alarm reminders about unresolved problems.
3. Future problems. Premonitions of future threats.

Alarm bells deserve to be taken seriously. If you feel smoke and are worried about a possible imminent fire, then drop everything you are doing and get serious about solving this problem.

Alarm reminders like “congratulate dad on professional holiday", "my son has a swim tomorrow, don't forget!", "take things to the dry cleaner" place in the diary. Don't worry about it, use it notebooks, computers, phone reminders.

Coming Problems worthy of your attention, but do not subordinate your life to them, do not let fears in in advance. Set aside a time when you can calmly think about the upcoming risks with money, with work, with business. Reflect and look for a constructive solution. Don't allow yourself to constantly dwell on these topics in your thoughts. Prepare for problems without panicking. Calmly think through your actions in advance, without wasting your emotional and mental resources on something that is not in your power to eliminate.

Thought control.

Often the impetus for experiences can be a thought that comes to mind spontaneously. If you notice that you are nervous about the same thing more than once a day, ask yourself the question: “Can I change this situation?” If not, then throw the reason for concern out of your head, force yourself to switch your attention to something else.

Decision making.

Trying to accept the most the right decision, don't overexert yourself. Any solution requires the expenditure of intellectual resources. If decisions about moving to live in another city, having a child, or getting married are carefully and long thought through, this is normal. But when choosing between a Volvo and a Saab, don’t give yourself more than a few days to think about it. Ice cream, vanilla or chocolate, is equally delicious.

Try to see in any situation bright sides, don’t focus on troubles, and they will quickly give way to joyful events.

A positive perception of life not only helps to avoid, but also contributes to more high quality life.

I wish you good mood and good spirits!

Elena Valve for the project Sleepy Cantata.

Sources: malahov-plus.com, A. Leonova and D. Kostikova “On the verge of stress / In the world of science” 2004, Selye “Stress without distress”.

Elena Valve for the project Sleepy Cantata

Medical psychology. Full course Polin A.V.

Methods for preventing stress

Methods for preventing stress

The lifestyle of a particular person is all his actions during the day, month and in general throughout his life. The concept of lifestyle includes many components, including how he starts his morning, work activity, diet, physical activity, relationships with others, reaction to stress and much more. Lifestyle depends on each individual person, whether he will be healthy, active or unhealthy, passive. There are 3 other methods.

Anti-stress modification of the day. In everyday life, many of us regularly make the same mistake: returning home after an intense work or educational activities, we continue to be excited, nervous and at home. As a result, even those family members who had a relatively calm day are exposed to those stressors from which one of them was unable to escape. At home, everyone wants and should be themselves and should not interfere with other family members doing this. Home should be the most comfortable place, he must always be sure of this. With this in mind, it is easy to understand that the habit of bringing stress home destroys the family, turns the home into another battlefield and further aggravates the stressful situation. Therefore, coming home after working day full of various events, it is advisable to spend small quantity time (10–15 min) for relaxation exercises.

Examples of relaxation exercises

1. You need to sit in a chair, relax and rest peacefully, without thinking about anything. If it is not possible to sit in a chair, you can sit more comfortably on a chair, taking a relaxing “coachman’s pose.”

2. Slowly, focusing on each stage of action, brew strong tea or brew aromatic coffee, depending on your own preferences. Extend the process of drinking the drink for 10 minutes, savoring it and not thinking about anything serious at this moment.

3. Turn on your favorite music and listen to it, closing your eyes, surrendering to pleasant memories.

4. Take a bath, it should not be hot, its temperature should be comfortable. If a person is accustomed to using aromatic salts, they can be added after familiarizing themselves with the peculiarities of the action of these particular salts; they should not be stimulating.

5. Take a walk in the fresh air, preferably so that the surrounding landscape is pleasing to the eye.

6. Put on a tracksuit and sneakers and do a short ten-minute jog.

The listed exercises are elementary; which one to choose depends on personal characteristics, tastes and preferences, but any of them will help cope with stress, as it switches attention and thoughts to another type of activity, at least for a short period of time.

First aid for acute stress

Acute stress develops when a person unexpectedly finds himself in a stressful situation (discipline at work, an unflattering statement from a co-worker, a quarrel at home, unexpected news of an illness or other trouble of someone close to him). At the first stage, a person needs to understand that he is beginning to experience stress, only after that he can begin conscious actions to prevent it. further development. By volitional effort it is necessary to stop one’s own further entry into a stressful state. To get out of a state of acute stress, it is necessary to choose an individual method of self-help. In most cases, those who use such techniques have a universal method for various stressful situations. Knowing this method and being confident in it, a person in a critical situation will be able to quickly navigate and effectively help himself.

Below are the most common self-help techniques.

1. Anti-stress breathing. First, take a deep breath through your nose, after a deep breath, hold your breath for 1 second, then exhale long and slowly.

2. Minute relaxation. Relax the corners of your mouth, lick your lips, relax your shoulders, looking in the mirror, focus on your facial expression and body position, while remembering that the face and body express emotions, thoughts, and internal state.

3. Finding yourself in a state of acute stress, consciously try to slow down the immediate rash reaction, then carefully look around, carefully examine the surrounding room. When examining, pay attention to the smallest details, even if they are well known. Slowly, without rushing, you need to mentally sort through all the objects one by one in a certain sequence (by size, color or any other attribute). All attention should be absorbed in this “inventory”. It is necessary to mentally pronounce descriptions of what is the subject of the “inventory”: “brown desk, white curtains, red flower vase,” etc. As a result of such actions, a person is distracted from internal stressful tension, focusing on a specific objective and figurative perception of the environment reality.

4. Take every opportunity to leave the area where the stress occurred, move to another room where there are no people, or go to fresh air, that is, to find yourself in a place where you can calmly think, without anyone distracting you or witnessing your thoughts. After this, you need to change the situation.

5. If the situation allows, it is necessary to engage in a completely different activity than the one in which the person was engaged at the time of stress. Washing clothes, washing dishes, and cleaning are suitable. The secret of this method is simple: any activity, especially one associated with physical labor, acts as a lightning rod - it helps to distract from internal tension.

6. Turn on soothing music, the one you like. You need to listen to music carefully, concentrating on it. Concentration on one thing is called local concentration; it promotes complete relaxation and evokes positive emotions.

74. Turn to any stranger nearby and talk with him on any topic not related to the stressful situation. This maneuver is distracting; it switches consciousness to completely different events and displaces emotions and thoughts associated with stress.

Self-analysis of personal stress

To use this method of dealing with stress, you must learn to identify your own individual reactions to a stressful situation and differentiate them from other physiological and psychological manifestations. The simplest and most effective method at the moment is keeping a stress diary. The method is very simple and interesting, considering that most people kept diaries at one time or another in their lives. However, the method requires some patience as recordings must be made regularly over a period of time. Every day for a month, the diary reflects the circumstances that led to the stressful situation and one’s own feelings about it. To take notes, it is better to set aside a certain time at the end of the day and take notes better at home in the evening; in a calm environment it is easier to concentrate and remember the smallest details, since in subsequent analysis any insignificant detail may turn out to be important. If for some reason the regularity of recordings is often violated, it is better not to use them for analysis, since events described not immediately, but a day or more after their occurrence, may not look reliable enough. In this case, it is better to postpone writing a diary a little in time. Analysis of records should be carried out after the allotted time (a month or several weeks) has been completed. As a result of the analysis, it is possible to identify factors that most often lead to a stressful situation, especially if it was possible to make notes immediately after the onset of stress. Next, you should analyze and identify the main signs of a stressful state that are repeated most often. In the same individual, the signs of stress are usually identical, regardless of the situation that led to stress: irritability, lack of concentration, absent-mindedness, trembling in the limbs, redness of the face, sweating, feeling short of breath, dry mouth, etc. Analysis of records will also help to identify, in what time of day do stressful situations occur most often, does it happen at home, at work or anywhere else. In general, a stress diary allows you to establish the causes, circumstances, individual manifestations and other personal characteristics of each individual’s stress.

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Section III. Methods of prevention and correction of psychological state

From the author's book

Chapter 13. Techniques for group prevention of stress One of the areas for preventing the development of stress is improving labor activity person on the basis of studying and taking into account its psychological patterns, the role of mental, psychophysiological,

From the author's book

Chapter 14. Individual stress prevention techniques

When we are faced with the task of counteracting stress, it is useful to find out what caused it. Every person is exposed to stress due to a number of reasons, some of which are of a purely personal nature, while others are universal.

If you look around your typical day, you will find a collection of these classic stressors:

• The sound of an alarm clock waking you up from sleep
• You feel groggy because you went to bed too late.
• You're worried about how your interview for a promotion will go this afternoon.
• Your kids are demanding your attention while you're rushing to get to work... ...because you're late.
• Traffic jams increase your delay. Inexperienced drivers cut you off and you slow down.
• Your computer is acting up again.
• When you call technical assistance, you hear endless “Please wait for an answer.”
• ...and so on.

Stressors attack you from all sides - including from the inside. Exercises will teach you to overcome stress and help others fight it. You will learn about many common stressors. In general, these exercises emphasize minor and common stressors, since these are the ones we often ignore (at our peril), while causes such as death loved one or moving, are already known to everyone as obvious factors causing nervous tension.

Internal stressors
Everything would be very simple if all our stress could be blamed on “them.” The temptation to imagine that time management would be much easier without “them” is also quite strong (“If only they would leave me alone so I could get on with things, everything would be fine”). But, to
Unfortunately, this is far from true. A significant amount of destructive stress originates within ourselves, and it can operate on a basic, practical level. For example, the occurrence of stress can determine how well you manage your time. This is where the benefit of having a holistic concept of personal development, rather than breaking it down into separate elements: time management, stress management and negotiations, becomes obvious.

No less significant is such an internal stressor as confusion, which arises in any person. Because the emotional part of our personality is not subject to conscious control, it can become the most important reason stress. Your feelings can keep you on edge long after the immediate cause of your stress seems far in the past. Let's say that at the initial stage you are subjected to slight external stress: your son is completely out of control, and you lose your temper and slap him on the head. However, the stress that you create in yourself through feelings of guilt and grief (the result of not holding yourself back) can be much worse than the results of the original stressor.

It may seem strange that a book devoted to the problems of our material world focuses on spiritual issues, however, they cannot be discounted if we're talking about about internal stressors. Almost everyone feels the need for something more than the phenomena that brings us daily life; Lack of spiritual content in our lives can also be a major cause of stress. This deep-seated need is often expressed in questions that people address to different faiths: “What is the meaning of life?”, “Will there be another life after earthly?”, “We live, then we die - that’s all?” Uncertainty about where life will lead us, coupled with the persistent reality of death, causes internal stress. At the same time, many believe that it is in spiritual sources that they find relief and protection from a number of stress factors, and not only of a physical nature.

External stressors
Despite the importance of internal stressors, external factors of nervous tension also cannot be ignored. They constantly surround us, and some of them are fraught with serious shocks to our body: such as bereavement, moving, divorce, and even going on vacation. Among other stressors, less significant but more annoying are, for example, traffic jams and constant clashes with colleagues. As we have already seen, because our body reacts to any stress as if it were in physical danger, we have to deal with a potentially dangerous hormonal surge. This means that often small, but constantly recurring stresses pose a much greater threat than significant and out-of-the-ordinary events. However, you should also be aware of the dangers you will face if
one day you will be overwhelmed by exceptional but severe stress.

“Why is this happening to me?”
Stress affects every person differently. How individual the reaction to a stressor will be depends on a number of psychological and physiological reasons. Some of us are naturally fiery, while others are usually calm. There are people with fairly high levels of stress who know how to control the situation and, therefore, avoid the unpleasant consequences of stress. The ability to endure nervous tension even depends on the state of our health.

This does not mean that we cannot change anything. Of course, we may not be able (or want) to change our personality traits, but even if you have a natural tendency to react incorrectly to stress or drive yourself into a stressful state, there is a lot you can do for yourself. The purpose of the stress sections of this course is to help you manage stress in a way that raises your natural stress ceiling.

Health issues
Much attention should be paid to dealing with stress. Some symptoms that seem to be the consequences of nervous tension may actually be symptoms of a disease. If you're experiencing dizziness, chest pain, heart palpitations, and fainting, don't get your hopes up that it's just stress that you need to control; you may have developed heart disease. When such physical symptoms It’s better to see your doctor than to hope that it’s just the effects of stress.

Likewise, such potential symptoms nervous tension, like insomnia, headaches and digestive disorders, may indicate an illness that needs treatment, so it is better to consult a doctor before jumping to conclusions. Finally, one should not think that depression is necessarily caused by stress. There are two independent types of depression: exogenous (caused external factors) and endogenous (caused by internal factors).

As for endogenous depression, it has nothing to do with the stressors you face, and therefore stress management tools are powerless against it. It does not necessarily indicate that something has happened to your mental health, but only reports a certain physiological state of the body. Again, I advise you not to jump to conclusions and consult a doctor if you suffer from depression or its consequences (sadness, mental anguish, fatigue, sleep and eating problems, inability to concentrate or make decisions).

Combating stress and alleviating its effects
So far, the “clinical picture” of stress seems absolutely repulsive. Although a certain amount of nervous tension is necessary for us to have an edge in life so that we can move forward, the level of stress to which we are all exposed far exceeds this necessary minimum, so that on the whole this tension turns out to be more harmful than beneficial . Therefore, we need mechanisms by which stress can be controlled and potentially neutralized harmful effects. In general, ways to manage stress can be divided into three categories: physical, psychological and spiritual. In addition, you can resort to its prevention, that is, to prevent the occurrence of stressful conditions at all.

Physical remedies to combat stress
Stress is nothing more than a physiological response to a stressor, and as such it can be controlled by physical means. The extreme variety of these are medications, although much more often it is sufficient to allow the body to use natural defense mechanisms that curb stress and extinguish it through physical activity, as soon as he announces himself.

Never before have people been so sedentary. We mostly do our work while sitting (both at the computer and while driving a car). And thanks to TV, our vacation became much less active. People began to walk much less than before. Recent research shows that women, who traditionally suffered less from diseases caused by a sedentary lifestyle, are now on par with men. At the same time, an important factor that increases resistance to stress is improvement physical fitness person. This often requires paying attention to such basic aspects of life as good sleep, proper nutrition and sufficient physical activity.

Additionally, there are physical stress management options that go beyond basic health requirements. Many people find massage particularly helpful; As for aromatherapy, although its usefulness is not yet sufficiently substantiated, it benefits many people (and taking into account nature (the press, and the appearance of benefits is often enough), try to take them into service. Despite the fact that stress is more correctly considered in largely internal problem, such anti-stress remedies should not be ignored.

Psychological means of dealing with stress
To a large extent, our ability to withstand stress depends on our emotional state and self-esteem. When a person is depressed and unhappy, the negative effects of stress will be unnecessarily strong. We have all had the experience of lashing out at someone for minor mistakes just because we were “out of sorts.” Therefore, improving your emotional state can play a decisive role in successfully combating nervous tension.

Likewise, as we've already seen, self-confidence and a sense of control over your life are very, very valuable when it comes to managing stress. Such seemingly elusive factors as attitude and self-esteem also play a very large role in this. Among the directions
The developments you will discover in this course will be techniques designed to help you improve your self-esteem. It is precisely because of the importance of the ability to control one’s life that the apparent level of stress of people in a particular profession does not necessarily affect its representatives. People who choose jobs that are perceived as “stressful” (company directors, successful professionals, surgeons and air traffic controllers) are much less likely to experience stress-related illnesses compared to those whose jobs seem more relaxed. The fact is that a worker on an assembly line or a cleaning lady have such little initiative and, therefore, low self-esteem that they are susceptible to stress to a greater extent. Proper psychological management of stress can be a wonderful lifesaver.

Spiritual Remedies for Stress Management
Our world is quite dual: life today is based on rationalism, science and analysis, but we all from time to time feel a craving for something more that would go beyond the everyday. This need for “something more” has led to the emergence of enormous interest in everything that has a spiritual connotation. A critic who reviewed my book on stress management said it was worth reading if you stripped it of all the New Age stuff. This is somewhat contrary to the truth. I did not want to delve into matters of spiritual life, but merely to acknowledge the fact that there is a spiritual component in the lives of most people, even if they do not consider it as such. Spirituality can be expressed in going to church, but it can also be expressed in feelings towards your favorite football team. Spirituality in our case is
not rituals elevated to a cult, but one of those factors that objectively influence the development of stress.

Within the framework of this book, I will not delve particularly deeply into various “spiritual” techniques, although my course will touch on them to some extent. The main emphasis I would like to make is the following: the main thing is to recognize that the spiritual aspects of your life can help you cope with stress. In many religions, prayer and meditation are considered important means gaining peace of mind, which as a practical effect leads to a decrease in negative impact nervous tension. Moreover, when correct use spiritual remedies can become the most effective weapon against stress due to the fact that they can be used always and everywhere and they have an effect on a person strong impact. By turning to the spiritual aspects of your life, you will help yourself overcome the difficulties created by large problems that in everyday life we ​​rarely think about or discuss and which therefore are barely conscious to us, but which always bother us.

Stress Prevention
Sometimes the best way to deal with stress is to prevent it completely. There are, for example, many great ways relieve stress while you're stuck in the daily traffic jam, but if you could get past that traffic jam in the first place, it would be even better. In this case, protective measures can be very different: from avoiding traffic jams to using public transport.

The temptation to view most stressors as inevitable is natural. Above, I already talked about the director of an airline who complained that because of his work, he did not have time to notice how his children had grown up. He felt he had no choice. In fact, he made the following conclusion: his career, coupled with its accompanying level of material well-being, is more important to him than his family. The point is not whether he made the right decision, but that it was his decision, and not predestination. And since we do not consciously make such decisions, we behave as if we had not made a choice at all - although this is far from the case. The same applies to stress factors. Often we convince ourselves that we cannot avoid a stressor, and therefore we need to somehow deal with it. However, before it comes to a fight, it will be much better to make decisions that will not allow the stressor to go unnoticed and make it obvious.

Maintaining balance
As you work on developing your stress management skills, keep in mind that your goal is not to get rid of them completely, but to ensure that they do not upset the balance in your life. This will allow you to kill two birds with one stone: firstly, you will not worry about not achieving complete freedom from stress, and secondly, you will avoid the temptation to free yourself from positive stressors that encourage you to strive for success without causing harm. at the same time damaging your health and well-being.