How to deal with stress: emergency methods, expert advice

Stress is the body's response to anything that disrupts its natural state. By bringing the body into a harmonious state, you can cope with stress. Visualization and positive thinking are advised on the Internet, but this will not help, because the source of stress – a stressful situation – will not go anywhere. The editors of bowandtie.ru have collected methods based on psychology and physiology, which reduce 'stress hormones' and increase 'hormones of joy'. Only facts, no theories and hoaxes.

However, it is necessary to seek professional help if, due to stress, weight is rapidly gaining or losing, there is no sexual desire, dizziness and chest pains are present. These are signs of a nervous breakdown.

Self-hypnosis will not help cope with stress, but it can aggravate

Exercise – Dr. Stephanie Sarkis Method

Today, regular physical activity is recommended by default to solve most problems. However, in our case, this is not a stuffy banality, but physiology. Exercise lowers stress hormones and increases levels of endorphins (called 'joy hormones'). To do this, it is enough to accelerate the heart rate from 120 to 180 beats per minute.

Daily exercise for 30 minutes will reduce stress levels. If you can't go to the gym, bike rides or walks for 30 minutes at lunchtime are fine. Reducing stress through exercise is recommended by Dr. Stephanie Sarkis.

Adequate sleep will reduce stress levels

Sleeping from work to work builds up stress

Sleep disorders and insomnia are insidious enemies of the stressed person. To cope with them will help the sleep regimen, which is found to be based on your own needs for rest, and then strictly observe no matter what. The first steps on this path are to go to bed and get up at the same time. The body will learn how to effectively spend energy precisely by the given rest time.

Adequate sleep is critical to managing stress. If you manage to sleep in fits and starts, for 5-6 hours from work to work, the level of stress will only increase. However, if you give your body as much sleep as it requires, your stress levels will drop dramatically. The adult body needs 8 hours of sleep per day. In practice, you need to sleep as much as possible, it is during sleep that the body recovers its strength.

Healthy Diet and Cooking – Advice from Jeffrey Sumber Therapist

Water helps fight stress. When there is a lack of water, the body begins to produce cortisol (known as 'stress buzz'), thus reminding the person to take a closer look at themselves. It is also necessary to reduce the amount of caffeine and alcohol consumed. Alcohol and all related conditions are stressful. Caffeine can also lead to increased stress, especially in the pressurized atmosphere of deadlines and lack of time.

For a period of stress reduction, it is better to switch to fractional meals and cook yourself

Complex carbohydrates found in the following common foods can help manage stress:

• whole wheat bread;
• pasta;
• oranges;
• spinach;
• soya beans;
• salmon;
• black and green tea (contain antioxidants).

To get the most out of your carbohydrate meal, we recommend skipping three large meals a day and switching to small meals several times a day. And cooking yourself is an effective stress prevention according to psychotherapist Jeffrey Sumber.

Hobbies – advice from psychologist Amy Przeworski

Psychologist Amy Przeworski argues that, along with sleep, it is imperative to set aside time for hobbies and relaxation. You should avoid destructive methods – alcohol, energy drinks, bad companies. Baths, massage in a relaxing atmosphere, playing music, computer games, non-alcoholic parties with friends – anything that gives you 'not harmful' pleasure will do. For a noticeable result, 30-60 minutes a day is enough – even a person with a tight schedule can afford it.

Listening to light music helps release endorphins. Classical, jazz and folk tunes, with emphasis on flute, piano and violin, have proven themselves well as helpers in the fight against stress. Yoga and meditation will help. The accompanying focus and concentration will distract from stressful situations, thereby lowering cortisol.

Daily routine – progress will beat stress

Wrong assignment of tasks is the cause of stress

The most effective way to reduce stress levels is to plan your day to avoid stressful situations. While the pace of life and work schedules can be stressful, deadlines always allow for the possibility of reducing stressors. The main thing is not to postpone things until the last day. Procrastination is a sure way to stress.

The following tips will help you build the right work schedule:

• Don't take on over the top. Overloading yourself and then scourging yourself for not getting the job done in full is a practice that builds up stress.
• Prioritize. First, solve priority tasks, then secondary ones. Plan the most difficult tasks in the morning, when the person still has enough strength to implement them.
• Don't leave important tasks for the evening. Responsible work at the last minute will lead to stress.
• Rehearse. Prepare for potentially stressful situations in advance. For example, rehearse an important speech in front of a mirror, or brush up on the rules of writing a report several times.

For stress-reduction activities, if possible, avoid quantity and focus on quality. So you can avoid overwork (leads to an increase in cortisol) and enjoy the result of work (increase in endorphins).

Methods that will have an immediate effect

These methods will have an immediate effect, however, they are not cumulative, as described above. They can be compared to a pain reliever pill – they will bring temporary relief and suppress the pain, but will not eliminate its cause. Therefore, they are effective as an emergency aid, for example, at the workplace or during lunchtime.

These methods include:

• Muscle relaxation exercise. The method was developed in 1920. It is necessary to strain the muscles for 10 seconds, then relax them and concentrate on the feeling of relaxation for 20 seconds.
• Water – showering, bathing, contemplating and feeling any flowing water (for example, from a tap).
• Fluffy and soft animal – stroking cats, dogs, rabbits and the like promotes the release of endorphins.
• Walking in the sun – The light of the sun will ease the course of seasonal affective disorder.
• Chewing gum – under the influence of stress, a person is prone to overeating in pursuit of endorphins. Chewing gum is a less harmful alternative.
• Any anti-stress items – balls, resistance bands, anything that will allow you to focus and immediately get distracted from a stressful situation.
• Easy to slide fingers over lips – the method of therapist Toni Bernhard. This movement stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system and soothes quickly.

An effective way to distract yourself from a stressful situation is to physically displace emotions through sex or violence. If everything is clear with the first, then the second should take place within the framework of the law. A punching bag will help a lot, which you can just beat without thinking about the beauty or correctness of the blow. Ideally.

Not to be confused with stress and nervous breakdown

Coping with stress – the essentials in brief

To relieve stress, you need to bring organization to life. Reducing the release of the 'stress hormone' cortisol and increasing the level of the 'joy hormone' endorphin will help:

• full sleep more than 8 hours a day;
• switching to water, reducing consumption, and better and completely eliminating caffeine and alcohol during the period of stress reduction;
• daily physical activity from 30 minutes with heart rate up to 180 beats per minute.
• switching to fractional (several times a day in small portions) meals based on carbohydrate foods.
• scheduling a working day – difficult tasks in the morning, respites, time for hobbies, no 'take more, throw on'.

Organizing your workday, setting doable tasks, taking time out and taking hobbies to recharge means taking control of your time and significantly reducing stress.

It is necessary to exclude self-medication with alcohol, energy drinks, drugs and uncontrolled intake of medications – such methods will exacerbate the situation 100%.

How do you deal with stress?