How to effectively get rid of stress? How to get rid of stress without drugs How to get rid of stress at work.

Today we will talk about how to get rid of stress in natural ways.

According to studies, stress causes numerous health problems, weakens the immune system and increases the likelihood of cancer. (one )

Today, it is a real scourge of modern society. For example, in the United States, 70% of adults experience stress or anxiety on a daily basis.

Being under stress, a person does not feel happy and calm. There is a feeling of constant struggle and anxiety. As if you are spinning “like a squirrel in a wheel” and life passes by. Being preoccupied with our own problems further exacerbates the situation and creates a vicious circle.

In this article, you will learn why you should not look for "magic pills" and a cure for stress and what you need to do to be more calm and stress-resistant.

Why you shouldn't drink and eat stress?

Often, during times of stress, we are drawn to something harmful: sweets, fast food, alcohol, or even drugs.

By trying to relax in this way, we greatly increase the risk of developing an addiction to what we consume. It has been proven that those who drink down stress and difficulties in life are more likely to become alcoholics.

The more often we do this, the more habit and dependence is formed on this substance as a lifeline. As a result, it becomes more and more difficult to deal with stress without an object of dependence. Eating stress with harmful foods, a person loses health and gains extra pounds. Using alcohol, drugs or even some drugs, drug addiction appears.

Remember: the greater the emotional connection with a harmful product, the faster and stronger addiction is developed. Therefore, no substances are suitable for strategic stress management.

1. Move more

It may sound somewhat contradictory, but controlled physical stress helps fight mental stress.

It is known that physical activity stimulates the production of endorphins and normalizes cortisol levels. All this helps not only to reduce stress levels, but also to improve mood.

So, studies show that physical activity helps reduce stress, get rid of chronic fatigue, reduce symptoms of depression and improve brain function. ( , 3 )

Any physical activity is suitable, the main thing is that you personally like it and be regular.

It can be: running, playing sports, gymnastics, yoga, walking, hiking, swimming, etc.

2. Get enough sleep

Improving the quality of sleep helps with reducing stress, improving memory, alertness and mood. (four )

American scientists believe that most Americans would be happier and healthier if they slept 60-90 minutes more than they sleep now. (5 )

In a dream, the nervous and hormonal systems are restored, the correct operation of which is critical in the fight against stress.

• Most people need 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night. A shorter or, conversely, a longer duration can give us a feeling of weakness and drowsiness.
• It is important to follow the routine every day. Even on weekends;
• Don't rely on sleepovers on weekends. Get rid of the habit of sleeping 4-6 hours on weekdays and 10-12 hours on weekends. This is bad for the quality of sleep and health in general.

3. Massage

Research supports the effectiveness of massage for stress reduction. (6)

How to relieve stress with massage? If it is not possible to visit massage rooms and ask other people, you can do the massage yourself. Massage your neck, muscles of your arms, legs and face. During the procedure, try not to think about anything. Concentrate on the sensations, you will feel what your body needs. This will give an additional psychological effect.

4. Aromatherapy as a stress reliever

The use of natural aromas helps to relax and calm down. According to research, they also reduce anxiety and improve sleep quality. (7, 8, 9, 10)

For these purposes, natural essential oils are perfect, which can be added to aroma lamps or diffusers.

All essential oils have different properties, but when it comes to stress, you should try the oils of lavender, vetiver, bergamot, sandalwood, rose, geranium and frankincense.

Such oils can also be used for massage or simply rubbed into the skin.

5. Use supplements and herbs. Natural cures for stress

Melissa

A relative of mint that has an anti-anxiety effect. (eleven )

Green tea

Contains active ingredients, antioxidants and the amino acid L-theanine that help fight stress and depression. (12 )

However, you should not abuse it, because, among other things, it contains caffeine, which, at high doses, can further stimulate the nervous system and tension.

Ashwagandha

Or Indian ginseng. In Ayurvedic medicine, it is used in the fight against stress and anxiety. (13 )

Omega 3

One study showed a 20% reduction in anxiety with omega-3 supplements. (14)

Chamomile tea

Used to calm and relax. The study found a positive effect on sleep and digestion. (fifteen )

Lavender

One study found that when inhaled, the scent of lavender produces a relaxing and sedative effect. But lavender can not only be used as aromatherapy, but also added to tea. (16 )

Passiflora (Passionflower)

Also known as the passion flower. Can be used as a tea. One study found that passionflower may be as effective as drugs in treating anxiety disorders. (17)

Valerian

Can be used for anxiety and insomnia, but not more than 30 days in a row. (eighteen )

Keep in mind that the effectiveness of supplements can vary greatly between individuals and conditions, so don't assume that any stress supplement will help you. Also remember that any substances, even herbal ones, may have side effects and contraindications. Therefore, before using, consult your doctor.

6. Read

Reading is a great way to deal with stress. It helps to calm your mind and distract from everyday worries.

According to scientists from the University of Sussex, even 6 minutes of reading can help reduce stress levels by 68%. (19 )

The type of literature you read also plays an important role. Obviously, reading news or professional literature is less effective than reading entertainment and fiction. It is important that your consciousness, albeit not for long, is carried away to another world. And for this, fiction is best suited.

7. Be an optimist

It is important to understand that it is not the problems themselves that create stress for us, but our attitude towards them.

Psychologists have found that pessimists and optimists have about the same problems, but the latter cope with them better. This is precisely because optimists try to look for the positive in everything and concentrate less on problems and negative aspects.

By learning to shift your focus and look for victory in defeat, you can significantly increase your resistance to stress.

8. Master the breathing practices

During times of stress, our breathing speeds up. For the brain, this is a signal of danger, so it increases the production of adrenaline, which further increases stress and does not allow us to calm down.

By controlling and slowing down our breathing, we will help the brain and nervous system to calm down a bit.

You've probably heard what it means to "breathe in your belly." This is deep diaphragmatic breathing, which ensures the full circulation of oxygen in the lungs. This breathing helps to stabilize the heartbeat and blood pressure. (20, 21)

In moments of great stress, take a comfortable position, close your eyes and breathe as slowly and deeply as possible. Try not to think about anything and fully concentrate on the process.

These breathing and mindfulness techniques have been shown to not only help reduce stress and anxiety, but also improve overall well-being, mood, concentration, and sleep quality. (22, 23, 24)

9. Be organized

Not being able to plan and manage your time creates excess stress. Such a person has constant chaos in his head, he does not remember what and when it was necessary to do and how to do everything.

The first thing to do in such a situation is to start a weekly journal or start using some application.

Enter all your personal and work affairs, meetings and reminders into it. This will allow you to better understand what exactly you need to do today and what tomorrow. Plus, there will be no constant feeling that you are not on time or could forget something important.

Also, the level of stress is also affected by the order in your home and on your desk. Strive for minimalism. Get rid of old and unnecessary things, items and souvenirs. Making your workplace as simple and convenient as possible is a good stress prevention.

10. Learn to say "No"

Don't take on too much. The more commitments you have, the higher your stress level.

Usually those people who cannot say “No” have a lot of obligations. Trying to please everyone and be good, we only make things worse for ourselves.

Learn to politely refuse if you feel that this request weighs on you. In order not to offend the person, explain your refusal or offer an alternative option or another time.

11. Make time for your hobbies

Nothing reduces stress better than your favorite hobbies and hobbies. Completely immersed in a pleasant process, you can forget about everything and give your brain a break from problems.

Often we feel sorry for wasting time on a hobby precisely because of the lack of time. However, stress makes us less efficient, so spending time on a hobby will return it in the form of increased efficiency and a good mood.

12. Understand your surroundings

It has been proven that the less social and friendly ties a person has, the greater the risk of depression and anxiety. (25)

But not all relationships are good for us.

Pay attention to the emotions that arise when you communicate with specific people.

Out of necessity or habit, we sometimes communicate with those who cause us negative emotions and stress. Communication with such people should be reconsidered or minimized. You do not have to be a garbage pit where all the negativity and complaints pour out.

And, on the contrary, communicate more often with those people who give you positive emotions and optimism. Support and motivate you. No wonder they say that "the environment is responsible for 50% of our success."

Close family relationships are of particular importance. Does your partner help you be happier and calmer, or is it a source of additional stress?

It is important not to confuse cause and effect here. It's one thing if, for example, your husband is an alcoholic or beats you, and another if you just get annoyed at every occasion and blame your spouse for all your sins. In the second case, perhaps you yourself are the cause of your stresses? Always be honest with yourself.

13. Befriend Your Oxytocin

Warm relationships with loved ones and friends stimulate the production of the hormone oxytocin, which has an anti-stress effect. (26)

Even more oxytocin is released with pleasant bodily contact. Therefore, never refuse touching, stroking, hugging and sex. (27, 28)

This is known even to chimpanzees, who often hug relatives who are under stress. (29)

Continuing the theme of animals, it is noteworthy that even playing with pets increases oxytocin for a person. (thirty )

And watching aquarium fish in itself relieves tension and stress.

13. Keep a diary

Journaling for even 20 minutes a day has been scientifically proven to help people improve many aspects of their lives. And not only reduce stress levels, but also increase immunity.

In addition, keeping a diary will help you better understand yourself, your emotions and inner motives. (31)

An even greater effect can be achieved if you often focus on positive things and gratitude in your diary.

Even if you write about what worries and angers you, try to find something positive in this situation at the end of a separate block and thank you for the good that is in your life today.

This will help you shift your focus towards the positive and in your daily life.

14. Listen to soothing music

Listening to calm music has a good anti-stress effect and improves the quality of sleep. (32, 33)

This helps to reduce heart rate and blood pressure, as well as the production of stress hormones.

Scientists also talk about the positive impact of music on the psyche.

One study found that just 20 minutes of a concert improved well-being by 21%. This figure is an order of magnitude higher than, for example, yoga classes or walking the dog.

There is also a 25% increase in self-esteem and feelings of closeness to other people. And mental stimulation is increased by 75%.

Regular concert attendance increases happiness, self-esteem, productivity, and self-satisfaction.

15. Observe the regime of work and rest

Psychotherapists are well aware that workaholics are more prone to stress.

Constant mental stress greatly depletes the nervous system. And if you do not give her time to recover, then stress, nervousness and irritability will appear.

There is a folk wisdom: "Who does not rest at will, will rest under duress" (meaning a hospital bed). You should not bring yourself to such a state. In addition, lack of rest greatly reduces efficiency and performance. Therefore, if your task is to do more, then it is simply necessary to rest.

And it's not just about weekends and vacations. Even during the day, you should definitely take breaks and be completely distracted from work.

The ideal break is a walk outside or moderate physical activity.

Also remember the rule: for every working hour there should be 15 minutes of rest. This is in addition to an hour break in the middle of the day. To make it easier to follow this rule, install the Pomodoro application on your smartphone, which will notify you of the start of the rest and work session.

16. Avoid Caffeine and Stimulants

The abuse of coffee, tea, energy drinks and other stimulants of the nervous system cause sleep problems and put a great strain on the nervous system. All this ultimately increases the level of stress in our lives.

And finally...

I hope these 16 recommendations have given you an understanding of how to get rid of stress. The main points: observe the regime of work and rest, relax more and change your attitude to stress factors. Especially if they cannot be avoided or changed. This is the basis of stress management, which will give good results in the long run.

However, remember that often low stress resistance can be the result of hormonal disorders and lack of vitality. And if you want to seriously “pump” your hormones and increase your energy levels, I recommend you. In it, I will tell you what specific steps you need to do right today in order to get a quick effect.

And nerves. It seems as if people have not faced similar problems before. However, this is a myth invented in order to provide people with new methods of getting rid of such experiences. Imagine a situation where you need to kill a mammoth. Will you experience stress and anxiety? And imagine a situation that the mammoth ran away, and you were left hungry. Will you experience depression and anxiety at the same time?

To many readers of the psychological help site, the site seems as if people once did not experience the stress that exists now. And they are right about only one thing. Man has experienced stress at all times. Only its causes have always been different. If earlier a person was worried about the need to provide for himself with everything and not die at the same time, now a person is worried about who and what will think about him, how he looks outwardly, what he has achieved, etc.

Psychologists of our time can say with confidence that many experiences of modern people are far-fetched. This society has introduced into the heads of people that they should worry about something.

• If they have not achieved something, then they should be depressed.
• If a person has experienced something unpleasant, then he must experience stress.
• If a person is afraid of something, then he should be worried.
• If a person is worried about something, then he should be on his nerves.

All this eventually affects the physical well-being of a person. As they say, thoughts and emotions affect the physical health of the body. If you do not want to kill your time and make your body sick with your experiences, then read about how to get rid of it.

How to get rid of stress?

The human body is prone to stress. What it is? Psychologists call stress any change in the usual way of life. This is why stress can be both positive and negative. However, usually people talk about the negative impact of stress, so they are looking for ways to get rid of it.

Stress is the body's natural response to external stimuli or change. Having a baby can be stressful. The stress can be being fired from a job. Even winning a large amount of money can become stressful. In fact, everything that does not fit into the habitual existence of a person is stress. If because of something a person has to strain, think, change himself, look for solutions, etc., then he is under stress.

This state is natural, since a person is always exposed to external influences. Why is it increasingly difficult for people to get rid of stressful experiences?

1. Firstly, a modern person perceives stress as a kind of negative condition, which must be disposed of without fail.
2. Secondly, a person cannot always understand the nature of stress, and therefore is not able to rid himself of it.

There are 3 phases of a person's passage through stress. Often people get stuck in one of the phases. However, if you go through all 3 phases, then the stress will leave the person. This largely depends on the severity of the situation and the emotional balance of the person himself. So 3 phases:

1. The first is the stress of waiting, or prelaunch fever. This is a situation when a person is on the verge of something decisive, expecting something pleasant or unpleasant.
2. The second is resistance to the situation, humility with it or a change in attitude towards what happened.
3. The third is nervous exhaustion or physical overwork. This phase occurs when a person cannot cope with the situation. Here it can reach a nervous breakdown or prolonged depression.

Psychologists say that any kind of stress should be disposed of. This state is a reaction, but not the usual position of a person. If the individual does not solve his problems, does not eliminate the causes of stress, then he gets stuck. It is exhausted both psychologically and physically, which leads to various diseases or depressions.

How to get rid of stress and depression?

There are two concepts of depression. One is a psychiatric condition caused by endogenous factors that are treated with psychiatric methods (drugs). They recognize it by a bad mood, apathy, decreased motor activity and indifference. The look of such a person is empty, indifferent, “glassy”, there are no emotions. There are suicidal thoughts here.

Another type of depression is the condition that healthy people experience - blues. If a person is faced with some external difficulties that he is not able to cope with, then long-term stress leads to depression. What are these external factors?

• Paranoia.
• neurotic state.
• Anxiety.
• Lack of physical or mental strength.
• Use of alcohol or drugs.

Bodily depression is a state into which a person falls (gets sick) and from which he does not want to get rid of. The reason for this is to receive support and care from the outside, which is pleasant for a depressed person.

Subdepression is common - the absence of obvious clinical symptoms of depression, however, it is a prerequisite for its development. It can be recognized by the long:

1. Decreased mood.
2. Weaknesses.
3. Rapid fatigue and decreased performance.
4. Lethargy.
5. Pessimistic attitude.
6. Self-doubt and a happy future.
7. The presence of fear and anxiety.
8. Inability to make a decision.
9. Lack of feeling of happiness.

The reason for the development of depression in a modern person is:

• Loss of the meaning of life. A prime example is the midlife crisis.
• Difficulties with .
• Worldview.
• Lack of adequate goals that can be achieved.
• Having conflicts with important people.

Stress in a modern person is often caused by professional factors, the economic situation of the person himself and the country, the microclimate in the family, etc.

How to get rid of such conditions? Psychologists suggest starting by eliminating the causes of stress or depression. Here a person will have to admit to having a certain problem that he could not cope with, accept his weakness in front of this situation, and even feel the need for outside help. Either the cause must be eliminated, or it must be accepted, reconciled.

Here it is necessary to know exactly the reason that caused the negative state. It is also necessary to throw out the emotions that began to accumulate after an unpleasant situation. They should be thrown out, because they are precisely the factor that provokes a depressive state.

A useful burst of energy, as well as an ideal way to divert attention, is physical work or sports. Any physical activity on the body, both when cleaning the house and while running, will help to relax a little and distract from the problem.

How to get rid of stress and anxiety?

Anxiety is the state when a person is in a waiting position. Moreover, anxiety indicates that a person is thinking about something bad, unpleasant. For example, while waiting for the birth of a child, a husband may think that something will go wrong and both his wife and the baby will die. In anticipation of the upcoming exam, the student thinks that he will not be able to pass it.

Prolonged anxiety leads to stress. As a result, a person gets stuck in this state for a long time. And the first thing psychologists advise is to understand that anxiety is directed to the future. Anxious expectations may or may not come true. The future has not yet come, and man is already waiting for something bad.

Here are some things you can do to relieve anxiety and stress:

• Become aware of your anxious thoughts and emotions. It is necessary to recognize their presence.
• Understanding why negative thoughts and emotions arise. What dialogue takes place in a person’s head, because of what does he think about the bad?
• Try to look at the situation realistically. That which makes a person anxious has not yet come. Moreover, it may not come at all. And now a person has the opportunity to do everything so that events unfold not in a bad, but in a good way.

How to get rid of stress and nerves?

Nervous tension is almost a natural state of modern man. Every day everyone has to achieve something, chase after something, fight for their happiness, etc. Some people start resorting to various drugs that are supposed to relax them at the end of the day. Some people use alcohol or drugs. However, all this does not relieve daily stress.

1. Yoga.
2. Deep breathing.
3. Walks in natural places: parks, squares.
4. Taking hot baths with aromatic oils.

Change your view of what is happening, and then your nervous state will change. After all, it is a person who provokes nervousness in himself due to the thoughts that he scrolls in his head.

How to get rid of stress at home?

Stress tends to build up if you don't deal with it. Returning home every day, a person becomes more and more irritated and aggressive. This exhausts the nervous system, which can only recover during sleep. However, immediately after waking up, the person becomes irritable again.

You should help yourself get rid of stress, which will contribute to the following techniques:

• Buy something sweet and eat: chocolate, cake, etc.
• Rid yourself of the things that were imposed by other people. We often take on things we shouldn't be doing. Unload yourself!
• Smile. If you manage to smile, it will ease the tension a bit.
• Drink black tea.
• Massage your head, ears, or other parts of your body.

Stress occurs in everyone's life. However, it should be understood that it is a consequence of the appearance of something new in a person's life, which violates his peace. Stress doesn't have to be constant. Man should rid himself of it. And here the best advice is to develop stress tolerance. This quality of character always helps in situations that cannot be avoided.

Quarantine in connection with the spread of the coronavirus put a big cross on many goals. If your plans for 2020 did not include a month of staying at home, then you need to find a way to make good use of the time that you have. While you are wondering what to do in order not to waste quarantine and then regret it for a very long time, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with several useful online courses. After all, the quarantine will end, the epidemic will recede, and the knowledge gained will remain with you forever.

Experiencing emotional stress, our body connects reserve forces and adapts more easily to changes in the environment. But constant nervous strain affects the well-being of a person and leads to physical and moral exhaustion. How to increase stress resistance and create invisible armor against life's adversities?

Bans on crossing national borders, on leaving cities and on staying at work - among other things, governments around the world have been forced to resort to such measures to stop the coronavirus epidemic. Being locked up for a long time can be a mental burden. How to survive the isolation caused by the coronavirus?

Just as we can develop behaviors that attract people, we can also develop toxic behaviors that frighten those around us. Such toxic behavior can negatively affect our relationships with family or friends. Therefore, in order to care for those we love and not threaten our support system, we must be able to identify and change the behaviors that scare others. Sometimes toxic behavior causes jealousy. This is a negative emotion that can harm our relationships and affect communication.

Not every fatigue and overload should lead to stress or professional burnout. However, in every burnout there are elements of fatigue, overload, and more.

Over the past few centuries, a person's guilt has increased significantly and it is time to reconsider our views on this. Otherwise, it can end badly, both in a single case and for humanity as a whole.

Almost everything that happens to us is our own fault. Yes, yes, dear reader, that's right! Now many will object to me that they say - but what about fate, predestination, etc. things? Well, I will say more - I am a believer and believe in fate. But what is fate? And is it possible to change fate with your own hands?

Starting to eat right is never easy. This is especially true for people who are used to eating mindlessly and unreasonably approaching their eating behavior. For those who decide to reconsider their diet towards healthy food, there are 5 simple steps that will help you master the rules of healthy eating and not break into eating junk food again.

Why is it sometimes better to say "no"

Many have watched the movie "Always say yes", almost everyone has heard the saying: "it is better to do and regret than not to do and regret", but there are things in life that you need to categorically refuse, we will tell about them in this article.

The good news for those who struggle to cope with daily stress at home and at work is that there are affordable ways to get rid of constant worry and anxiety. As a first aid, the author of a new book on stress advises using simple acupressure exercises. It is also in our power to change our reaction to stress, for this we need to understand the work of the adrenal glands.

Any stresses that we attribute to our emotional state - such as anxiety, low self-esteem, or a violent reaction - are actually related to our physiology. These so-called "false feelings" are due to a lack of a chemical reaction in the brain that can maintain resistance to stress. However, such conditions can be quickly corrected by changing your physiology.

I asked Harvard University integrative medicine specialist Sarah Gottfried, MD, how to stop feeling like a failure when you can't live every moment of your life like you're a superhero. She suggested a new mantra: "These are my adrenals, they are not me." According to Gottfried, we should stop blaming ourselves and trying to jump above our heads, and instead we should "think about our biology."

Stress and the adrenal glands: how does it work?

Up to 70% of people who report stress actually suffer from some degree of adrenal imbalance (organs that produce hormones that are responsible for your response to stress). Under conditions of chronic stress, our body goes through three stages, which are characterized by varying degrees of imbalance of the adrenal glands and, ultimately, their depletion.

At the first stage we accumulate additional energy to cope with stressors. After the first release of adrenaline, the adrenal glands begin to secrete cortisol, which initially - and in small quantities - is our source of strength and endurance. In the right amount, cortisol helps metabolize food, fight allergies, and reduce inflammation.

But if the state of overexcitation does not stop, the adrenal glands begin to secrete too much adrenaline and cortisol, replacing our neurotransmitters that are responsible for good mood, namely serotonin (source of self-confidence and optimism) and dopamine (source of pleasure). When cortisol circulates chronically in the body, it begins to stimulate inflammatory responses and can cause the diseases it was originally supposed to protect against. Accordingly, signs of disease or infection appear.

Hand position: touch the “knuckle” of the middle (third) finger with your thumb. Then move your thumb toward your palm until you feel a "soft" indentation or small dimple. The pressure should be moderate. By pressing this point, you help regulate pressure and reduce anxiety.

Exercise 2: Confidence Point

To stimulate a state of confidence, try tapping on the “confidence point.” By pressing this point, you send a signal that reduces internal emotional stress, stimulating a state of calm. Place your hands in the appropriate position for at least 30 seconds before a speech, presentation, or any other time you need a boost of confidence.

Hand position: place the thumb of either hand on the side of the index finger between the first and second knuckles. Apply light to moderate pressure.

Exercise 3: Breathing Technique to Release Fear

You can teach your body to let go of fear. Energetic exhalations stimulate the PNS, contributing to calmness. I used this claustrophobic breathing technique to make it easier for me to live in New York, where crowded subways and elevators are an integral part of life.

Breathing technique: take vigorous breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth, concentrating on each inhalation and exhalation. As you exhale, forcefully throw your hands forward, as if you are pushing something away from you that you do not like. Then, as you inhale, return your arms to your chest in a straight line, elbows pressed to your sides. Exhale sharply through your mouth, throwing your arms out again. Repeat one more time.

Hand position: join the tips of your thumb and forefinger and raise your hands in front of your chest, palms away from you.

Duration: start by doing this exercise for one minute, gradually work up to three minutes. When doing the exercise for the first time, you may feel slightly dizzy - just stop if you feel discomfort.

Exercise 4: Hand positioning to stimulate the search for solutions

To effectively solve problems, you must be confident in your abilities and listen to your intuition. The following hand position can be used to activate the brain center for problem solving. This position helps to focus attention on the point on the forehead, which corresponds to the approximate location of your epiphysis and is located at the intersection of the left and right hemispheres. This point is access to the “general brain thinking”. In some spiritual and physical traditions of yoga, it is considered the "third eye" - the intersection of intuition and wisdom.

Hand position: connect the tip of the thumb of the right hand with the tips of the second (index) and third (middle) fingers. Place the "top" of this triangle about 2.5 cm from the point on the forehead, which is about 2.5 cm above the point directly between the eyes. At the same time, in the same way, connect the tip of the thumb of the left hand with the tips of the second (index) and third (middle) fingers. Place the "top" of this triangle at a distance of about 2.5 cm from the point on the forehead that will correspond to your "intuition".

The frantic rhythm of life in modern megacities, the huge information flow that pours out on each of us every day, bad ecology constantly test our nervous system for strength. Daily exploits are expected of us, we strive to be "faster, higher, stronger." All this gradually leads to physical and emotional overload, fatigue and stress.

What is stress? Where does it come from, how to get rid of it and whether it is possible not to bring yourself to an extreme state - let's try to figure it out together.

What is stress

This is the response of our body to any overvoltage. A person can experience both physical and emotional overload.

Physical stress can be caused by severe or prolonged illness, cold or overheating of the body, hunger. In order to get rid of it, you need to find and eliminate the cause.

The same applies to psychological (emotional) stress. The reasons for it can be troubles in personal life, problems in the family or conflicts at work, financial difficulties, a huge amount of information, dissatisfaction with one's professional abilities, disappointments and other reasons that cause great emotional distress and overload of the nervous system.

According to the degree of intensity of emotional overstrain and its duration, several periods are distinguished:

• adaptive - when the body adapts to a new state and mobilizes its protective functions;
• short-term - if minor troubles knocked you out of your usual rut for a short time;
• long - if you do not recognize stress in time and do not treat it, it can drag on, which will eventually lead to depression and major health problems.

Regardless of the type of stress, its intensity and duration, its nature is the same. Immediately after a nervous breakdown, adrenaline and cortisol levels rise in the blood.

Adrenaline increases blood pressure and increases heart rate, the need for high-calorie foods.

Cortisol, or stress hormone, enhances the protective functions of the body, improves immunity.

How to recognize stress

The release of adrenaline and cortisol is the first protective reaction of the body to increased stress. They are responsible for the physical symptoms of stress that you may feel. These include the following signals:

• headache;
• rapid breathing;
• exacerbation of gastritis or the development of peptic ulcer, other disorders of the gastrointestinal tract;
• chest pain;
• muscle tension;
• feeling of discomfort, tension or pain in the spine;
• fast fatiguability.

But not only physical, but also emotional changes accompany stress. Psychological symptoms of stress include:

• depressed mood;
• increased anxiety;
• absent-mindedness - it is impossible to concentrate on doing the job;
• irritability;
• sleep problems.

If you notice such changes in yourself or someone close to you, you must definitely take treatment.

How to relieve stress at home

You can help yourself with simple methods, most of which are available to each of us. Let's figure out how to relieve stress and calm down after a nervous breakdown.

The main thing in the fight against stress is to relieve tension, try to distract yourself and relax. At home, you can use these methods.

"The morning is wiser than the evening"

We recall the old worldly wisdom and postpone the solution of the problem to the next day. At the same time, it is important not to torment yourself with endless worries about what happened and how to live on, but to try to free your head from annoying thoughts.

The best way to do this is to do breathing exercises. A few simple exercises will relieve tension in the muscles and help you calm down. You can distract yourself by watching your favorite movie or talking with loved ones.

If obsessive thoughts do not go out of your head, then do not hide them, but entrust everything to paper. So you actually free your head and maybe even look at the problem from the other side.

Air!

Go for a walk. It is to walk, and not to run headlong from work home or to the store. Go to the park, just walk the streets, look at houses, passers-by, listen to the sounds of nature, breathe deeply. A walk can be thought of as meditation if you focus your attention on some details: look at the leaves on the trees, shop windows, clouds in the sky, etc.

In addition, during the walk, the flow of oxygen to the head increases - you can escape from worries and find the right solution to your problem.

Listen to music

The music you love can lift your spirits. According to psychologists, it’s best for stress relief, but if you don’t like her, then just pick any songs that your heart responds to.

Get exercise

During sports or when doing any physical exercise, the body produces the hormone of happiness - endorphin. He is responsible for a good mood. The influx of endorphins can be provided in many ways, but the most reliable effect can be achieved only by physical exercise. You can go for a run, go to the gym, dance to your favorite music, or just do the simplest exercises - even a few squats and simple stretching will help relieve tension and fill you with energy.

Water

How else can you relieve fatigue at home and relax? The easiest way is to go to the bathroom. Water is able to purify not only the physical body. It washes away all troubles and sorrows from us, copes well with emotional overstrain.

Take a contrast shower or a warm bath with aromatic oils or salt. If possible, go to the pool or ... to the bathhouse. Hot steam will relax the muscles, increase the flow of endorphins. You will feel rested and refreshed.

Folk remedies

Folk recipes for herbal tinctures are very helpful in relieving stress. A decoction of valerian root or motherwort herb soothes and helps to relax. These plants have a strong sedative effect, they are often included in sedative preparations.

Cope with insomnia, relieve headaches and warm tea with chamomile, mint or thyme and a small spoonful of honey.

Other folk plants are also good cures for stress: hawthorn berries, peony flowers, verbena. Only, as in the case of medicines, they should be carefully applied - in some cases, even taking herbal teas can cause negative reactions.

Treating stress with medication

All home remedies are good as a preventative or to relieve stress in the adaptation and short-term period.

If the nervous tension does not leave you for a long time and no folk remedies help, you need to seek help from specialists.

Untreated stress can lead to major health and social problems. Protracted depression is very difficult to treat. For the treatment of stress, neurosis, depression, panic attacks and other disorders of the nervous system, various ones are used, which can be divided into the following groups:

• Antipsychotics - such drugs contribute to the inhibition of nervous activity. They are usually prescribed for prolonged depression and complex mental disorders.
• Antidepressants are medications that reduce anxiety and help relieve stress.
• Tranquilizers are drugs that reduce excitability, normalize sleep, and suppress emotions.
• Nootropics - improve brain activity, memory, increase concentration.
• Sedatives - sedatives, promote relaxation, reduce anxiety, relieve stress.
• Normothymic drugs - drugs that relieve depressed mood, restore the emotional background, are prescribed for increased irritability and nervousness.
• Stimulant drugs - are prescribed for increased mental and emotional stress, help to resist stress, have a general strengthening effect on the body.

Any funds can be prescribed only by the attending physician. Depending on the degree and type of neurological disorder, the doctor will select drugs that relieve stress, reduce anxiety, sedatives or stimulants, and more often a combination of them to provide a comprehensive treatment for the disease.

How not to relieve stress and fatigue

Many people believe that alcohol is the best remedy for fatigue and stress. It will help you relax and forget about problems. However, in reality, the effect is the opposite. Alcohol puts an additional burden on the body, and so exhausted physically and emotionally.

It is not necessary, with severe fatigue, to use both stimulating drugs and energy drinks. Coffee, strong tea, chocolate, energy drinks have an invigorating effect only for a while, after which the situation only gets worse. At the same time, they overload the nervous system even more and reduce the body's natural ability to deal with stress.

Why you need to treat stress

Any nervous breakdown is, first of all, energy that needs to be released. If this does not happen, it accumulates in the body and can lead to serious consequences: severe depressive states and diseases - such as hypertension, heart disease, neurological disorders.

In addition, this seriously complicates the social life of a person: a person experiencing constant nervous overload cannot normally concentrate on work or study, he is very unsure of himself, irritable and suspicious, it is difficult to communicate with him. This leads to frequent conflicts with family, friends and colleagues.

How to get rid of chronic depression

Left unattended, stress develops into severe depression. It is almost impossible for a person to get rid of it on their own. In this case, the help of a specialist is required. And, most often, therapy is complex. The doctor will prescribe medication, psychotherapeutic methods. Help, herbal medicine, exercise therapy.

However, no doctor and no manual will give you an exact answer to the question of how to get out of depression, and will not help you get rid of the oppressed state if you yourself do not make efforts for this. In order to succeed, you need to get out of your comfort zone, completely change your usual way of life, give up many habits and solve problems that have been put off for years: it can be a change of job and even profession, solving family conflicts and other tasks, for which were scary to take.

Prevention of a nervous breakdown

Any disease, as you know, is easier to prevent than to solve. The same applies to nervous breakdowns and depression. It is easier not to bring yourself to an extreme state than to pull out of the swamp by the hair. To resist stress, you need to follow the rules that are simple to the point of banality and familiar to all of us from childhood.

• Be conscious. A nervous breakdown is our reaction to a situation. And only we decide how we respond to it. Learn to be distracted and switch your attention from the negative aspects, try to look for the good side in everything.
• Rest. Not in front of the TV and browsing the feed on social networks. Do what you love, read a book, listen to music, take a walk, go to the theater or cinema.
• Relax. Meditation, yoga, a warm bath, breathing exercises - any means that give you pleasure are good for relieving tension, except for alcohol and gluttony.
• Move more. Any simple physical exercise will strengthen not only your body, but also temper your spirit.

Finally

We are all living people, so everyone is influenced by emotions, which are not always positive. However, it is up to us how we can resist them.

To cope with stress, which, unfortunately, is very common in our modern life, you need to fill your every day with small joys. Take care of yourself more, give yourself small gifts every day, not necessarily material ones: find beauty in nature, in passers-by, always tune in to the good, find yourself a hobby and devote time to it, learn new things.

Every day, summing up, remember only the best of what happened to you, and then stress and nervous breakdowns will visit you less and less.