Stress is an ambiguous phenomenon. Sometimes it has a positive aspect: it mobilizes our actions, increases energy, helps to overcome obstacles. Sometimes, however, it lasts too long. Then it can have the opposite effect: apathy or restlessness, inability to act effectively, and even physical ailments. This limit is very individual and depends on the personality, character, past experience and current life situation. Such stress and its negative consequences can and should be dealt with.
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Photo gallery: Stress: ways to get out of stress
We all know what stress is - not everyone knows how to get out of stress. Methods are different, they should be selected individually and alternated at your discretion. Some are helped by special exercises, others rest and relax in the bathroom, others believe that proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle are the most important. In any case, good is what is effective. But it is most important to understand what are the sources of stress and how we react to stressful situations. Then we can transform these responses to deal with negative stress and use positive stimuli.
Understand the exact cause of stress
Almost every day on the way to work, you begin to feel restless and have a headache. Think about what irritates you the most: the work itself, problems in the team, or your own failure? Maybe you are pissed off by poor organization of work and unsuitable conditions? Or maybe you are tired of the always irritated boss? Meanwhile, almost everything is solved. The organization of work can be improved: take the initiative at a general meeting or in a personal conversation with superiors. With colleagues, it is probably possible to get along and reach a compromise. Unfortunately, you cannot participate in correcting the behavior of the boss. However, you can understand that his irritation is not directed at you personally, this is not an assessment of your work. Your boss treats everyone this way because that's his nature. So maybe it's not worth the hassle? Often, recognizing a problem can be the solution. Think about it - you will definitely feel better.
Learn to say "no"
Everyone always wants something from you. And family, and work colleagues, and friends literally tear you apart. You feel overwhelmed and torn to pieces. You feel sorry for yourself that others take advantage of you. Express regret about the situation of asymmetry because no one cares about your needs.
Let us, however, consider the real essence of the problem. It is good that you are friendly and helpful if you do it voluntarily and spontaneously, and not forced to take on the burden of other people. And you can't refuse because you have low self-esteem. You are afraid that people will leave you, be offended and turn away. And then you turn away from yourself. No one will start thinking about you until you start doing it yourself. Tell the next applicant clearly and clearly: “Sorry, I have other plans” or “I can’t lend you money.” In any case, you can come up with false pretenses if you can't just say no. Over time, you will also get tired of lying and you will begin to speak directly. For some of us it is very difficult, but it is necessary to learn how to do it. Try it and you will see that it is possible. Get rid of stress by acting under duress.
Don't think the world will collapse without you
You constantly live under the weight of responsibility. You have too many worries at work and at home. You are tired and cannot relax. Increasingly, you complain about health, depression, stress, but still continue to live as before.
Don't try to please everyone
You want to please everyone, to be on a short footing with everyone, to be pleasing to everyone. You hate tension, conflict, and even temporary disapproval and dislike. You live in tension, wanting to please everyone, torn between conflicting demands and expectations. In the end, you no longer know who you are and what you want yourself.
Remember, you can't please everyone! You have to accept that not everyone will love you because that's just not possible. Think better, what is your personal opinion on this or that situation, express it to your loved ones. Let not everyone react positively to this, but you will find yourself. There will be much less stressful situations around you. Even if the "admirers" will decrease a little.
Learn to Express Emotions
You are annoyed by swearing and swearing at work, annoyed by a grumbling husband, annoyed by careless children ... But you silently endure insults, hide irritation and keep emotions in yourself. This is a direct path to depression, nervous breakdowns and psychosis. Reveal to others what you really think. They should be able to guess what is upsetting and unnerving you. If you constantly live in growing tension, sooner or later you will "explode" for the most trivial reason. And everyone will be surprised and scared - you were happy with everything! And there will be resentment on their part - in the end, they could talk about their frustrations!
It seems that you have difficulty expressing emotions, especially negative ones. Do not accumulate negative for the environment. Say right away: “I don’t like this”, “I don’t want to live like this”, “This annoys me”. But it is better, of course, to express your thoughts culturally and in proportion to the situation. You will find that it is easier to solve small problems before they have time to grow into a big drama.
Don't make an elephant out of a fly
There are only problems around and you do not know how to solve them. You frantically come up with additional scenarios, develop strategies, but the situation only worsens. Even the smallest and easiest case bothers you in one way or another. Panic. You acknowledge that the problem is unsolvable.
Even if at first you can't control your emotions, try to do so. Calm down, think, evaluate the situation soberly. You can't be overly optimistic and downplay the problem - it's true. But it is even worse to be too pessimistic in life, constantly exaggerating the problems. Above all, do not think of the worst and do not worry in advance about the outcome of the case.
accept yourself
You are dissatisfied with yourself. Do you think: “Is what I do good or could be done better?” You analyze what is said and what someone has said to you. All night long you go over in your memory small oversights, which, probably, no one paid attention to.
Stop your self-criticism. You can't do everything perfectly - no one can. You can't be the best at everything - no one can do that. Remember: you are just a person, alive, making mistakes - and that's fine. Think about your strengths, not just your perceived weaknesses. Who doesn't have them? Just enjoy yourself!
Eat foods rich in magnesium
It is widely known that proper nutrition can protect it from stress. Foods rich in magnesium make the nervous system more stable. Especially rich in magnesium are oatmeal, wheat germ, nuts and dark chocolate. Magnesium effectively kills black coffee and carbonated drinks. Enrich your diet with magnesium-rich foods and eliminate magnesium-killing drinks. Very soon you will feel new strength in yourself to deal with stress.
Avoid movement
The most effective way to relieve stress is exercise. Absolutely any - from simple exercises in the morning to going to the gym in the evening. A very good way to get out of stress is swimming and one of the favorite sports of celebrities is skiing. Remember that physical activity accumulates strength and you become more resistant to stress. What is the best way to start the day is up to you. But be sure to start it actively.
Relax in the bath
After long hours of work, all the muscles are tense, especially the muscles of the neck. Take a warm bath with herbal oil or salt, such as the Dead Sea. Choose a salt that contains more bromine because it calms the nervous system. Lie down in the bath, close your eyes and think about something pleasant. Relax all the muscles and do not rush out of the bathroom. Then rub the skin with aromatic oil, which moisturizes and nourishes the skin well.
Breathe deeply and calmly
When you are nervous, you begin to breathe quickly and very shallowly. Then the blood is less saturated with oxygen, and your body receives less energy. Proper breathing is rest for the body and calm for the nerves. Make sure to inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth. Breathing in the air, you are at peace, and exhaling, get rid of fatigue. There is a special breathing technique with a set of special exercises. Such breathing exercises will definitely defeat your stress - yoga will also become a way out of stress.
Avoid excess noise
Some of us are more sensitive to noise than others. If you have any sounds that particularly annoy you, avoid them. If you are worried about loud music from your son's room, talk to your child to listen to the music with headphones. You cannot put yourself under additional stress because of his likes and preferences. Such a compromise would benefit everyone.
Ways to get out of stress:
a) First aid in an acute stressful situation
It is based on understanding the nature of the dominant (dominant or dominant focus of excitation in the blood). Dominant- the dominant focus of excitation, which occurs in the cerebral cortex in response to an intense stimulus, creates a powerful focus of excitation there, while inhibiting other cells and taking their power upon itself.
In this regard, a person in a state of dominance (affect) is uncontrollable, unable to control his behavior with the help of a strong-willed effort. Therefore, the first aid is the removal of the dominant - a decrease in the intensity of the main focus of excitation by:
Creation of a different dominant (of a different intensity, a different source of excitement: cold water, a slap in the face, reporting shocking information);
Through dispersal exercises (eg, "Buck").
In a stressful situation, it is important to keep yourself (the other person) from making important decisions. They are emotional, and therefore not rational.
When telling another person negative news, follow the rules to prevent loss of consciousness (sit the person down if she turns pale, quickly tilt her head down to prevent loss of consciousness).
b) Regulation of emotional states
I. External manifestation of emotions. It is based on an understanding of the relationship between the physical and mental states of a person - directly proportional. Emotional arousal causes physical activity, mobility, the pace of breathing, speech, and movements is accelerated. Consciously slowing down the pace of breathing, movements, speech, we reflexively reduce psycho-emotional stress. In a situation of stress, the body releases an increased amount of adrenaline into the blood. Adrenaline is needed in order to increase activity.
Advice: let the body naturally show activity, mobility as a response to psycho-emotional stress, and then, concentrating on the pace of breathing and movements, deliberately slow them down - this will lead to a decrease in internal stress.
II. Skeletal muscle tone. It is based on a directly proportional relationship between mental and physical state. Internal tension causes muscle tension.
Advice: relaxing various muscle groups, relieve internal tension. During anger, a person's facial muscles tighten, changing facial expressions. If we are in a state of anger and try to hide the anger with a smile without relaxing the muscles of the face, we get a grimace. Therefore, in a state of anger, you must first relax the muscles of the face. (exercises "Ice cream", "Sunbeam").
III. Mental release: shifting and distraction exercises. Mental discharge includes switching (consciously transferring attention to another conversation, activity); abstraction- very similar to switching, but we switch not to real actions, but to imaginary ones (we dream, we remember something pleasant); shutdown - a technique aimed at removing the focus of excitation by sliding on objects that are in different circles of attention.
c) Method of autogenic training (AT).
The term "autogenic training" (AO) comes from the Greek "auto" - itself, "gene" - that generates. AO developed by the German psychotherapist Johann Schulz. Its goal was the mental and physical recovery of a person with the help of self-hypnosis in a state of relaxation. At first, it was used mainly for medical purposes to treat disorders of the nervous system. Subsequently
AO was adopted in sports medicine to optimize the emotional state of athletes, mental preparation for competitions.
AO is a method of self-regulation of psychophysical well-being, which involves entering a state of relaxation and influencing various functions and conditions of the body with the help of specially selected verbal formulas and figurative representations. The relaxation technique is the basis of the self-regulation technique.
Relaxation -it is physical and mental relaxation. The purpose of relaxation is to prepare the body and psyche for activity, focus on one's inner world, and free oneself from excessive physical and emotional stress.
Relaxation is needed:
To prepare the mind and body for self-hypnosis, auto-training;
In tense moments, conflict situations that require the manifestation of emotional stability;
To relieve fatigue after a hard day, nervous and emotional overload.
The state of relaxation is based on the mechanism of mutual influence. There is a relationship between the state of the body and the state of the nervous system: the body relaxes as the brain calms down, and the brain calms down depending on how the body relaxes. Internal tension is not felt by our consciousness, but creates a predominant well-being, which manifests itself in muscle tension. It prevents us from living freely, feeling, moving, thinking.
Under the influence of muscle relaxation, the flow of impulses from the receptors of the muscles, ligaments and joints to the central nervous system decreases, the activity of the focus of excitation of the brain is removed, and the tone of the smooth muscles of the internal organs decreases. This state helps to relieve tension, create positive emotions, a state of peace and satisfaction.
Relaxation is usually combined with self-hypnosis techniques. The word is an extremely strong stimulus that can influence the dynamics and nature of the processes in the brain, and through them - the processes of internal organs and emotional states. IP Pavlov claims that any object, phenomenon of a person's past life experience is connected by strong neural connections with specific verbal designations. The repeated use of a word denoting a given object, phenomenon, causes a person to have a corresponding idea, state. It is on these conditioned reflex connections that the mechanism of suggestion and self-hypnosis is based.
Self-hypnosis -this is the creation of attitudes that affect the subconscious mechanisms of the psyche, the statement that success is possible, expressed in the first person in the present tense.
The power of self-hypnosis lies in the ability to create your own positive image and constantly reinforce this image with the help of words addressed to yourself.
The degree of effectiveness of the word and its influence on emotional processes increases when the cerebral cortex is in a state of the least excitation. The inhibitory state of the cerebral cortex can be caused by maximum relaxation of the muscles, focusing on relaxation, regulation of breathing, a state of rest and rest. The mechanism of autogenic training (AT) is based on this. The generally recognized sources of AO are the teachings of yogis, the doctrine of hypnosis, methods of purposeful influence on the neuropsychic sphere of a person.
Autogenic training involves three steps:
I. Assuming an appropriate relaxation posture- relaxation. In a state of relaxation, the body's ability to self-heal and self-heal is greatly increased. In the active state, the human brain works at a frequency of 20-14 Hz / sec. The potential forces of the body increase if the brain works at a frequency of 7-14 Hz / sec (on the alpha rhythm). To do this, a person must enter a state of relaxation - relaxation. To this end, it is necessary to relax all muscle groups (take the appropriate posture).
Relaxation postures:
2) reclining posture (when there is an easy chair);
3) lying position (on the bed).
II. Creating a feeling of heaviness and warmth in the muscles. This can be done with the help of figurative representations and verbal formulas. Figurative representations are the reproduction of familiar sensations, heaviness and warmth. In order for figurative representations to be clear, it is recommended to close your eyes.
III. Influence on various states and functions of the body with the help of pre-selected verbal formulas by self-hypnosis and with the help of figurative representations(positive visualization). For example: I'm rested, I'm calm, I'm in a good mood...
AO has also become widely used in various professional activities as one of the means of psychopromotion, for solving psychoprophylactic problems.
Currently, there are many modifications of AO: psycho-language training, psycho-physical training, psycho-regulatory training, etc. But regardless of the methodological design, the result of all these methods is the same. They eliminate unfavorable emotional states, relieve emotional tension, irritability, fatigue, and increase efficiency.
d) Anti-stress nutrition.
According to the research of V. Rozov, the method of anti-stress nutrition is similar to the method of autophytoregulation of the state, since both in the first and in the second methods the regulatory mechanisms of the energy balance are activated due to the intake of biologically active substances. This method has a prolonged effect and is used if there is no need for a quick, urgent change of state.
The state of the body, as you know, is mainly determined by the previous and actual nutrition (the amount of food consumed, its correspondence to the body's needs for energy and substances).
Common nutrition mistakes under stress are usually:
Quick snacks with swallowing large pieces of food;
Irregular food intake;
Spontaneous fasting;
Late dinner;
Drinking a lot of coffee;
Drinking large amounts of alcohol;
Monotonous diet.
It is well known that undernutrition, as well as overnutrition, reduces the reserve capacity of the bioenergetic component of adaptability, leads to a decrease in the immune functions of the body, contributes to fatigue, decreased performance, and can cause stress reactions.
Current research indicates that 20% of people use nutrition as a means of regulating stress. At the same time, their nutrition is excessive due to the lack of self-control.
Stress stimulates the production of the hormone cortisone and adrenaline in the body. This consumes a significant amount of vitamins and minerals (vitamins A, C, B, E, calcium, zinc, magnesium, glucose). Anti-stress nutrition is aimed at restoring substances destroyed by stress in the body. V. Rozov recommends a list of products that replenish the supply of vitamins and minerals needed by the body in a stressful state. They are presented in table 2.
table 2
In times of stress, fasting diets are also useful.
In addition, it should be noted that many products contain substances that increase mood, tone and help relieve stress. These are opiates and endorphins. The list of products containing these substances is given in Table 3.
Table 3
In case of stress, it is especially important in nutrition to maintain a balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, the daily norm of which is:
12-15% proteins
25-30% fat
55-60% carbohydrates.
Table 4
When using anti-stress nutrition, you should adhere to such principles:
1. Take into account the individual characteristics of the body.
2. Consume foods rich in essential vitamins and minerals (see Table 2).
3. Avoid common dietary mistakes.
4. Use a balanced diet (acid-base balance, balance of proteins - fats - carbohydrates).
5. Maintain a balance between the energy supplied with substances and its consumption.
6. Include in the daily diet products containing substances that enhance performance or have a calming effect on the body.
7. Normalize the diet.
8. Use understandable nutrition techniques. Adapted nutritional awareness exercises can help overcome eating errors that increase stress.
Nutrition Mindfulness Exercises
Exercise "Nutrition Today" You should remember and make a list of everything that you ate, what you snacked on, what you tasted. How much during this period they ate sugar, salt, spices used for cooking. Drinks must also be included in this list. It is advisable to perform this exercise every day after dinner. However, if this is not possible, then the following exercise can be used.
Weekly food diary exercise. The exercise is performed on Sunday evening. Accordingly, you should conclude a list of everything that you ate and drank during the week, in particular, sauces, gravies, oil, spices, alcohol, etc.
Exercise "Completely satisfied nutrition." During dinner, try to be aware of all the sensations that appear when eating food: smell, taste, sensations from the internal organs at the moment food enters the stomach. The number of chewing movements.
d) Antistress autophytoregulation.
Anti-stress phytoregulation is associated with the use of anti-stress medicinal plants. Now medicinal herbs are used not only for the treatment of various diseases, but also as a method of normalizing the physiological functions and psychophysiological state of healthy people.
Medicinal herbs can be used to regulate the bioenergetic and physiological component of the state in a situation of acute stress or prolonged exposure to stressors, during periods of maximum stress load, traumatic stress, to restore strength in extreme conditions, increase efficiency, and for prevention. They can be useful for the prevention and correction of conditions of stress exhaustion and stress tension.
For the prevention and correction of conditions of the "stress exhaustion" group, which include fatigue, asthenia, decreased performance, can be used adaptogens.
Adaptogens- substances of predominantly plant origin that increase the body's nonspecific resistance to adverse stress effects. They increase the intensity of metabolism, protect the centers of nervous and endocrine regulation from stress exhaustion in extreme conditions, and perform a stimulating function. As a result of their intake, fatigue is reduced, physical and mental performance is increased, and recovery processes are accelerated. The maximum effect is achieved in the case of the complex use of these herbs.
V. Rozov, investigating the effect of all adaptogens, emphasizes their ability to non-specific increase in the functional capabilities of the body under stressful conditions. They do not change the normal functions of the body. Adaptogens act on the centers of hormonal regulation and provide a tonic and stimulating effect on the functions of the nervous system and the body as a whole. They have an anti-stress effect at an early stage and at the stage of stress exhaustion, activating metabolic processes. Adaptogens are also characterized by antioxidant action and provide protection against damage to cellular structures. All adaptogens of plant origin have an immunotropic effect, increase physical and mental performance, resistance to various physiological and psychological stress factors, and reduce the time for adaptation to them.
It is assumed that the main mechanism of action of adaptogens is their tonic effect on the central nervous system and through it - on all other systems, organs and tissues of the body.
Adaptogens include: Chinese lemongrass, Leuzea safflower, Rhodiola rosea (golden root), zamaniha, Manchurian aralia, Eleutherococcus.
To correct the states of the "stress tension" group, which include stress, anxiety, mental stress, sedative herbs are used. They may be of independent importance for the correction of these conditions and as an additional support tool.
They are non-addictive, non-toxic, have a mild effect and therefore can be used for a long time, until the bioenergetic and physiological functions of the body are fully restored. An important role of these herbal remedies in the prevention of conditions under conditions of intense stress.
Herbal preparations with a calming effect include: motherwort, cyanosis, valerian, cornflower, Baikal skullcap, knotweed (highlander), St. , dandelion, hawthorn, lingonberry, dill, barberry, strawberry, chicory, turnip, lettuce, sorrel, melon, radish, asparagus.
The basic principle of using herbal remedies is to take into account the individual characteristics of the body.
e) Physical activity.
One of the stress factors in modern conditions is hypodynamia (decrease in motor activity). Physical activity allows you to maintain an optimal energy state, respond to stress, develop physical qualities, increase the body's resistance to disease.
To this end, all cyclic exercises become useful: jogging, skiing, swimming. Muscle stretching exercises, exercises for developing the flexibility of the musculoskeletal system are also useful.
All exercises are recommended to be performed, being aware of each movement and the feeling that they cause. Physical exercises also contribute to the study, self-knowledge of the bioenergetic and physical components of the state. To increase awareness of your own somatic state and physical activity, you can perform such exercises.
Exercise"Awareness of physical activity". It is necessary to evaluate how many times a week did you do morning exercises, running, swimming, walking, cycling, dancing, playing tennis, doing aerobics or some other sport. Perhaps you were busy in the country, in the garden, in the garage, etc. You should pay attention to the sensations and thoughts that arise in you when doing this exercise. If they are negative, think "why?"
e) Relaxation with exhalation.
The triple exhalation relaxation technique can last 10-15 seconds, so it can be performed an unlimited number of times and at any convenient time.
To do this, you need to close your eyes as much as possible and:
1. Take a deep breath so that the air penetrates deep into the lungs. During exhalation, you should completely relax the body, feel the relaxation of all muscles.
2. Inhale deeply a second time, select at random any muscle (or pair of muscles) from the head, neck and shoulders. While exhaling, concentrate all your observations on them. Imagine that you feel the dissolution and disappearance of tension - even more complete than during the first exhalation.
3. Inhale deeply for the third time so that there is no discomfort. During exhalation, you need to concentrate on the internal muscles of the forearms and hands. Imagine that they have become warmer and heavier.
4. Open your eyes and keep doing your thing. No conclusions, no analysis. The exercise is done effortlessly.
) Optimization of sleep skills.
Good sleep is the foundation of good health and stress resistance. According to V. Rozov, the process of optimizing sleep skills is as follows:
1. Don't force yourself to sleep. Sleep comes only when the body and brain are ready for it.
2. Have dinner no later than 3 hours before bedtime.
3. Use sleeping pills only as a last resort.
4. Before going to bed, you need to completely relax. For this purpose, a model of muscle awareness is used, slowly turning into sleep.
and) Development of immunity to stressor.
Sources of stress can be people, places, activities, and circumstances. This technique is associated with the application of relaxation skills in specific situations. Make a list of people, places, activities, and circumstances, such as:
1. Relationships with: family, parents, husband (wife), children (child), certain acquaintances, employees, management.
2. Making an important decision.
3. Speaking in front of an audience.
4. Passing the exam.
5. Implementation of the sale.
6. Participation in competitions.
7. Driving in heavy traffic.
8. Traveling a long distance.
9. Trains in park areas, a bridge, in a long tunnel.
10. Being in an elevator, a crowded room, too small or too large a room, looking from a great height.
11. Examination of insects, snakes, rodents.
12. Periodic incomprehensible feeling of anxiety.
13. Going to bed.
14. Awakenings (morning).
15. Beginning of sexual intercourse.
16. Feeling unpleasant symptoms - nausea, dizziness, weakness, etc.
17. Occurrence and persistence of pain symptoms.
18. Visiting a doctor.
19. Visit to the dentist.
20. Swallowing pills.
21. Swallowing food.
22. Participation in a sports competition.
23. Cooking, cleaning, other type of economic activity.
24. Work on the computer, other work at the table.
25. Balancing or budgeting.
Some factors affect you more strongly, some - weaker. But the list should include everything.
1-2 weeks after listing, when fatigue occurs, it is recommended to check if the cause is listed. Then it is advisable to start developing immunity. The process does not require extra effort.
Next, you need to learn physical relaxation in circumstances that were previously stressful for you. It is necessary to find a moderate stress factor in the list, the occurrence of which can be foreseen:
1. During the performance of muscle awareness techniques, it is necessary to imagine a situation of expecting a stressful event and imagine your calm and confident actions in it. This is done before the occurrence of the stressful impact of the situation.
2. During the action of the situation, you should retire and work out the technique of three times relaxing breathing.
After mastering relaxation techniques in any particular stressful situation, you need to move on to developing immunity in the next situation, and so on until you learn how to be calm and relaxed in a real environment.
Experts advise provide yourself with biofeedback:
Measure the pulse rate before and after any classes, in a calm and altered state;
Every day in the morning and in the evening stand on the scales;
Buy a blood pressure monitor and do it as often as possible;
Choose the type of activity that normalizes physiological functions;
Use special exercises to train and normalize the physiological manifestations of stressful conditions.
) Systematic desensitization.
The method of systematic desensitization was developed by Joseph Wolpe, first to treat fears and was based on the principles of "substitution", "braking" and "counterboom".
The word "desensitization" comes from the Latin - "sensually perceived". The prefix "where" means separation, removal, cancellation, reduction, reduction.
at present, this method is successfully used to solve a number of problems, in particular, for the regulation of stress. The method is based on the fact that fears, anxiety, stress are closely related to tension. If there is no tension, there will be no stress. If a person learns to relax in a stressful situation, the stress will disappear. To master this technique, it is necessary to implement several successive stages:
1. Learn to relax.
2. Make a hierarchy of stimulus situations that cause stress and anxiety.
3. Form a relaxation state instead of a stressful one.
The first stage is "Relaxation". It consists in deep relaxation of the muscles of the body. This can be achieved with the progressive muscle relaxation method, which allows you to achieve relaxation much faster than with tranquilizers, and this will not cause side effects.
The second stage is "Writing a hierarchy of stressful situations." At this stage, a list of situations that cause stress is compiled. First, the list indicates the situation (or object) that causes minimal stress, at the end - the maximum. Between them are 8-15 situations.
The third stage "Training of sensitization". Therefore, those who are taught in a state of complete relaxation are encouraged to imagine a situation that causes minimal stress and try to get used to it. The whole list of stressful situations is also being worked out. Then desensitization can be carried out directly, in real life, and not in the imagination. There are known facts of desensitization under conditions of exam stress, social anxiety, etc. The least stressful or anxiety-producing situation is done first, and then down the list, ending with situations that cause the most anxiety and stress.
Thus, the essence of the systematic desensitization procedure lies in learning to combine relaxation with an imaginary image of the situation, which causes anxiety and stress, and then with the real situation. Desensitization ends when the most intense stimulus no longer causes anxiety and stress.
s) Personal self-regulation of time.
Managing your time is one of the effective ways to self-regulate stress. First you need to determine your own style of time management using the F. Zimbardo test and choose a zone that matches your own style and rhythm of life.
After identifying and understanding your style of time management, you can begin to master the techniques of personal self-regulation of time.
Basic time management procedures related to planning and prioritizing goals.
You should always define:
1. Urgent matters (cases for today).
2. Priority, important.
3. Things that can wait.
4. Things that can be done last.
5. Things that you can not do.
you need to Plan those things that can be done, and carry out those that are planned.
To master the methods of time management, it is necessary to be able to determine the loss of time for things that are not included in the plans. Research on the problem of time management allows us to highlight reasons why a person wastes his time in vain. These include:
o Phone calls.
o People who visit us.
o Poor communication between departments.
o Computer hardware problems.
o Changing the order of work, which is imposed by colleagues.
o Lack of organizational planning.
o Failure to listen to other people.
o Poor organizational structure.
o Mail mess.
o Correction of errors that could have been avoided.
o Indecisiveness in business matters.
o Poorly organized and coordinated meetings.
o Distractions in the workplace.
o Excessive office bureaucracy.
o Useless discussions about your work and the work of others.
For these cases, if they happen quite often, it is recommended to leave a reserve time (up to 1 hour a day).
Assimilation of time management techniques is carried out by performing special exercises: "Defining life goals", "Setting priorities", "My productive time" and others.
1. Try to do repetitive things at the same time.
2. Combine similar cases into blocks.
3. Start with the most difficult cases.
4. Bring variety to work, switch from one type of activity to another.
5. Change the place and ways of working.
6. Schedule rest breaks.
7. Leave reserve time for rest, unforeseen affairs and self-regulation.
8. 3 Make the most of your waiting time.
9. Control the time spent on transport.
10. Creatively use lunch time (have lunch with a colleague and discuss an important professional issue).
11. Say "no" to those who take up your time.
12. Set aside time for communication.
13. Determine priorities in cases.
14. Focus on the "A" cases.
15. Maintain order in the workplace.
16. Use the rule "One document - once in hand."
17. When reading literature, pay attention to those sections that are related to your own primary goals.
18. Remember the 20/80 rule, according to which only 20% of your own efforts lead to 80% of the results.
19. Try to enjoy every minute of your own life and enjoy what you do.
20. Do not waste time on useless experiences and guilt.
21. Dine lightly to boost productivity in the afternoon.
22. Master the ways of fast reading.
23. Give yourself the opportunity to relax.
24. Relax on weekends and not think about work.
25. Constantly ask yourself the question: "What is the best use of time right now?" .
Each of us has our own problems.
Someone successfully copes with them using their proven methods, while someone prefers to use the services of a psychoanalyst.
But it is not at all necessary to resort to the help of a stranger, because you yourself can easily find a way out of stress.
How? We will talk about this below.
Method 1. Our body itself tells us one of the most effective ways to get out of stress - eating food.
When we eat, our brain releases the happy hormone.
But you should not abuse this method, as this may not be the best way to reflect on your figure.
Scientists even noticed that women are much more likely to "jam" a stressful situation than men.
Representatives of the stronger sex, on the contrary, tend to pamper themselves with something tasty when they are in a good mood.
What to treat yourself after a hard, stressful day?
Strawberry smoothie, bananas and chocolate.
Method 2. Experts are convinced that one of the easiest ways to get out of stress is to simply drink it down. The fact is that one of the most obvious consequences of stress is dehydration.
The easiest way to deal with this problem is to drink as much as possible.
True, here it must be borne in mind that you do not need to drink everything in a row, but only clean water and freshly squeezed juices, which quickly satisfy the body's need for fluid.
If we talk about everyone's favorite coffee and tea, then these drinks, on the contrary, increase the rate of fluid excretion from the body. The advantage of this method is also that, unlike the first, it is much safer for the figure, especially if you use water rather than juices.
If, nevertheless, you prefer juices, then it is better to dilute them with water.
Method 3. Now let's remember the banal need of our body for a good sleep.
With the modern rhythm of life, many people have already forgotten what normal sleep is.
Scientists from the USA say that the time before sleep is determined by each person individually, in accordance with his needs, but it is not recommended to sleep less than seven hours a day.
Remember that chronic lack of sleep, which is currently characteristic of most people on our wonderful planet, has an extremely negative effect on health.
In addition, it is no secret to anyone that sound sleep is a wonderful and very pleasant way to deal with stress. Therefore, try to allocate enough time for sleep.
Method 4. Some experts in the field of psychology recommend "burning" all your problems.
Psychologists offer a unique way to get out of stress.
They advise their patients to write down all their experiences and negative emotions in a separate notebook, while describing everything in great detail.
When all your thoughts are recorded in writing, you can tear the sheets or burn them.
If you believe the experts, then this method allows you to quickly relieve nervous tension and save you from negative emotions.
Method 5. Scientists from Japan have long been of the opinion that it is best to throw out your negative emotions through exercise.
Believe it or not, at the beginning of the twentieth century in France, tableware manufacturers produced a whole series of cheap porcelain dishes that were specifically designed to be beaten.
At the same time, the founders of the company urged everyone to buy cheap plates and cups so as not to accumulate negative energy in themselves and always have these dishes at hand.
Who knows, maybe this is really the best way out of stress?
Method 6. Master some breathing practice.
It will come in handy when you are faced with some kind of negative situation.
The fact is that if we restrain ourselves and do not throw out the whole stream of negative emotions on those around us, then they do not disappear, but accumulate inside, which leads to the fact that we begin to show aggression against ourselves, tune in to “self-destruction”. Some experts believe that this can be avoided simply by learning to “breathe out” stress.
The simplest breathing technique in this case would be to simply take ten deep breaths in and out.
This simple exercise will help you not to break loose on others. When you feel that emotions are overwhelming you, do this exercise, after which you will surely be able to control yourself.
Method 7. Scientists from Germany advise to “freeze” stress.
Experts from this country convince that nervous tension will help relieve the usual cold.
When you find yourself in a situation that puts you in a state of great excitement, go out into the cold for three minutes without wearing outer clothing.
When you briefly find yourself in an environment with sub-zero temperatures, your brain begins to actively produce the hormone of joy - serotonin.
True, it should be noted that the main thing when using this method is not to delay the process, because otherwise it will not take long to get a cold!
Method 8. This method is also very, very effective. All you have to do is imagine yourself as a director, and turn the whole situation into nothing more than a theatrical action. Imagine that everything that happens does not concern you at all, you are watching all this from the outside and therefore you can adequately assess everything that happens and find the most optimal solution to complex problems.
Psychotherapists are convinced that, using such a technique, any person can turn from a weak-willed victim who goes with the flow and meekly surrenders to the will of fate, into a real master of his fate, who not only has the right to speak and act, but also actively uses this right. .
The main thing is not to flirt and forget that you and only you are responsible for your actions and words, so you need to act thoughtfully and balancedly.
Source - http://www.gen.su/node/6868In today's world, almost everyone is stressed. There are many reasons for such a state of affairs. You always need to respond correctly to what is happening to you, find a way out of stress and not succumb to the negative influence of the environment.
There are several signs of stress:
- memory impairment;
- lack of sense of humor;
- loss of taste for food;
- increased excitability;
- fatigue often occurs;
- frequent headaches;
- an inferiority complex arises;
- feeling of disrespect for oneself;
- constant conflicts.
If you have several of these signs, and do not want to turn to a professional for help, then you can go the other way and find ways to deal with stress on your own.
It can provoke serious health problems: decreased immunity, increased blood pressure, etc.
Ways to deal with stress
Using methods of dealing with it in everyday life, undesirable consequences can be avoided.
Eat right
In order for the body to receive more of the hormone of happiness - serotonin, eat almonds, chocolate and more bananas, this will minimize the effects of stress.
Healthy sleep
During overwork, it is difficult for the body to cope with fatigue, so proper sleep is very important. If you find it hard to fall asleep, turn on calm, quiet music or brew herbal tea.
Pets
Studies show that people who have pets are less prone to chronic stress.
Rest
Human psychology is designed in such a way that during stressful situations we want to relax all day long lying on the couch watching TV and not getting up anywhere. However, psychologists say that you need to relax actively. A trip to the sea or a vacation with family in nature will relieve you of stressful tension.
Yoga and breathing exercises
These methods will help to relax to the maximum, concentrating on internal sensations. And yoga classes will relieve heaviness in the muscles and strengthen them.
Communication with children and loved ones
Shopping and personal care
Women are very fond of these methods of relieving stress. Shopping for things and visiting beauty salons or SPA-salons will bring a lot of pleasure and help to relax.
go in for sports
It will help in the fight against stress, overexertion and in maintaining good health. Extreme sports can also relieve stress.
Color therapy and aromatherapy
Jasmine, cypress and lavender oils are good for calming the nervous system. The psychology of color perception is also very important. Red color gives the body a surge of strength, thereby stimulating the nervous system. White, green and blue colors have a calming effect on the nervous system and fight stress well.
smile more often
A person is less susceptible to the effects of stress if he fully enjoys life. Even the people you meet along the way will react positively to you.
positive attitude
Look at the world with positivity and optimism, this will make it easier to experience negative moments in life.
New impressions
Most often, stress occurs with a monotonous and monotonous lifestyle. To make life more interesting, and you get the maximum of new experiences, visit water parks, museums, exhibitions, go to theaters and cinemas more often.
Relaxation
This method perfectly activates the nervous system and regulates psychological arousal and mood, allowing you to relieve muscle and psychological tension caused by stress.
Several physical exercises
- Lying on your stomach, bend your spine well, raising your head and hips as high as possible. Stay in this position for 1 minute and breathe slowly.
- Sitting on your heels, and grabbing them with your hands, lift your pelvis forward and up. Stay in this position for 2-3 minutes. Breathing should be slow and deep. Then slowly return to the starting position on your heels.
- Lying on your back, put your legs behind your head. Heels should be together, legs straight, and pull socks to the floor. Hold for 5 minutes and lower yourself slowly to the floor, relaxing your whole body.
- Lie on your back with your legs raised to 90°, slowly lift your torso off the floor, grabbing your back with your hands and leaning on your elbows. Place your chin on your chest and remember to breathe deeply and slowly.
Other ways to relieve stress
Tonic or relaxing baths will help relieve the overall stress of the body. You need to lie in the bath calmly, putting a towel under your head and relaxing your muscles. The heart area and neck should be under water. After this procedure, lie down or sit for about an hour.
In stressful situations, people often blame themselves or someone else, such is human psychology, but this should not be done. Remember, any situation is fixable. Ask loved ones to help you. Try to understand the reasons for what happened and reconsider your attitude to what happened so that this does not happen again in the future.
The psychology of experiencing is such that if you do not get rid of it, then stressful tension and further aggravation of stress are guaranteed to you. So try to be less distracted by various failures and devote more time to yourself, your family, relatives and friends. Know how to relax, be outdoors more often, and no stress can spoil your health and your life.
Plan.
Introduction
1. The concept of stress. Main reasons.
1.1. Stress and frustration.
3. Ways to get out of stress.
3.1 relaxation
3.2. concentration;
3.3. autoregulation.
4. Stress prevention methods.
Conclusion.
List of used literature.
With the transition to complex automation of production, the role of a person as a subject of labor and management increases. A person is responsible for the efficient operation of the entire technical system, and a mistake made by him can lead in some cases to very serious consequences.
The study and design of such systems created the necessary prerequisites for the unification of technical disciplines and the sciences of man and his labor activity, led to the emergence of new research tasks. These are tasks related to the description of the characteristics of a person as a component of an automated system. We are talking about the processes of perception of information, memory, decision-making, studies of movements, problems of motivation, readiness for activity, stress.
1. The concept of stress. The main causes of occurrence.
One of the most common types of affects today is stress.
Stress plays a significant role in modern life. They affect a person's behavior, his performance, health, relationships with others and in the family.
What is stress, how does it arise, how does it affect the human body and how to deal with it?
Stress is a state of excessively strong and prolonged psychological stress that occurs in a person when his nervous system receives an emotional overload.
The most widely used definition is:
"Stress is a tense state of the human body, both physical and mental." Stress is present in the life of every person, since the presence of stress impulses in all spheres of human life and activity is undeniable.
What is emotional stress?
Any event, fact or message can cause stress, i.e. become a stressor. Stressors can be a variety of factors: microbes and viruses, various poisons, high or low ambient temperatures, trauma, etc. But it turns out that any emotiogenic factors can be the same stressors, i.e. factors affecting the emotional sphere of a person. This is all that can excite us, misfortune, a rude word, an undeserved insult, a sudden obstacle to our actions or aspirations. At the same time, whether this or that situation will cause stress or not depends not only on the situation itself, but also on the person, her experience, expectations, self-confidence, etc. Particularly important, of course, is the assessment of the threat, the expectation of dangerous consequences, which the situation contains.
This means that the very occurrence and experience of stress depends not so much on objective as on subjective factors, on the characteristics of the person himself: his assessment of the situation, the comparison of his strengths and abilities with what is required of him, etc.
Stressful situations arise both at home and at work. From a management perspective, the most interesting are the organizational factors that cause stress in the workplace. Know these factors and pay special attention to them. This will help prevent many stressful situations and increase the efficiency of managerial work, as well as achieve the goals of the organization with minimal psychological and physiological losses of personnel. After all, stress is the cause of many diseases, which means it causes significant harm to human health, while health is one of the conditions for success in any activity. Therefore, the work also considers personal factors that cause stress. In addition to the causes of stress, the stress state of the body is analyzed - stress tension, its main signs and causes.
Translated from English, stress is pressure, pressure, tension. According to G. Selye, stress is a non-specific (i.e., the same for various influences) response of the body to any requirement presented to it, which helps it to adapt to the difficulty that has arisen, to cope with it. Any surprise that disrupts the usual course of life can be a cause of stress. At the same time, as G. Selye notes, it does not matter whether the situation we are faced with is pleasant or unpleasant. What matters is the intensity of the need for adjustment or adaptation. As an example, the scientist cites an exciting situation: a mother who was informed of the death of her only son in battle experiences a terrible mental shock. If many years later it turns out that the message was false and the son suddenly enters the room unharmed, she will feel the greatest joy.
The specific results of the two events - grief and joy - are quite different, even opposite, but their stressful effect - the non-specific requirement of adaptation to a new situation - may be the same.
It is difficult to find a scientific term that is used as often as the word "stress". By using this term, people usually mean that they are in a state of nervous tension, that they are tired or depressed. Meanwhile, stress is not a "painful" condition at all, but a means by which the body fights against undesirable influences.
Sometimes stress can be useful, as it helps to use the resources of the body if necessary. But excessive stress leads to exhaustion, which can cause physical and mental illness. Very often people go to the doctor with complaints of physical ailments, while the real cause of their condition is stress. Stress is among the top ten causes of disease.
The most painful and dangerous is traumatic stress, which occurs as a result of life-threatening events such as wars, natural disasters, car accidents, criminal violence, etc.
Stress is a common and common occurrence. We all experience it at times—perhaps as an empty feeling in the back of our stomach when we stand up to introduce ourselves in class, or as increased irritability or insomnia during an exam session. Minor stresses are inevitable and harmless. Excessive stress is what creates problems for individuals and organizations. Stress is an integral part of human existence, you just need to learn to distinguish between an acceptable degree of stress and too much stress. Zero stress is impossible.
Currently, scientists distinguish between eustress (positive stress, which is combined with a desired effect and mobilizes the body) and distress (negative stress with an undesirable harmful effect). With eustress, cognitive processes and processes of self-awareness, comprehension of reality, and memory are activated. Distress that occurs in the work environment tends to extend to non-working hours. It is difficult to compensate for such an accumulated consequence during leisure hours; it must be compensated during working hours. [Rogov E.I. p.80] The most general and complete is the classification of life stress, one of the variants of which is proposed by R.T. Wong and shown in Fig.
In the inner square, the very essence of our existence is indicated, which is called "I am strength", "mental strength", mental energy, or internal resources. This is what allows the individual to overcome the crises of life, which determines the intensity of resistance to stress. A decrease in the resource contributes to an increase in vulnerability to various stress-related disorders, such as anxiety, fear, despair, and depression.
The next area is intrapersonal stress. Most of our demands on the outside world and its effects on us are related to this kind of stress. This area is, as it were, a centrifugal force that influences all spheres of our life. If we are not at peace with ourselves, then our inner confusion, experience manifests itself in a negative attitude, impacts on the outside world and disrupts interpersonal relationships. This category of stress includes such events as unfulfilled expectations, unfulfilled needs, senselessness and aimlessness of actions, painful memories, inadequate evaluation of events, etc.
The area of interpersonal stress interacts with certain areas of life. Since each person has to constantly solve a variety of social issues in their activities, interaction with other people and its assessment have a significant impact on our perception, experience, attitude to events and are problems of relations between people.
Personal stress has to do with what an individual does and what happens to him when he does not perform, violates certain prescribed social roles, such as the role of a parent, husband, employee, etc. It manifests itself in connection with phenomena such as impaired health , bad habits, sexual difficulties, boredom, aging, retirement.
Family stress includes all the difficulties in maintaining a family and relationships in it - housework, marital problems, conflicts between generations, living with young people, illness and death in the family, alcoholism, divorce, etc.
Work stress is usually associated with a heavy workload, lack of self-control over the result of work, role uncertainty and role conflict. Poor job security, unfair assessments of work, violation of its organization can become a source of stress.
Social stress refers to problems that large groups of people are experiencing, such as economic recession, poverty, bankruptcy, racial tension and discrimination.
Environmental stress is caused by exposure to extreme environmental conditions, the expectation of such exposure or its consequences - air and water pollution, severe weather, unfriendly neighbors, crowding, high noise levels, etc.
Financial stress is self-explanatory. Inability to pay bills, non-coverage of expenses with income, difficulties in obtaining debt, inconsistency in the level of salary for results of work, the occurrence of additional and financially unsecured expenses, these and other circumstances can cause stress.
Intrapersonal stress deserves detailed consideration, not only because it has received insufficient attention, but also because it can be projected onto various life events and influence the attitude towards them and the behavior of the individual.
1.1. Stress and frustration.
The concept of frustration is close to the concept and state of stress. The term itself (from Latin frustratio - deceit, disorder) is a human condition caused by objective insurmountable (or subjectively perceived as such) difficulties that arise on the way. Frustration is experienced as tension, anxiety, despair, anger, which cover a person when, on the way to achieving a goal, he encounters unexpected obstacles that interfere with the satisfaction of a need.
Frustration thus creates, along with the original motivation, a new, protective motivation aimed at overcoming the obstacle that has arisen. The old and new motivation are realized in emotional reactions.
The most common reaction to frustration is the emergence of aggressiveness, most often directed at obstacles. The proper response to an obstacle is to overcome or bypass it if possible; aggressiveness, quickly turning into anger, manifests itself in violent and inadequate reactions: insult, physical attacks on a person (pinch, beat, push) or an object (break it).
In some cases, the subject responds to the frustration by leaving (for example, leaving the room), accompanied by aggressiveness that is not overtly shown.
Frustration entails emotional disturbances only when there is an obstacle to strong motivation. If a child who has begun to drink is taken away from the nipple, he reacts with anger, but at the end of suckling there are no emotional manifestations.
1.2. Physiological mechanisms of stress.
Research shows that physiological signs of stress include ulcers, migraines, hypertension, back pain, arthritis, asthma, and heart pain. Psychological manifestations include irritability, loss of appetite, depression and decreased interest in interpersonal and sexual relationships, etc.
At present, no one doubts that under stress (whether it be illness, pain, physical suffering or emotional shock - strong, weak, long-term, short-term), the most complex nervous mechanisms are activated.
Suppose there was a quarrel or some unpleasant event: a person is excited, cannot find a place for himself, he is gnawed by unfair resentment, annoyance due to the fact that he could not behave correctly, he could not find words. He would be glad to be distracted from these thoughts, but again and again scenes of what happened appear before his eyes; and again a wave of resentment and indignation rolls over.
There are three physiological mechanisms of such stress.
Firstly, an intense persistent focus of excitation, the so-called dominant, has formed in the cerebral cortex, which subjugates all the activity of the body, all the actions and thoughts of a person. This means that in order to calm down, it is necessary to eliminate, defuse this dominant, or create a new, competing one. All distractions (reading an exciting novel, watching a movie, switching to doing what you love) are actually aimed at creating a competing dominant. The more exciting the business that an upset person is trying to switch to, the easier it is for him to create a competing dominant. That is why it does not hurt each of us to have some kind of hobby that opens the way to positive emotions.
Secondly, after the appearance of the dominant, a special chain reaction develops - one of the deep structures of the brain, the hypothalamus, is excited, which causes the nearby special gland - the pituitary gland - to secrete a large portion of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) into the blood. Under the influence of ACTH, the adrenal glands release adrenaline and other physiologically active substances (stress hormones), which cause a multilateral effect: the heart begins to contract more often and stronger (remember how it “pops” out of the chest with fear, excitement, anger), blood pressure rises (here why a headache may occur, a heart attack may occur, breathing becomes more frequent). In this phase, conditions are prepared for intense muscle load. But a modern person, unlike a primitive one, usually does not use the accumulated muscle energy after stress, so biologically active substances circulate in his blood for a long time, which do not allow either the nervous system or internal organs to calm down. It is necessary to neutralize stress hormones, and the best assistant here is physical education, intense muscle load.[ c. ]
Thirdly, due to the fact that the stressful situation remains relevant (after all, the conflict was not resolved safely and some need remained unsatisfied, otherwise there would be no negative emotions), impulses supporting activity of the dominant, and stress hormones continue to be released into the blood. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the significance of this unfulfilled desire for oneself, or else to find a way for its realization.
2. Causes and signs of stress.
By reducing the efficiency and well-being of the individual, excessive stress is costly for organizations. Many employee problems that affect both their earnings and performance, as well as the health and well-being of employees, are rooted in psychological stress. Stress directly and indirectly increases the costs of achieving organizational goals and reduces the quality of life for large numbers of workers.
Stress can be caused by factors related to the work and activities of an organization or events in a person's personal life.
Consider those factors operating within the organization that cause stress.
1. Overload or too little workload, i.e. a task to be completed within a specific period of time.
The employee was simply assigned an inordinate number of tasks or an unreasonable level of output for a given period of time. In this case, there is usually anxiety, frustration (a feeling of collapse), as well as a feeling of hopelessness and material loss. However, underloading can cause exactly the same feelings. An employee who does not get a job that matches his abilities usually feels uneasy about his value and position in the social structure of the organization and feels clearly unrewarded.
2. Role conflict.
Role conflict occurs when conflicting demands are placed on an employee. For example, a salesperson may be instructed to immediately respond to customer requests, but when seen talking to a customer, they are told to remember to fill the shelves with merchandise.
A conflict of roles can also occur as a result of a violation of the principle of unity of command. Two supervisors may give conflicting instructions to an employee. For example, a plant manager may require the shop manager to maximize output, while the head of the technical control department requires quality standards to be met.
Role conflicts can also arise from differences between the norms of the informal group and the requirements of the formal organization. In this situation, the individual may feel tension and anxiety, because he wants to be accepted by the group, on the one hand, and comply with the requirements of the leadership, on the other.
3. Uncertainty of roles.
Role ambiguity occurs when an employee is unsure of what is expected of him. Unlike role conflict, here the requirements will not be contradictory, but also evasive and vague. People need to have the right idea about the expectations of management - what they should do, how they should do it and how they will be evaluated after that.
4. Uninteresting work.
Some studies show that individuals with more interesting jobs are less anxious and less prone to physical ailments than those with uninteresting jobs. However, people's views on the concept of "interesting" work differ: what seems interesting or boring to one person will not necessarily be interesting to another. A successful activity, whatever it is, leaves less of an aging effect, so Selye says you can live happily ever after if you choose the right job for you and do it well.
Stress can result from poor physical conditions, such as fluctuations in room temperature, poor lighting, or excessive noise. Wrong balances between authority and responsibility, poor communication channels within the organization, and unreasonable demands from employees on each other can also cause stress.
The ideal situation is when productivity is as high as possible and stress as low as possible. To achieve this, leaders and other employees of the organization must learn to deal with stress in themselves. How to manage to increase productivity and reduce stress levels?
People suffering from excessive stress at work can try the following methods.
1. Develop a system of priorities in your work. Rate your work as follows: "must be done today", "done later this week", and "done when I have time".
2. Learn to say "no" when you reach the limit beyond which you can no longer take on more work. Explain to your boss that you understand the importance of the assignment. Then describe the specific priority work you are currently working on. If he insists on doing a new task, ask what work you should put off until the new task is completed.
3. Build a particularly effective and trustworthy relationship with your boss. Understand his problems and help him understand yours. Teach your boss to respect your priorities, your workload, and give sound assignments.
4. Disagree with your manager or anyone who starts making conflicting demands (role conflict). Explain that these demands are pulling you in opposite directions. Ask for a meeting with all stakeholders to clarify the issue. Don't take an accusatory-aggressive stance; just explain what specific problems conflicting requirements create for you.
5. Let your manager or staff know when you feel that the expectations or standards for evaluating your assignment are not clear (role ambiguity). Tell them that you are somewhat unsure about a number of specific assignment-related questions and would like to be able to discuss these questions with them.
6. Discuss feelings of boredom or lack of interest in work with your supervisor. Again, don't get into the position of complaining. Explain that you are a supporter of demanding work and would like to be able to take part in other activities.
7. Find time each day to disconnect and rest. Close the door for five minutes every morning, lift your feet up and rest on something, relax completely and put work out of your head. Turn to pleasant thoughts or images to refresh your mind. Leave the office from time to time to change the situation or train of thought. Don't dine there and don't stay long after you should be on your way home or doing other work.
Other factors associated with lowering the likelihood of stress include proper nutrition, keeping fit through exercise, and achieving overall balance in life.
So, stress is a tense state of the body, i.e. non-specific response of the body to the demand presented to it (stressful situation). Under the influence of stress, the human body experiences stress tension. Consider the various states of a person that can signal the presence of internal tension in the body. Conscious assessment is able to transfer these signals from the emotional sphere (feelings) to the rational sphere (mind) and thereby eliminate the undesirable state.
Signs of stress
1. Inability to focus on something.
2. Too frequent mistakes in work.
3. Memory worsens.
4. Too often there is a feeling of fatigue.
5. Very fast speech.
6. Thoughts often disappear.
7. Quite often there are pains (head, back, stomach area).
8. Increased excitability.
9. Work does not bring the same joy.
10. Loss of sense of humor.
11. The number of cigarettes smoked is sharply increasing.
12. Addiction to alcoholic beverages.
13. Constant feeling of malnutrition.
14. Appetite disappears - the taste for food is generally lost.
15. Inability to finish work on time.
If we have found signs of stress in the body, then it is necessary to carefully study its causes.
Causes of stress.
1. Much more often we have to do not what we would like, but what is necessary, which is part of our duties.
2. Constantly there is not enough time - we do not have time to do anything.
3. Something or someone is pushing us, we are constantly in a hurry somewhere.
4. It begins to seem that everyone around is caught in the grip of some kind of internal tension.
5. We constantly want to sleep - we just can’t get enough sleep.
6. We dream too much, especially when we are very tired during the day.
7. We smoke a lot.
8. Drinking more alcohol than usual.
9. We don't like almost anything.
10. At home, in the family - constant conflicts.
11. There is a constant feeling of dissatisfaction with life.
12. We make debts without even knowing how to pay them off.
13. An inferiority complex appears.
14. There is no one to talk to about your problems, and there is no particular desire.
15. We do not feel respect for ourselves - neither at home nor at work.
Probably not all causes of stressful tension are listed here. Each person must independently analyze his condition and identify the causes of stress, possibly characteristic only for his body (from the point of view of his personal feelings).
Predisposition to stressful tension can also be determined using various tests.
3. Ways to get out of stress
Let's go back to the definition of stress. Translated from English, the word "stress" means "pressure, pressure, tension." And the encyclopedic dictionary gives the following interpretation of stress: "The set of protective physiological reactions that occur in the body of animals and humans in response to the impact of various adverse factors (stressors)".
The Canadian physiologist Hans Selye was the first to define stress. According to his definition, stress is everything that leads to rapid aging of the body or causes disease. The question arises, how can the human body resist and manage stress?
What is the opposite of stress?
Let us turn to active ways to increase the overall stability of the human body. They can be divided into three groups:
- The first group includes methods that use physical factors of influence - this is physical culture, hardening of the body, jogging, etc.
- The second group is autogenic training, psychotherapy, hypnosis.
- The third group of ways to increase the overall resistance of the organism is associated with biologically active substances.
The beginning of this phenomenon goes back to ancient times, and the scale is amazing.
The spread of coca in South America (XIV century) and opium in the Middle East (XVII century) occurred during a critical period when famine raged in these parts of the Earth. Attempts to treat depression (influence low mood) date back to ancient times: back in the 8th century. BC, the Assyrians used cocaine leaves to “create satiety in the hungry, strength in the weak, and forgetfulness of adversity.”
Alcohol also has a certain attractive power, which lies in its peculiarities of action on the human psyche. The effects of alcohol are varied. Moderate and episodic alcohol use improves mood, alleviates anxiety, anxiety, tension, makes a person more sociable, contact.
We will not deny the temporary anti-stress effect of alcohol and nicotine, but along with these features, they have another one - a painful addiction to use. But compared to chronic alcoholism or other drug addiction, the stressor is just a lamb. We can represent the effect of a stressor on the body in the form of a small diagram (Fig.).
Having an anti-stress effect, alcohol, obviously, should have a certain effect on the central nervous system.
system, although there is practically not a single system, not a single organ in the human body that would not undergo changes under the influence of systematic alcohol intake.
Thus, there is no doubt that alcohol is not a cure for a stressor, but a very dangerous thing. Having dulled the feeling of negative emotions somewhat, they run the risk of falling into the networks of chronic alcoholism, which is incommensurably worse than any stressor.
Rice (3 p.32)
The best way to get rid of protracted stress is to completely resolve the conflict, resolve differences, and make peace. If this is not possible, you should logically reassess the significance of the conflict, for example, look for excuses for your offender. There are various ways to reduce the significance of the conflict. The first of them can be characterized by the word "but". Its essence is to be able to benefit, something positive even from failure. The second method of reassurance is to prove to yourself that "it could have been worse." Comparing one's own hardships with someone else's even greater grief ("and the other is much worse") allows you to steadfastly and calmly respond to failure. An interesting “green grapes” way of calming down: like a fox in a fable, telling yourself that “what you just unsuccessfully strived for is not as good as it seemed, and therefore I don’t need it.”
One of the best ways to calm down is communication with a loved one, when you can, firstly, as they say, "pour out your soul", i.e. defuse the focus of excitation; secondly, switch to an interesting topic; thirdly, to jointly find a way to a successful resolution of the conflict, or at least to reduce its significance.
When a person speaks out, his excitement decreases, and at this moment there is an opportunity to explain something to him, to calm him down, to direct him. The need to defuse emotional tension in movement is sometimes manifested in the fact that a person rushes around the room, tears something. In order to quickly normalize your condition after troubles, it is useful to give yourself increased physical activity.
An important way to relieve mental stress is to activate a sense of humor. The essence of a sense of humor is not to see and feel the comic where it is, but to perceive as comic what pretends to be serious, i.e. be able to treat something exciting as unimportant and unworthy of serious attention, be able to smile or laugh in a difficult situation. Laughter leads to a drop in anxiety; when a person laughs, his muscles are less tense (relaxation) and his heartbeat is normal. In its functional significance, laughter is so powerful that it is even called "stationary jogging."
Here are some ways to deal with stress:
- relaxation;
- concentration;
- autoregulation of breathing.
3.1. Relaxation.
The automatic alarm reaction consists of three successive phases (according to the theory of G. Selye):
- pulse;
- stress;
- adaptation.
In other words, if stress sets in, then soon the stressful state subsides - the person somehow calms down. If adaptation is disturbed (or absent at all), then some psychosomatic diseases or disorders may occur.
Therefore, if a person wants to direct his efforts to maintaining health, then he must consciously respond to a stressful impulse with relaxation. With the help of this type of active defense, a person is able to intervene in any of the three phases of stress. Thus, it can interfere with the impact of a stress impulse, delay it, or (if a stressful situation has not yet occurred) reduce stress, thereby preventing psychosomatic disorders in the body.
By activating the activity of the nervous system, relaxation regulates mood and the degree of mental excitation, allows you to weaken or relieve mental and muscle tension caused by stress.
So what is relaxation?
Relaxation is a method by which you can partially or completely get rid of physical or mental stress. Relaxation is a very useful method, because it is quite easy to master - it does not require special education and even a natural gift. But there is one indispensable condition - motivation, i.e. everyone needs to know why he wants to learn relaxation.
Relaxation methods must be mastered in advance so that at a critical moment one can easily resist irritation and mental fatigue. With regular practice, relaxation exercises will gradually become a habit, will be associated with pleasant experiences, although in order to master them, you need perseverance and patience.
Most of us are already so accustomed to mental and muscular tension that we perceive it as a natural state, without even realizing how harmful it is. It should be clearly understood that, having mastered relaxation, one can learn to regulate this tension, suspend and relax at will, at will.
So, it is desirable to perform relaxation exercises in a separate room, without prying eyes. The purpose of the exercises is to completely relax the muscles. Complete muscle relaxation has a positive effect on the psyche and reduces mental balance. Mental autorelaxation can cause a state of "ideological emptiness". This means a momentary disruption of mental and mental connections with the outside world, which gives the necessary rest to the brain. Here we must be careful not to overdo it with renunciation of the world.
To start the exercises, you need to take the starting position: lying on your back, legs apart, feet turned toes outward, hands lie freely along the body (palms up). The head is slightly thrown back. The whole body is relaxed, the eyes are closed, breathing through the nose.
Here are some examples of relaxation exercises:
1. Lie still for about 2 minutes, eyes closed. Try to imagine the room you are in. First, try to mentally go around the whole room (along the walls), and then make your way around the entire perimeter of the body - from head to heels and back.
2. Pay close attention to your breathing, passively aware that you are breathing through your nose. Mentally note that the inhaled air is somewhat colder than the exhaled. Focus on your breathing for 1-2 minutes. Try not to think of anything else
3. Take a shallow breath and hold your breath for a moment. At the same time, sharply tighten all the muscles for a few seconds, trying to feel the tension in the whole body. Relax as you exhale. Repeat 3 times.
Then lie still for a few minutes, relaxing and focusing on the feeling of heaviness in your body. Enjoy this pleasant feeling.
Now do exercises for individual parts of the body - with alternating tension and relaxation.
4. Exercise for leg muscles. Tighten all the muscles of the legs at once - from the heels to the hips. For a few seconds, fix the tense state, trying to feel the tension, and then relax the muscles. Repeat 3 times.
Then lie still for a few minutes, completely relaxed and feeling the heaviness of your relaxed legs.
All sounds of the environment register in consciousness, but do not perceive. The same applies to thoughts, however, do not try to overcome them, they only need to be registered.
In conclusion, mentally "run" through all the muscles of the body - is there even the slightest tension left somewhere. If so, try to take it off, as relaxation should be complete.
To complete the relaxation exercises, take a deep breath, hold your breath and momentarily tighten the muscles of the whole body: while exhaling, relax the muscles. After that, lie on your back for a long time - calmly, relaxed, breathing is even, without delay. You have regained faith in your strength, are able to overcome a stressful situation - and there is a feeling of inner peace. After doing these exercises, you should feel rested, full of strength and energy.
Now open your eyes, then close your eyes a few times, open again and stretch sweetly after a pleasant awakening. Sit down very slowly, smoothly, without jerking. Then, just as slowly, without sudden movements, stand up, trying to maintain a pleasant feeling of inner relaxation for as long as possible.
Over time, these exercises will be performed faster than at the beginning. Later it will be possible to relax the body when needed.
3.2. Concentration.
The inability to concentrate is a factor closely related to stress. For example, most working women at home perform three functions: housewife, spouse and mother. Each of these functions requires a woman's concentration, utmost attention and, of course, full dedication. There is a lot of unfocusedness. Each of these three functions causes a number of impulses that divert the woman's attention from the current activity and can cause a stressful situation. This tearing apart from day to day leads eventually to exhaustion, mainly mental. In this case, concentration exercises are simply irreplaceable. They can be performed anywhere and anytime during the day. To begin with, it is advisable to study at home: early in the morning, before leaving for work (study), or in the evening, before going to bed, or - even better - immediately after returning home.
So, we will designate an approximate order of performance of concentration exercises.
- Try to ensure that there are no spectators in the room where you intend to practice.
- Sit on a stool or regular chair - only sideways to the back so as not to lean on it. In no case should the chair be with a soft seat, otherwise the effectiveness of the exercise will decrease. Sit as comfortably as possible so that you can remain still for a certain amount of time.
- Place your hands freely on your knees, close your eyes (they should be closed until the end of the exercise so that attention is not distracted by foreign objects - no visual information).
- Breathe through your nose calmly, not tensely. Try to focus only on the fact that the air you breathe in is colder than the air you breathe out.
- And now two options for concentration exercises:
a) concentration on the account.
Mentally count slowly from 1 to 10 and focus on this slow count. If, at some point, your thoughts begin to dissipate and you become unable to concentrate on the count, start counting from the beginning. Repeat the count for several minutes.
b) concentration on the word.
Choose a short (two-syllable is best) word that evokes positive emotions in you or that has pleasant memories associated with it. Let it be the name of a loved one, or an affectionate nickname that your parents called you in childhood, or the name of your favorite dish. If the word is two-syllable, then mentally pronounce the first syllable on the inhale, the second on the exhale.
Focus on "your" word, which from now on will become your personal slogan with concentration. It is this concentration that leads to the desired side effect - the relaxation of all brain activity.
- Perform relaxation-concentration exercises for several minutes. Practice for as long as it pleases you.
- Having finished the exercise, run your palms over your eyelids, slowly open your eyes and stretch. Sit quietly in your chair for a few more moments. Note that you have succeeded in conquering absent-mindedness.
3.3. Autoregulation of breathing.
Under normal conditions, no one thinks or remembers about breathing. But when for some reason there are deviations from the norm, it suddenly becomes difficult to breathe. Breathing becomes difficult and heavy with physical exertion or in a stressful situation. And vice versa, with a strong fright, tense expectation of something, people involuntarily hold their breath (hold their breath).
A person has the opportunity, by consciously controlling breathing, to use it to calm down, to relieve tension - both muscular and mental, thus, autoregulation of breathing can become an effective means of dealing with stress, along with relaxation and concentration.
Anti-stress breathing exercises can be performed in any position. Only one condition is obligatory: the spine must be in a strictly vertical or horizontal position. This makes it possible to breathe naturally, freely, without tension, to fully stretch the muscles of the chest and abdomen. The correct position of the head is also very important: it should sit straight and loose on the neck. A relaxed, upright sitting head stretches the chest and other parts of the body upwards to a certain extent. If everything is in order and the muscles are relaxed, then you can practice free breathing, constantly controlling it.
With the help of deep and calm self-regulated breathing, mood swings can be prevented.
When laughing, sighing, coughing, talking, singing or reciting, certain changes in the rhythm of breathing occur in comparison with the so-called normal automatic breathing. It follows from this that the way and rhythm of breathing can be purposefully regulated by consciously slowing down and deepening.
Increasing the duration of exhalation promotes calm and complete relaxation.
The breathing of a calm and balanced person differs significantly from the breathing of a person under stress. Thus, the rhythm of breathing can determine the mental state of a person.
Rhythmic breathing calms the nerves and psyche; the duration of the individual phases of breathing does not matter - the rhythm is important.
Human health, and hence life expectancy, largely depends on proper breathing. And if breathing is an innate unconditioned reflex, then, therefore, it can be consciously regulated.
The slower and deeper, calmer and more rhythmic we breathe, the sooner we get used to this way of breathing, the sooner it will become an integral part of our life.
3.4. Stress prevention methods.
Lifestyle is our daily life from early morning until late at night, every week, every month, every year. The components of an active and relaxing lifestyle are the beginning of the working day, and the diet, and physical activity, and the quality of rest and sleep, and relationships with others, and the reaction to stress, and much more. It depends on us what our way of life will be - healthy, active or unhealthy, passive.
If we manage to positively influence our basic life principles, to ensure that relaxation and concentration become an integral part of our lifestyle, then we will become more balanced and will respond more calmly to stressful factors. It is necessary to know that we are able to consciously influence certain processes occurring in the body, i.e. We have the ability to self-regulate.
There are four main methods of stress prevention using autoregulation: relaxation, anti-stress "remake" of the day, first aid for acute stress, and self-analysis of personal stress. The use of these methods, if necessary, is available to everyone. We have already talked about relaxation, so we will consider three other methods.
Very often, when returning home, people transfer their work activity, excitement to the family. What is needed to get rid of your daily impressions and, having crossed the threshold of the house, not to take out your bad mood on your family? After all, in this way we bring home stress, and the reason for everything is our inability to get rid of the impressions accumulated during the day. First of all, you need to establish a good tradition: after returning home from work or school, immediately relax.
- Sit in a chair, relax and rest quietly. Or, sit comfortably on a chair and take a relaxing "coachman's pose".
- Make yourself some strong tea or coffee. Stretch them for 10 minutes, try not to think about anything serious during this period of time.
- Turn on the tape recorder and listen to your favorite music. Enjoy these wonderful moments. Try to completely immerse yourself in the music, disconnecting from your thoughts.
- If your loved ones are at home, have tea or coffee with them and talk quietly about something. Do not solve your problems immediately upon returning home: in a state of fatigue, weakness, this is very difficult, and sometimes impossible. You can find a way out of the impasse after a little time passes and the stress of the working day subsides.
- Fill the bath with not very hot water and lie down in it. In the bath, do soothing breathing exercises. Take a deep breath through closed lips, lower your lower face and nose into the water and exhale very slowly. Try to exhale as long as possible (exhale with resistance). Imagine that with each exhalation, the total tension accumulated during the day gradually subsides.
- Take a walk outside.
- Put on a tracksuit, running shoes and run these 10 minutes.
It is very important that the initiative of such "remake" of the day should come from ourselves. It is necessary to warn our loved ones that in this short period of time we forget about our household duties, and try to spend these 10 minutes with them. With a fresh mind, solving all household problems will require much less nervous and physical energy.
If we suddenly find ourselves in a stressful situation (someone pissed us off, our boss scolded us, or someone at home made us nervous), we begin to experience acute stress. First you need to gather all your will into a fist and command yourself "STOP!" To drastically slow down the development of acute stress. To be able to get out of a state of acute stress, to calm down, you need to find an effective way of self-help, your own method. And then in a critical situation that can arise every minute, we can quickly orient ourselves by resorting to this method of helping with acute stress.
Now let's look at how you can discover and explain your body's reactions to stressful situations. That is how you can define your personal stress. Understanding your own stressful situation is extremely important: firstly, the manifestation of stress in each person individually; secondly, stress, as a rule, cannot have a single cause - there are always many such reasons; thirdly, you will be able to find the most acceptable way out of the situation.
The most proven method of self-analysis of personal stress is the stress diary. This method is simple, but requires patience. For several weeks - if possible daily - it is necessary to make simple notes in the diary: when and under what circumstances signs of stress were found. It is better to write down your observations and feelings in the evening after work or before going to bed, when it is easier to remember the smallest details and details. If you don’t make notes at the end of the day, then the next day, in everyday worries and fuss, you will forget when and what happened.
Analyzing diary entries helps you quickly and easily determine which events or life situations are causing stress. It is the regularly recurring situations described in the diary that can cause stress.
It is useful to write down your feelings immediately upon the onset of acute stress, so that you can analyze them later in a calm and balanced state.
If we scroll through our own notes and try to systematize them, we find that some of the main signs of stress are repeated: irritability, inability to concentrate, forgetfulness, frequent sighs, goosebumps, muscle tension, "unsettled legs" (not sitting still) feeling internal heaviness, dry mouth, restless sleep, fatigue, an inexplicable feeling of fear, bad mood, depression, frequent headaches (especially in the back of the head), joint pain, lack of appetite or, conversely, overeating, constipation, heart palpitations.
After analyzing the records, you can determine at what time of the day malaise most often occurs, whether it happens at work or when you return home. By keeping a stress diary, you can find out for yourself what hinders us in life, what causes our personal stress.
Conclusion
Is it possible to live without stress?
No, it is impossible and even harmful to live without stress. It is much more difficult to try to solve the problem: “How to live under stress?” However, stressors are different: a stressor is a friend that brings great benefits to our health, stimulating creative activity; stressor - from which you can easily dismiss and after an hour or two simply forget or remember with a smile and a feeling of some dissatisfaction. But there is (and much more often than we would like) a stressor - an enemy that inflicts terrible blows on the most vital organs.
Stress disorganizes human activity, disrupts the normal course of his behavior. Stress, especially if it is frequent and prolonged, has a negative impact not only on the psychological state, but also on the physical health of a person. They are the main "risk factors" in the manifestation and exacerbation of diseases such as cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases.
Some life situations that cause stress can be foreseen. For example, a change in the phases of development and formation of a family, or biologically determined changes in the body that are characteristic of each of us. Other situations are unexpected and unpredictable, especially sudden ones (accidents, natural disasters, death of a loved one). There are also situations caused by human behavior, the adoption of certain decisions, a certain course of events (divorce, change of place of work or place of residence, etc.). Each of these situations can cause mental discomfort.
In this regard, a person needs good adaptive abilities that will help to survive the most difficult life situations, to withstand the most severe life tests. These adaptive abilities we ourselves can educate and improve with the help of various exercises.
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