How to relieve psycho-emotional stress in an adult. Ways to relieve emotional stress. How to get rid of tension

Although these concepts should be separated. It can be said that emotional tension is the cause, but the state of stress is the consequence. In addition, stress is the body's reaction to both psychological and physical stress. And in this article we will talk only about the emotional component of our life.

Emotions, undoubtedly, decorate our lives and make it more complete. Joy, love, surprise, gratitude - all these are emotions that we experience constantly. And if we share positive emotions willingly, we often keep negative ones to ourselves.

It’s good if a person knows how to throw out his emotions from time to time. Someone goes to a psychologist to talk about their difficulties, about what is “boiling.” Someone shares their problems, fears and grievances with friends and loved ones. Maybe this is why true female friendship is so valued. A man, even a loved one, will not always be able to understand. But the best friend will always listen, feel sorry for you and even give good advice.

Causes of emotional stress

There is only one reason for emotional stress– inability to throw out negative emotions and get rid of them. They accumulate, and gradually a person can develop various neurotic disorders - from mild depression to serious mental illness. Physical health also suffers. It's no secret that constant psychological stress negatively affects the functioning of the entire body. Why, when a person is very worried about something, do they say “the heart is torn to pieces”? Because during times of severe stress, the load on this organ is truly colossal. What can the long term lead to? emotional stress, it's not hard to guess.

Of course, in addition to internal reasons, there are also external ones. These are so-called stress factors - situations that cause negative emotions in us. It could be an unloved job, problems in the family, unfulfilled dreams and much more. And while it is possible to fight internal manifestations, it is quite difficult to change external factors.

How to prevent emotional stress

Feeling the state of emotional tension is very easy. In such cases, people say “it’s hard for me” or “I feel bad.” If you feel this way, then it’s time to relieve the tension. But what can be done to prevent it from arising at all? Of course, you can get rid of all stress factors - an unloved job or a husband who causes nothing but problems. But you must admit, you won’t be able to endlessly run away from problems. There are always things we can change. But in most cases we have to accept the facts as they are. Therefore, you need to learn to prevent situations when emotional stress increases and can lead to neurotic disorders. To avoid it, you just need to adhere to some rules - the so-called mental hygiene.

Secondly, you shouldn’t try to control everything around you, including your loved ones. Unfortunately, we often try to teach our loved ones, to remake them for ourselves. This is what causes many conflicts. We simply cannot get used to the idea that each person is individual, he lives as he knows how, as he understands life itself. Remaking it is not only pointless, but also cruel. Accept all people as they are. This will help you maintain a state of calm and complacency.

Thirdly, constantly develop. often appears seemingly out of nowhere. It seems that everything is there - a favorite job, family, friends, what more could you want? And my heart feels heavy and irritation accumulates. Sometimes a person simply lacks development. You need to constantly set goals and develop, no matter whether it concerns your profession, hobby, raising children, or even banal cleaning of the house. New achievements will help you avoid an inferiority complex and feelings of internal aggression and self-rejection.

Ways to deal with emotional stress

Even using all the rules of mental hygiene, sometimes it is simply impossible to avoid emotional stress. It's no secret that our world is full of stress - transport, problems at work, lack of money and time. All this constantly puts pressure on modern man. But you can fight this stress too. Of course, it would be useful to try to get rid of the factors leading to emotional stress. If your work evokes a feeling of persistent disgust in you, you should think about whether it is worth such worries? If you have not loved your spouse for a long time, but live in a marriage out of habit or out of fear of being alone, you again need to ask yourself - do you want to live like this all your life, in eternal sorrow and discontent?

However, in most cases, it is enough to change not the stress factors, but the attitude towards them. The following methods will help you remain calm and in a state of harmony even in moments when difficulties surround you from all sides.

• Break the task into parts. This method helps when it seems that the problem simply cannot be solved. But if you break it down into several small parts, it turns out that everything is not as scary as it seemed at first. The main thing is not to let your emotions take over you, not to fall into hysterics. Try to think about what you can do first, what next, etc.
• Develop an Action Plan. Often emotional tension increases due to the lack of a clear action plan. A person is tormented by the unknown - what will happen and how, how to prepare for possible situations. Try to find as much information as possible about the expected event, this will calm you down and set you up for a constructive perception of the surrounding reality.
• Consider all possible scenarios. Sometimes it is simply impossible to make a plan due to lack of information. It also happens that the fear of failure paralyzes a person and pushes him to rash actions. Try to consider all the options - what you will do in this or that case. Think about what will happen if your business really fails miserably? Is it that scary? Most often it turns out that there are no unsolvable situations; you can always find a way out. Understanding this simple thing is calming and helps relieve stress.

• Play some sports. Most people do not connect their physical state with their emotional state. Meanwhile, depression is often caused by a banal lack of endorphins - “hormones of happiness”. Our body produces them itself, under the influence of physical activity. In addition, sport helps to take your mind off sad thoughts for a while and focus on how your body works.
• Don't let yourself be sad. There are many ways to get rid of negative thoughts - from sitting in a cafe with friends to watching a comedy. As soon as you feel that negative emotions are accumulating, try to replace them with positive ones.

All these recommendations will help you get out of the endless circle of problems and stress, and will allow you to look at the world from a different perspective. Don't let your emotions rule your life. Remember that it depends only on you whether your life will be a continuous holiday or a series of failures.

- this is a consequence of not only emotional, but also physical stress, but emotional stress - this is one of the causes of stress. A person experiences different emotions in his life, without which it is impossible to imagine the existence of humanity, and life without emotions cannot be called complete. Some emotions make us happy, others, on the contrary, carry negativity, forming the basis of our actions and inducing them, determining stage of emotional stress . affects not only a person’s mental health, it can cause a number of somatic diseases and aggravate existing chronic ones. Therefore it is very important to be able to With relieve emotional stress to maintain mental and somatic health.

Emotional stress- this is a mechanism that can activate and mobilize all the intellectual and physical resources of the body, aimed at solving certain problems with minimal information and a short time frame. In accordance with a particular situation, arousal is transformed into emotions, which in turn are transformed into sensory (sensitive) and motor (motor) actions. The difference between the means of achieving the task and real methods (availability of information, time and energy) depends on how high the motivation of certain motives is. .

Emotional stress goes through several stages of development:

Stage 1– mobilization of activity. At this stage, physical and mental performance increases significantly, allowing one to solve complex and non-standard problems with significant time constraints. If such mobilization of the body turns out to be deficient for the body, then emotional stress moves into the second stage.

Stage 2– sthenic negative emotion. For the second stages of emotional stress characterized by extreme mobilization of all internal resources of the body, manifested in anger, anger, obsession and rage. If the body feels a lack of internal resource, then the third stage of emotional stress.

Stage 3 – asthenic negative emotion expressed by a state fear and anxiety , horror and melancholy, a feeling of hopelessness. At this stage, the body gives a signal of danger, indicating that all internal reserves have been exhausted and you need to look for other ways to achieve your goal, or abandon it, otherwise the fourth stage begins. stage of emotional stress.

Emotional stress Having reached its apogee, it threatens not only with mental and neurotic disorders, but also causes a number of dangerous somatic diseases or seriously aggravates existing chronic diseases. First of all, the nervous system suffers, cardiovascular And digestive systems.

Knowing the consequences of emotional stress, you need to learn to manage this condition in a timely manner before it reaches the dangerous fourth stage - neurosis.

How to relieve emotional stress?

If you feel like you're slowly turning into a ball of nerves, then it's time . First of all, physical activity will help you, and you don’t have to be an athlete or torture yourself with grueling trips to the gym. A light morning jog or performing a special complex is quite enough. physical therapy , having accustomed ourselves to which we will receive a sufficient dose of the “happiness hormone” endorphin, the effect of which in the body will help reduce state of emotional tension and prevent development burnout syndrome which is most often experienced by people who are in a state of constant stress . Emotional stress Water removes perfectly, regardless of whether you take a contrast shower or choose the time to go to the pool. Relieve emotional stress Walking helps a lot, walks in the fresh air away from the city are especially good.

If you are ready to “explode” right at your workplace, then try to relax and lean back in your chair, remember the most pleasant moments of life, or dream about the upcoming vacation, distract yourself with any thoughts not related to the source emotional stress.

Manage your time rationally, combining work and rest, and at home after a difficult day at work, make the most of various relaxation techniques: meditation, yoga, arrange for yourself sessions of psycho-emotional relief under calm music, inhaling the aromas mint, sandalwood, pine forest or lavender. Avoid conflict situations Houses and in labor team, solve work issues as they arise, without taking on the entire load at the same time, rationally distributing it, look for other ways to solve certain work problems.

State of emotional tension often deprives healthy sleep, thereby accelerating the development process of the fourth stages of emotional stress– neurosis. If you felt difficulty falling asleep , frequent waking up at night, early awakening or shallow sleep, which does not give morning vigor, making it impossible to restore energy and strength, use decoctions of sedative medicinal plants to combat any manifestations of insomnia. Relieve emotional stress tea from the leaves will help protect the cardiovascular system sage, fruits hawthorn And rosehip, herbs oregano, flowers daisies, mint, lemon balm, valerian officinalis , motherwort herbs . If you don’t have time to prepare decoctions, take herbal preparations based on sedative herbs, which allow you to restore quality sleep, maintain the functioning of the cardiovascular system, and protect against depressed or hysterical neurosis, to prevent malfunction of the autonomic nervous system, leading to the development autonomic neurosis .
Drugs Valeriana P And Motherwort P, which contain plant materials, the effect of which is enhanced by vitamin C, which has an antioxidant effect and increases level of stress resistance , produced in an easy-to-take tablet form. Innovative drugs Motherwort P and Valerian P are produced using technology cryominding at ultra-low temperatures, which gives them a significant advantage over other herbal preparations produced using high-temperature processing of plant raw materials, which significantly reduces the medicinal properties of medicinal herbs, including when preparing infusions or decoctions.
Thanks to these advantages, the innovative drug Valerian P was awarded gold medal at the “Medicine and Health” exhibition in Perm and the quality mark “Penza Brand”.

If you feel that emotional stress is growing, then a biologically active innovative complex will come to your aid Nervo-Vit, who became one of 100 best products of 2012 , manufactured using cryoprocessing, including the collection best sedative herbs , produced on the basis cyanosis blue, the sedative effect of which is 10 times higher than that of valerian.
In addition, blue cyanosis is a powerful anxiolytic that allows you to relieve fear, anxiety, horror and melancholy, which are signs of the fourth stages of emotional stress. To achieve faster anxiolytic and the sedative effect of cyanosis blue in the composition of Nervo-Vit, motherwort and lemon balm , and a longer-lasting sedative effect is provided by valerian officinalis, which has the ability to prolong the effect of other sedative medicinal herbs when combined. The effect of plant components in Nervo-Vit enhances vitamin C.

Relieve emotional stress, overwork when performing complex tasks mental tasks or muscle tension An innovative vitamin complex will help with high physical activity Apitonus P, produced on the basis royal jelly (contains about 120 useful substances) and pollen (the richest source of enzyme complexes, nonessential and essential amino acids, macro- and microelements, vitamins of the main groups),
the action of which is enhanced by a powerful antioxidant complex: dihydroquercetin (a natural reference antioxidant derived from pine bark), vitamin C and vitamin E, protecting our body from premature aging and preventing the occurrence of psychosomatic diseases.

For those who prefer traditional technologies for the production of herbal preparations, herbal remedies produced in the usual pill form are recommended - Dragee Sage P, Dragee Valerian P , Dragee Motherwort P and dragees of the “Evening” series: Dragees of the “Evening” series, which include a collection of sedative medicinal herbs: Dragee Evening VHM (valerian, hop, mint), Evening Dragee Plus (valerian and motherwort) and

Emotional stress

Pozharisky I.

In modern reality, people often have to experience stress. Sometimes it happens that some unforeseen event ruins all plans, forces [...]

In modern reality, people often have to experience stress. Sometimes it happens that some unforeseen event ruins all plans and forces you to plunge into anxious thoughts about your future. At the same time, the immediate prospects do not seem rosy, but, on the contrary, fade into a large number of bright negative emotions. Constant worries about certain events create emotional stress. It, in turn, affects both physical well-being and mental state. At the same time, the desire to act, make plans, or do anything at all may disappear.

Causes of emotional stress

Emotional stress never just appears out of nowhere. In order for it to develop, prolonged exposure to one or more factors is required. In most cases, people cannot explain to themselves why their mood suddenly deteriorates or the desire to engage in self-improvement disappears. Let's take a closer look at the causes of emotional stress.

Unjustified expectations

Every person has certain hopes about his own life. Some place great emphasis on self-realization, others dissolve in the family. If for some reason existing expectations are not met, then the individual experiences internal deprivation. Suddenly, familiar landmarks are lost, everything seems meaningless and incomprehensible. Even those things that previously formed the basis of a happy existence are not pleasing. A state of emotional tension sets in, which has a very detrimental effect on health. An individual does not always have the opportunity to satisfy any of his desires. Most often, this is hampered by certain circumstances, which create significant obstacles on the path to a happy worldview.

Constant stress

When a problem is not solved for a long time, the person puts himself into a state of stress. Typically, this feeling gets worse if nothing is done. A person begins to feel unnecessary and insignificant, his self-esteem rapidly declines, and an inferiority complex develops. It begins to seem that the complexity has no solution at all. In reality this is, of course, not the case. Constant stress is exhausting, makes you doubt yourself and close yourself off from the world in your own experiences. Emotional tension increases if the individual does not find a solution favorable to himself. After all, each of us needs to feel a certain confidence in the future. When for some reason this does not happen, the internal state begins to worsen.

Fears and phobias

Everyone has them to one degree or another. Various anxiety states are a common cause of emotional stress. The problem is that not everyone can openly talk about their experiences to others. In modern society, the model of a successful person has become established as the norm. According to many people, such a person should easily cope with any difficulties, have no shortcomings, strive as much as possible for self-improvement and work on himself. Modern people place increased demands on themselves. It seems to them that they have to be on time everywhere, while it is desirable to be better than others - acquaintances, friends and relatives. In fact, it turns out that an individual cannot always be at the limit of his capabilities. Gradually, strength fades away. A person begins a period of moral and physical exhaustion, which is accompanied by emotional stress. Most often, people simply do not realize this and do not understand what is really happening to them.

Inability to express feelings

The inability to openly express one's own feelings is another reason why emotional tension develops. Not every person can easily tell others about their emotions. Some people are so embarrassed to express their feelings that they prefer to remain silent, so as not to reveal their individual weakness to others. It is not easy for them to admit their own phobias and defeats. The inability to express feelings is dictated by the fear of condemnation from society. This is a serious problem that inevitably leads to emotional stress. This condition is characterized by an increased feeling of abandonment and loneliness. Anyone who, for one reason or another, becomes a hostage to his own fear, subsequently cannot act openly without experiencing a feeling of guilt. This condition can last for years without bringing moral relief. So the person gradually becomes confused in himself and stops trusting others.

How to relieve emotional stress: ways

The state of emotional stress has a detrimental effect on physical and mental health. Without a doubt, you need to be able to work effectively with him in order to overcome the feeling of hopelessness in time. Relieving emotional stress will help you free yourself from the internal burden that weighs on your personality. How to do this correctly, without harming yourself? Let's try to understand such a difficult issue.

Positive thinking

It will always be useful in life. You must gradually learn to direct your thoughts in a positive direction. Negative events, of course, unsettle you, but they always teach you something and allow you to draw timely conclusions. Positive thinking is a great thing that teaches you not to dwell on small failures. No matter what happens, it is important to remember that all difficulties are temporary. It never happens that problems stay with us forever. In most cases, they are resolved one way or another. The ability to see something good and beautiful in people and events will always come in handy. Relieving emotional stress is always a long process that requires a lot of concentration. People who have learned to think about their own well-being ultimately find peace and tranquility.

Expressing feelings

Under no circumstances should you keep all your experiences inside yourself. This position will not lead to anything good. To free yourself from emotional stress, you need to learn to talk openly about your feelings without being ashamed of their presence. Doing this is not as easy as many people think: you will have to spend extra time, develop a new habit, try an unusual behavior model in action. But the effort is definitely worth it. Learning to express your feelings naturally is just as important as being able to find your own purpose. Emotional stress will gradually go away as a person stops fighting with himself and driving himself into rigid boundaries.

Revaluation of ideals

The desire to please society in everything and always can lead to nervous exhaustion. Revision of your own individual position will help relieve emotional stress. You need to understand why you need to always be on top in front of others. Often this behavior is typical of people with low self-esteem. Re-evaluating ideals will help you understand what the mistake is and what exactly needs to be changed in life. Often people do not even realize that they are suffering greatly. They try to please others, thereby missing out on their own opportunities. You need to have the courage to look at the situation from the inside and draw appropriate conclusions.

Having a goal

Clearly building a perspective for the future helps relieve emotional stress. This is how anxiety and fear of life go away, which do not go away on their own if no attempt is made to do so. Having a goal in itself greatly disciplines and directs a person to continue moving forward, despite any obstacles. When we clearly understand what we should move towards, we will no longer stop at any obstacles. The main thing is that a person knows which road he should take. Otherwise, any attempts to find inner harmony will end in failure. It is worth remembering that we are truly motivated only by the presence of a high goal. Self-realization should be joyful, inspiring, and not bring any suffering.

External support

It is extremely important for every person to be approved by others. Of course, this is not always possible, especially when our personal beliefs run counter to the ideas of society. Relieving moral stress, of course, helps to realize that loved ones really sincerely worry about us. Then we begin to truly appreciate the time spent together, to realize how dear they are to us. If people always strived to understand each other, they could make their lives a little happier. That is why it is so important to strive to build full-fledged, trusting and warm relationships with loved ones. After all, if we have no one to share our feelings with, all existing achievements will lose all meaning. This is true.

Thus, the problem of nervous exhaustion often occurs where a person has to hide his true feelings behind various social masks. The individual disappears into the crowd, trying to please society, going against his own beliefs. To cope with such internal tension, you will need to examine your own feelings and free yourself from all negativity. Only then can one hope to find happiness. If you cannot cope with the problem on your own, you can seek advice to the Irakli Pozharisky Psychology Center. Working with a psychologist will help you overcome internal discomfort and confusion.

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Ways to relieve psycho-emotional stress

Experience shows that an effective means of preventing tension and preventing professional burnout syndrome is the use of methods of self-regulation and self-restoration. This is a kind of safety precaution for specialists who have numerous and intensive contacts with people in the course of their professional activities. These techniques were and are now being used in working with teachers during interactive classes at TMK, MBOU Secondary School No. 56, during individual and group work with clients. The information presented in this article is included in the information block of the program “Prevention of emotional burnout of teachers” and in the practice of self-regulation of the body.

Natural ways of regulating the body and self-regulation

Human nature is such that he strives for comfort, to eliminate unpleasant sensations, without thinking about it, without knowing what scientific words it is called. These are natural methods of regulation that turn on by themselves, spontaneously.

You probably use many of them intuitively. This includes long sleep, delicious food, communication with nature and animals, a bath, massage, movement, dancing, music and much more.

The following natural methods of regulating the body are distinguished:

laughter, smile, humor;

thinking about the good, pleasant,

various movements such as stretching, muscle relaxation;

watching the landscape outside the window;

looking at flowers in the room, photographs, other pleasant or dear things to a person;

mental appeal to higher powers (God, the Universe, a great idea);

bathing (real or mental) in the sun's rays;

breathing fresh air:

poetry reading;

expressing praise or compliments to someone just like that.

Try asking yourself questions:

What helps you cheer up and switch?

Which of the above can I use?

Mentally, or better yet on paper, make a list of these methods. Consider which ones you can use consciously when you feel tense or tired.

Unfortunately, such means, as a rule, cannot be used at work, directly at the moment when a tense situation has arisen or fatigue has accumulated. Are there any techniques that can be used during work? Yes.

To begin with, it is important to understand what natural mechanisms for relieving tension, relaxing, and increasing tone you have; become aware of them; move from spontaneous use of natural methods of regulation to conscious use in order to manage your condition.

Specialists who deal with the problem of regulating emotional states and neuropsychic tension consciously use special techniques to manage them. They are called methods of self-regulation, or methods of self-influence, emphasizing the active participation of a person in them.

Self-regulation is the control of one’s psycho-emotional state, achieved by a person’s influence on himself with the help of words, mental images, control of muscle tone and breathing.

Thus, self-regulation can be carried out using four main means, used separately or in various combinations.

As a result of self-regulation, three main effects can occur:

calming effect (elimination of emotional tension);

recovery effect (weakening of symptoms of fatigue);

activation effect (increased psychophysiological reactivity).

Timely self-regulation acts as a kind of psychohygienic means that prevents the accumulation of residual effects of overstrain, promotes complete restoration of strength, normalizes the emotional background of activity, and also enhances the mobilization of the body's resources.

Bank of self-regulation methods

1. Methods related to breathing control

All other vital rhythms of our body are subordinated to breathing and its rhythm.

Breathing plays an important role in our mental life. Mastering your breathing and its mechanisms is one of the ways to cope with psychological problems and neurosis. Conscious control of breathing is one of the oldest ways to combat stress and other psychological stress.

Breathing control is an effective means of influencing muscle tone and emotional centers of the brain. Slow and deep breathing (with the participation of the abdominal muscles) reduces the excitability of the nerve centers and promotes muscle relaxation, that is, relaxation. Frequent (chest) breathing, on the contrary, ensures a high level of body activity and maintains neuropsychic tension.

Proper breathing is an adjustment to the rhythm and emotions of thinking. You have probably noticed more than once how much a particular emotional state, the rhythm of emotions, changes our breathing. Remember how it changed when you were excited, when you were expecting the result of some process that was important to you. How did you breathe when you learned some good news?

Every time a special breathing pattern arises that corresponds to your emotional state. If you are excited, your breathing is shallow and rapid. If you are calm, it is slow and deep.

There is also an inverse relationship. In a difficult, emotionally intense moment for you, when your breathing is short and your heart is beating somewhere in your throat, you can calm yourself down with the help of, that’s right, breathing. Smooth and slow breathing will help you cope with your emotions. Breathe as you would if you were in a state of deep rest.

To speed up the process, you need, while maintaining a calm breathing pattern, to slightly increase the depth of breathing and its intensity.

In the same way, by changing the rhythm of breathing, you can move from a relaxed, calm state to a more active, cheerful one. That is, by changing our breathing pattern, we can transfer ourselves to ANY emotional state.

Of course, in order to consolidate this skill, it is necessary to consciously practice these transitions from one state to another. Practice leveling out irritation and aggression with even, slow and deep breathing. And finally, when you feel a loss of strength, in a state of apathy, change your breathing pattern, bringing it closer to what distinguishes an actively working person.

How to do it? Try, when you are irritated or angry, to breathe the way a person who has barely woken up breathes. Imagine that you are in bed, you have just had a pleasant, peaceful dream. Now you have woken up, and your breathing is slow and calm. Take ten inhalations and exhalations, carefully monitoring the accuracy of the breathing of the newly awakened person (at the same time, increase the depth and intensity of the breathing, maintaining its pattern!). There will be no trace left of the negative emotion.

Breathing can change more than just emotions. It has a powerful effect on thought, and therefore on the entire body. Breathing is associated with thinking and concentration, more precisely with intellectual rhythm. By learning to breathe correctly, you can significantly improve your mental abilities. It is important to learn to breathe normally and control this process. When controlling the breathing process, you should not be zealous. But when you are experiencing emotional discomfort, just check how you breathe. And if you find out that something is wrong and your breathing is not improving, if it is frequent, superficial and ineffective (i.e., not satisfying your needs), then take action.

With natural and full breathing, the body takes a characteristic pose. As you inhale, the head slides back, the shoulders move forward and up, the stomach retracts, the pelvis moves forward, and the legs move apart by themselves. When exhaling, all these parts of the body move in the opposite direction, as if the person is preparing to group, but does not group. All this is possible only if you surrender to the process of breathing, which is what I wish for you with all my heart, since natural breathing contains many resources for our mental and even physical well-being.

Mastering natural breathing. Try to inhale as completely as possible using the intercostal muscles, muscles of the upper shoulder girdle and abs. Exhale equally deeply. “Breathe in” the remaining air two or three times; only 3-4 consecutive exhalations without inhalations. After a 3-5 second pause, try to inhale as fully as possible again. If necessary, perform this complex 3-7 times. Focus on the result; you should feel that your breathing has become free and full. You should also feel that all three muscle groups (intercostal muscles, shoulder girdle muscles and abs) are working harmoniously, helping each other to ensure breathing.

Checking for complete breathing. To make sure that your breathing is truly complete, tense as much as possible and hold the tension for as long as possible. Then take 2-3 deep spontaneous inhalations and exhalations. Additionally, make sure that your breathing is not impeded by any muscle blocks (a feeling of muscle tension in one of three areas: chest, shoulders, abs). If you identify some kind of muscle block, get rid of it by additional tension of this muscle group according to the appropriate scheme.

It would be absurd to completely abandon the tools for maintaining mental well-being that are hidden in the breath. In the process of evolutionary development, a clear relationship has developed between deep and frequent breathing, on the one hand, and the activation of the body, on the other. At the same time, when breathing decreases, the nervous system rests, and in the meantime the body restores and accumulates energy resources. During inhalation, the mental state is activated, and during exhalation, the whole body calms and relaxes.

If you feel anxious, overwhelmed or tense, immerse yourself in the here and now and focus on your breathing. Feel only your breath. Sit with your back straight and count your breaths: one when you inhale, two when you exhale, three when you inhale again, four when you exhale again, and so on. Continue counting only to ten, since counting breaths is difficult with larger numbers. Go through two or three of these cycles. Focus on each account. Give your attention to exactly one, exactly two, exactly three, etc. Invest yourself in each number, follow your breathing, your inhalation, exhalation, pause. Notice the obstacles that are preventing you from breathing fully and remove them. While breathing, feel the currents that arise in the body under its influence.

In case of increased excitability, anxiety, nervousness or irritability, increase the time for all three phases of the breathing process: inhale-pause-exhale. Start with 5 seconds. Inhale slowly for 5 seconds, pause for 5 seconds and exhale also for 5 seconds. There is no need to breathe at this rhythm for a long time. Monitor the result and be guided by it. If it’s not difficult for you, you can gradually increase the duration of each phase (pause - no more than 10 seconds).

This exercise should not be performed before work that requires high activity. It has a pronounced calming effect, so it can be effective before bed if you have difficulty falling asleep.

In order to raise the general tone and gather strength, the alternation of breathing phases should be as follows: inhale - exhale - hold your breath for 5 seconds. Keep track of the result and be guided by it. You can increase the duration of the respiratory phases (each separately), but not much. The exercise should be carried out carefully.

For emergency activation of internal resources: inhalation should be done less actively, and exhalation should be forced, quite sharply, with artificially created difficulties. Sit with your back straight, lean your shoulders slightly forward, inhale calmly for 3 seconds and exhale forcefully for six. Create tension in the muscles of your tongue and larynx to resist the passing air. Simultaneously with exhalation, tense the muscles of your arms, chest and abdomen. You should not do more than 5-6 breaths in this way.

2. Methods related to controlling muscle tone and movement.

Under the influence of mental stress, muscle clamps and tension arise. The ability to relax them allows you to relieve neuropsychic tension and quickly restore strength.

How to do it?

They say that we knock out a wedge with a wedge. And we will do just that. To achieve complete relaxation, you need to tense up as much as possible.

What do we have to do? First, we will learn how to consistently tense each muscle group. After this, you will need to master their simultaneous tension, and only then we will talk about relaxation. Ready? Then let's get started.

To fully relax, you need to tense all muscle groups: hands - forearms - shoulders and upper arms - shoulder blades - face - neck - abs - buttocks - perineum - thighs - legs - feet.

So, let's learn to relax.

1.Clench your left hand into a fist as tightly as you can. If you squeeze your hand well, you will be able to see that your knuckles have turned white. If you now slowly unclench your fist, you will clearly feel the muscles relaxing. This needs to be done with other muscle groups.

2.Bend your left arm at the elbow and tighten your left biceps so that it becomes as convex as possible. Then relax your muscles completely. Let your arm hang freely along your body.

3.Relax your right hand in the same way.

4.Tighten the muscles of the left moan. Curl your toes inward. After you feel a sufficiently strong tension in the muscles of your foot, let it relax.

5.Tighten your calf muscles. Touch them with your hand and you will feel how the muscles gradually become more and more solid. Pull your toes out to better tighten your muscles. Then relax them.

6.Straighten your leg and push it away from you in one fell swoop. You will feel the muscles in the front of your thigh tighten; they should be firm all the way up to the hip joint.

7.Do the same with the muscles of the other leg.

8. Straighten your whole body, stretch upward, contracting the muscles of your buttocks. Then relax your muscles.

9. Tighten your abdominal muscles. Try to pull your stomach in as much as possible. Now suddenly relax and allow yourself? blur?.

10.Take a deep breath and try to hold it for as long as possible, tensing your chest muscles. Then exhale.

11. Straighten your shoulders and move them as far back as possible, then quickly bring them forward. Finally, raise them as high as possible. Try to keep your head still and try to touch your ears with your shoulders. You probably won't be able to do this, but at least try. Then relax and lower your shoulders.

13.Now relax the neck muscles. Tilt your head forward, then turn it first to the left, then to the right. Tilt your head back as far as possible. Relax your neck muscles. Feel your neck to make sure the muscles are truly relaxed.

14.Raise your eyebrows up, then lower them. Do this several times, making sure you feel your facial muscles tense each time. Then relax these muscles.

15.Close your eyes as tightly as possible. Imagine that someone is trying to force you to open your eyelids and open your eyes. Keep them tightly squeezed. Then, without opening your eyelids, relax your facial muscles.

16.Make several circular movements with your lower jaw. Grind your teeth. Wrinkle your forehead. Smile as wide as possible. Relax all your facial muscles. Breathe slowly, deeply and evenly while doing these exercises. As you relax, try to breathe as little as possible.

In a well-relaxed muscle you will feel the appearance of warmth and pleasant heaviness. If you cannot remove the clamp, especially on the face, try to smooth it out with light self-massage using circular movements of your fingers (you can make grimaces - surprise, joy, etc.).

Having practiced the ability to relax each muscle group in turn, we move on to the next stage. Tighten all muscle groups at the same time and create maximum tension in this position. Mentally count to 10, concentrating not on the count, but on the tension. On the count of 10, sharply relax, lean back and take a deep, calm breath. If necessary (determined independently), you can take an additional 2-3 deep breaths. Rest for a minute. The exercise should be repeated at least 7-10 times a day until you learn to voluntarily, quickly and completely relax without preliminary tension.

This exercise should be used whenever anxiety occurs, as a means of first and emergency aid. And also during attacks of internal stiffness, feelings of anger and stress. The best way is to practice it daily. The ability to relax should certainly enter your life. Moreover, it is better to spend the vast majority of time in this state rather than in tension.

Warning

Exercise is contraindicated during infections, pregnancy, and in cases where physical activity is limited by a doctor (for example, with vascular or neurological diseases).

If muscle pain appears that is not associated with one or another chronic disease, give yourself a massage and continue exercising as usual.

It's likely that chronic muscle tension is higher in some areas of your body than others. For example, if you suffer more from anxiety, you may find it more difficult to relax your shoulders, neck, and lower extremity muscles. If in everyday life you have to restrain irritation and aggression to a greater extent, then pay special attention to your cheekbones, tension in your arms and back muscles.

It’s not enough to just learn to relax. You must, firstly, be able to voluntarily, at will, enter this pleasant and, of course, useful state of physical relaxation; secondly, do not forget to tone your muscles before loading; and finally, make relaxation a natural state for yourself.

3. Methods associated with the impact of words

It is known that a word can kill, a word can save. The second signaling system is the highest regulator of human behavior. Verbal influence involves the conscious mechanism of self-hypnosis, and has a direct impact on the psychophysiological functions of the body.

A wonderful means of self-regulation are formulas-moods. The formula-mood is a positive, i.e., the statement we need. It's like white paint being put on top of a dirty spot. If it covers the entire stain with a thick layer, then the dirt will not be visible - it will disappear, and the sheet will be clean again. As a result, there will be no problems in our lives caused by our erroneous beliefs. The thicker the layer of paint, the more reliably we are protected from the emergence of our erroneous beliefs. If the paint layer is thin, then the stain can show through and ruin our life again. That is why formula-moods need to be repeated for a long time and as emotionally as possible. The time and energy invested in them is proportional to the amount of paint that will cover the dirty spot.

When you first pronounce the formulas-moods, it may seem to you that this method is hopeless. Imagine that you have planted a seed. It first sprouts, then takes root, and only after that the sprout breaks out. It takes time for the sprout to develop into an adult plant. It’s the same with formulas and settings. Be patient.

In order to get rid of erroneous beliefs and idealization, it is necessary, using self-programming techniques, to dislodge them from consciousness and replace them with positive and useful statements.

Options for working with formula settings Rewrite by hand at least 100 times. You can rewrite no more than 5 times a day, so this will take about a month.

Memorize positive affirmations (or write them down on paper and carry them with you) and repeat them mentally. The total repetition time is 3-5 hours in total. It turns out to be very effective to record on a cassette the formulas and sentiments that you have uttered. Listen to them before bed. Reinforce your new positive formulas in any way you can: in your thoughts, in your conversations with yourself or others, through journal entries.

Remember the rule - the wording of self-hypnosis is constructed in the form of simple and brief statements with a positive focus (without the particle “not”).

Self-orders. This is a short, abrupt order made to oneself. Use self-command when you are convinced that you should behave in a certain way, but have difficulty doing it. Talk calmly! Be silent, do not give in to provocation! - this helps to restrain emotions, behave with dignity, and comply with ethical requirements and work rules.

Formulate a self-order.

Repeat it mentally several times. If possible, repeat it out loud.

Self-programming. In many situations, it is advisable to look back and remember your successes in a similar situation. Past successes tell a person about his capabilities, about hidden reserves in the spiritual, intellectual, and volitional spheres and instill confidence in his abilities. Think back to a time when you dealt with similar challenges.

Formulate the text of the program; to enhance the effect, you can use the words “exactly today”:

“Today I will succeed”; “Today I will be the calmest and most self-possessed”; “Today I will be resourceful and confident”; “It gives me pleasure to conduct a conversation in a calm and confident voice, to show an example of restraint and self-control.”

Repeat it mentally several times.

Self-approval (self-encouragement). People often do not receive positive assessment of their behavior from others. This, especially in situations of increased neuropsychic stress, is one of the reasons for increased nervousness and irritation. Therefore, it is important to encourage yourself.

In case of even minor successes, it is advisable to praise yourself,

mentally saying: Well done!, Good girl!, It turned out great!.

Find opportunities to praise yourself at least 3-5 times during the working day.

4. Methods associated with the use of images

The use of images is associated with an active influence on the central nervous system of feelings and ideas. We don’t remember many of our positive feelings, observations, and impressions, but if we awaken the memories and images associated with them, we can relive them and even strengthen them. And if with words we influence mainly consciousness, then images and imagination give us access to powerful subconscious reserves of the psyche.

To use imagery for self-regulation:

Specifically remember situations, events in which you felt comfortable, relaxed, calm - these are your resource situations.

Do this in three basic human modalities. To do this, remember:

1)visual images of the event (what you see: clouds, flowers, forest);

2) auditory images (what sounds do you hear: birds singing, the murmur of a stream, the sound of rain, music);

3) sensations in the body (what you feel: the warmth of the sun’s rays on your face, splashes of water, the smell of blossoming apple trees, the taste of strawberries).

If you feel tense or tired:

1) sit comfortably, with your eyes closed if possible;

2) breathe slowly and deeply;

3) remember one of your resource situations;

4) live it again, remembering all the visual, auditory and bodily sensations that accompanied it:

5) stay inside this situation for several minutes;

6) open your eyes and get back to work.

We wish you success in mastering these techniques and stay healthy!

Educational psychologist

Having mastered the techniques of how to relieve stress, we can confidently say that a person has the opportunity to master a traumatic situation. Actually, this state is a protection given to us by generous nature back in the days of Adam and Eve. Without it, perhaps there would be no one to move civilization forward. Homo sapiens simply would not have survived without this peculiar adaptation of the nervous system to the threats of the surrounding world.

How do we feel at this time?

Now, instead of a saber-toothed tiger, there is a stern boss, generous with criticism, instead of a mammoth, there is the planet Nibiru flying towards us, only the body has remained the same. But not everyone manages to go for a run (or do push-ups, or wave a spear) after being scolded by their bosses, or after a parent-teacher meeting with their beloved child. There is nowhere to put adrenaline, there is nothing to reduce its quantity, there is nowhere to implement the protection intended by nature. So you feel either fog in your eyes, or a rapid heartbeat, or feel hot or cold.

If you experience this condition several times, you can look for a personal doctor, because sooner or later health problems will definitely begin. Well, let’s say that a man’s friends will advise him on how to quickly relieve stress (and even take part in the company), but how to relieve stress for a woman is often a problem. Meanwhile, there are many scientifically proven, simple and understandable ways to relieve stress and tension, and relieve the nervous system.

Combat Strategies

Unfortunately, many people, instead of sitting down and analyzing the reasons for what happened and ways to cope with stress, begin to repeatedly grind the traumatic situation, losing their last strength.

Power supply to the body

• You need to communicate with positively minded people, this will help strengthen your nervous system and cope with anxiety. It is desirable that they be united by a common idea: playing sports, growing cacti, helping the homeless, mastering the Esperanto language, etc. d. The overall energy visibly nourishes and gives a feeling of a strong shoulder.
• When thinking about how to overcome stress, you should not waste energy on something that is impossible to change in principle. It is impossible to change your partner in family life, your work colleagues, your relatives, and, therefore, you should not waste energy on changing them. You can break up or change jobs, or you can accept them as they are and focus your energy on finding a compromise.
• How to cope with stress? We need to find sources of power in the Universe around us: in water, no matter whether it is a sea or a river, in a forest or in a park, in our garden plot. Music, books, paintings, looking at the starry sky, communicating with animals, and doing what you love have the same properties.
• You need to remember in what situations you managed to prove yourself as a strong person, achieve success on your own, and solve problems. This will give you strength and help remove anxiety, because a strong person cannot have it.
• How to avoid stress? Make less assumptions about various tragic consequences of everyday situations. “What if I get fired?”, “What if my child gets involved with a bad company?”, “What if I get an incurable disease?”, etc.

  The French writer Alain Bombard said this very well when describing the victims of shipwrecks: “They were not killed by thirst and hunger, not by the scorching sun and hungry sharks; they were killed ahead of time by the fear that all this could happen to them.”

Means of psychological defense against stressful situations

Here are some tips that you can use to understand how to help yourself with stress, remove unnecessary anxiety, and strengthen your nervous system:

• Try to react to unpleasant situations with a smile on your face, even if cats are scratching your soul. We play the game “I’m good” with ourselves. Her only rule is to respond to any stressful situation with a smile within 2 (3, 7, 12, 24) hours, no matter where it happens - at work, at home, in a store, on a trolleybus, etc. Try it and you will always win.
• How to overcome stress? Another game - when irritation sets in, you need to imagine yourself as the hero of a book, movie, or a person from your social circle with a kind and open character. The technique was proposed and tested by the famous Russian psychologist Vladimir Levi. Even Carlson or Pinocchio would be suitable as a replacement; for a day you can imagine yourself as a child, happy and serene. It is very effective for getting out of stress, and at the same time it can relieve the nervous system.
• How to cope with stress? Change the scope of the problem. To do this, you can imagine yourself rising up in a hot air balloon. Here you can see the whole city under it, now it has become a point, now the sea has become equal to a puddle, but now the stratosphere is approaching, and the whole Earth is in full view. Well, what do you think of your problem from this height?
• Change your point of view on the problem, try to find positive aspects in it, although this at first glance seems impossible. For example, when thinking about how to survive stress after a divorce, a woman does not immediately understand that new opportunities have now opened up for her to change her social circle, start new relationships, devote more time to herself and her children, etc. This will help you get back to normal faster and get rid of anxiety. In general, “there would be no happiness, but misfortune would help.”
• How to cope with stress? Play “giveaway” with yourself, bring the situation to the point of absurdity in your imagination. Now pretend to make the saddest grimace you can in front of the mirror. Soon it will become funny for you to look at your lean face, and then the “light at the end of the tunnel” will definitely appear.

Exercises to restore calm

In order to master the techniques of how to quickly relieve stress, it is enough to perform 1-2 of the simplest exercises from those given below. These tips were suggested by French psychotherapist Eric Pigani.

1. Relax the muscles of your forehead (by frowning and raising your eyebrows), your jaw (by pressing your tongue on your incisors until the upper and lower teeth are separated), and your facial muscles (by pursing your lips and smiling).
2. How to get out of stress? Standing with your arms down, you need to slowly inhale as deeply as possible and clench your fists. Then hold your breath for 5 seconds and exhale while relaxing your arms. Repeat 8 times. Exercise helps strengthen the nervous system.
3. How to overcome stress? Let's call on our voice to help, standing with our eyes closed, we will sing the sound “A-a-a-a” as we exhale in the most natural way. Next comes the turn of singing the syllables “ma-me-mi-mo-mu-me-mu” with a single exhalation. Repeat 10 times.
4. This exercise is great for helping you get out of a state of anxiety and achieve mental balance. You need to sit comfortably with a straight back, put your hands on your stomach. Then inhale and feel that when you inhale, your stomach inflates like a balloon. Exhale through the mouth, the stomach is drawn in with slight tension. All attention is paid to breathing, this relaxes the nervous system, and anxiety goes away along with the exhaled air.
5. If you don't know how to get rid of stress, you need to massage your scalp with all 10 fingers, starting from the forehead and moving to the back of the head. Breathing should be deep. Self-massage takes two minutes, this is enough to strengthen the nervous system during anxiety and stress.
6. How to calm down after stress? You need to master Japanese breathing “through a straw”; it helps normalize your heart rate and cope with anxiety. You need to inhale, concentrating your attention on different parts of the body one by one, and exhale through your mouth, imagining that the exhalation is coming through a straw.
7. A simple technique will help you cope with anxiety. You need to sit in front of the sink, open the tap slightly, and place your palm under a thin stream of water for 2 minutes. The water should fall into the center of the palm; worries will flow away along with the water.
8. How to deal with stress if you're out of breath? You need to sit down with your hands on your hips and lean forward, your hands hanging freely down. Breathing slowly, with your eyes closed, you need to focus on how your throat closes and opens when you breathe. Exercise helps build self-confidence before an important test.
9. How to overcome stress that brings anxiety? You need to put your hands on the diaphragm, connecting the middle fingers of both hands, and take a slow breath through your nose. The inhalation should be so deep that the fingers move away from each other. Exhaling through your mouth will return your arms to their original position. The level of oxygen in the blood increases, which puts the nervous system into a state of relaxation within a minute.
10. How to get rid of stress on the verge of a nervous breakdown? Lie down with your eyes closed and place a small terry towel soaked in hot water on your face and place your hands on your hips. Don’t think about anything other than breathing, hear yourself breathing... Continue until the towel cools down.
11. How to get out of stress when worried? You need to massage your ears, both ears at the same time, squeeze and stretch the earlobes, rub them with your palms in a circular motion. Exercise helps restore and strengthen calm and cope with anxiety.