Stress is a reaction of the human body that occurs in response to the action of an irritant, regardless of whether it carries a negative or positive charge.
To date, one of the most unfavorable consequences of the tense rhythm of life in our society is the increase in stress loads and overwork. Unfortunately, stress has become the norm of life for most of us. Today, few people can boast of mental stability, the absence of negative emotions, and stable self-control. Loss of mental balance, a sense of anxiety, longing, dissatisfaction with oneself and one’s life, and a decrease in working capacity are well-known to many. Stressful situations lead to the development of psychoses and neuroses.
The phrase “all diseases are caused by nerves”, which was common at the beginning of the last century, was transformed into “all diseases are caused by stress”. Many diseases of the nervous, cardiovascular system, digestive organs, malignant neoplasms, and others are recognized as psychosomatic. The problem of stress is, in fact, very old, but scientific awareness of it occurred only in the early 80s of the last century, which was reflected both in the development of modern human science and in the desire to meet the urgent needs of society.
What are the ways to fight or escape from stress?
Why is it important to relieve stress? By reducing stress levels, we reduce the risk of many diseases, including cardiovascular, and nervous system, the development of malignant neoplasms, and many others. Stress hormones constrict blood vessels, interfere with the production of endorphins (natural painkillers), and reduce immunity. There are different ways to prevent and avoid stress.
Anti-stress lifestyle
Our lifestyle is a reflection of our personality. Changing the lifestyle is the most important condition for overcoming destructive stressful influences. Optimizing the lifestyle will help by healthy eating, rational rest, and living a proper personal life.
The Impact of Nutrition on Stress: Strategies for a Balanced Diet
People with strong character tend to confront stress through coping strategies, while those with less resilience may turn to substances like alcohol to numb their stress Throughout human history, in every culture, the importance of a healthy diet has been widely recognized. Poor nutrition is a serious stressor. The most common mistakes that lead to stress are irregular meals, power on the go, the use of harmful products, thinking about something negative while eating, and overeating. One of the components of a complex attack on stress can be a diet aimed at replenishing the body with those substances that are intensively “eaten” by stress hormones.
There is a proven link between the state of the psyche and food. You can improve the course of autism, schizophrenia, and depression by eating vegetables fruits, and fatty fish. Also, under stress, the body needs adaptogens – substances that increase the abilities of adaptive systems. These include herbal remedies – today many herbal teas are made from plants containing adaptogens – these are ginseng, lemongrass, licorice, kombucha, echinacea, green tea, and many others. Their use is also effective for nervous exhaustion resulting from strenuous mental activity.
Usually, when stressed, a person begins to absorb a variety of foods in large quantities, because for a while it really helps. Although, of course, the consequences of such behavior often cause even more stress. But probably, it is not for nothing that our ancestors, and in almost all religious concessions (Christianity, Judaism, Islam), had fasting periods or fasts. For example, Christian fasting naturally prepares a person for the change of seasons. Great Lent (March-April) prepared him for summer and for the transition to summer products, Assumption (in August) – prepared the body for products characteristic of autumn, Christmas – for winter.
The Art of Relaxation: Techniques for Effective Stress Relief
It has been known for a long time that the best rest is a change of activities. You need to be able to rest properly after a working day, on weekends, or during a vacation. The key is to be able to shift your focus. The situation when we are thinking about work at home, and work about our household chores is not so impossible and makes it very difficult to focus on performing a certain type of activity, which only creates certain difficulties, problems, and breakdowns and often leads to stress.
The following psychological techniques contribute to the development of attention-switching:
After returning from work, take a pose that promotes relaxation, breathe evenly and deeply, focusing on your inner state;
Lie down like this for a few minutes, reflecting on the past working day, its events, and upcoming family affairs;
Forget about everything for a while;
Mentally “shaking off” all the events of the past day to start household chores.
Rejuvenating Weekends and the Power of Sleep: Battling Stress with Rest
If the work is associated with being constantly indoors, then you need to spend the day off more actively. You don’t need to go somewhere for this. You can just walk in the city, park, or sit in the park. Or go in for sports, go on a visit. The main thing is not to do work and try not to even think about it. Change the working rhythm to the rhythm of the weekend: be slow, “break” the rhythm of your actions – there is no need to rush during the rest. Healthy sleep in the fight against stress.
Nothing restores strength like a healthy sleep. Sleep preserves not so much a person’s physical activity as psychological balance. During sleep, our body produces hormones responsible for the growth and restoration of body functions. However, stress can cause insomnia. In order for falling asleep not to become a problem, you need to follow some rules:
Try to go to bed at the same time, but no later than 23 hours;
Sleep at least 7-8 hours a day;
Do not go to bed immediately after eating – digestion accelerates metabolism, which means that you will not be able to fall asleep after eating;
If you want to sleep peacefully, then avoid sugar, caffeine, fatty foods, alcoholic and tonic drinks in the evenings;
Avoid intense mental and physical labor before going to bed – distract the body, thoughts, and emotions from problems;
The bed should be comfortable, the room ventilated, and no extraneous sounds should interfere with falling asleep.
Family Harmony, Stress Relief, and the Power of Physical Activity
My home is my fortress, which means my family is a place where you can fully relax and unwind, find support and mutual understanding, respect for all family members, and, of course, love. To do this, it is necessary to harmonize relations in the family, and correctly distribute life priorities. If the husband has business relationships in the first place, and the wife has the interests of the family, or the head of the family is “devoured” by work all the time, because he wants his family to not need anything, then the problems that have arisen in the family will necessarily entail problems in business and affect the health of all family members… The “abandoned family” is a source of stress.
To prevent these issues, it’s essential to:
Train yourself to allocate time for family. Let it be a time when taboo is imposed on all business calls and important matters;
Do not turn your home into an office, do not schedule business meetings or formal dinners at home;
Do not be authoritarian in domestic disputes, try not to “put pressure” on family members at all.
Since family relationships are built on an emotional basis for 90%, aggression in them is unacceptable, since it returns to its source like a boomerang.
It is well known that physical activity is one of the most affordable ways to get rid of stress. Since under stress, mechanisms are activated in the body that prepares it for intense physical exertion, then it is physical exercises that are the most natural way to release the accumulated energy. Engaging in physical activities can bring about a sense of relaxation that kicks in after the workout and can last for up to two hours. Regularly engaging in physical exercises for 7-8 weeks starts to have a lasting impact by enhancing your body’s ability to handle stress.
The Power of Balance: Nurturing Creativity and Inner Harmony Through Relaxation
It is known that the left hemisphere of our brain is responsible for speech and logical thinking, and the right hemisphere is responsible for imagination, dreams, and intuition. In today’s world, there isn’t always enough space for emotions, which is why many of us tend to prioritize logic in our lives.
Yet, it’s through our intuition that we can grasp the core of situations and swiftly resolve issues that logic and common sense may struggle with. At those moments when the right hemisphere is working more actively than the left, the usual beta rhythms for the state of wakefulness and tension are replaced by alpha rhythms, which, as a rule, precede sleep. During times when our “right-hemisphere” is more active, we tend to feel much calmer and find ourselves more creative. This state can be easily achieved in a state of relaxation or relaxation. It is thanks to this that relaxation can fully restore strength and bring harmony into our lives, correcting the left-hemisphere daily routine.
Regular relaxation changes the chemistry of the body – during the deep stage of relaxation, endorphins are released in our brain that lift the mood. The brain experiences similar processes during meditation. While we often associate the term “relaxation” with our physical state and “meditation” with our mental state, both practices serve to calm and restore balance in our mind-body system.
Conclusion
Egyptian healers were the first to pay attention to the beneficial effects of aromatherapy on human health, no wonder they called the nose “the center of the skull”. When aromatic oils get on the skin, they get into the blood through the pores of the skin, which carries them throughout the body. When we inhale the smell of oil, its vapors enter the brain through the membranes and the base of the nose, and directly affect mood, reaching the areas of the brain responsible for emotions.
There are many ways to use essential oils – you can inhale their smell from a bottle, spray them in a room, or use them for massage, but the most common and effective way is to use an aroma lamp. There are a huge number of oils or their mixtures that are used to relieve stress. Only the main ones are listed below: anise, orange, basil, bergamot, oregano, spruce, jasmine, cedar, coriander, lavender, lemon, mandarin, melissa, peppermint, rose, rosemary. A few drops of oil can be added to the water when taking a soothing bath hot water will relieve tension.
Try to see the bright side in any situation, do not get hung up on troubles, and they will give way to joyful events faster. A positive perception of life not only helps to avoid nervous stress but also contributes to a higher quality of life.