Do you also feel how the atmosphere around has thickened in recent years? Endless waves of pandemics and lockdowns, fear for your health and the condition of loved ones, worries about the economic situation and financial well-being… Today we will tell you what to do if stress has become an uninvited companion of life.
What’s happening?
Over the past year and a half, global changes have taken place in the world and the whole way of public life is changing. The introduction of codes and lockdowns, quarantines and downtime in some areas of business, the fear of getting infected or becoming a source of infection, the need to combine work and teaching children remotely, the chaotic opening and closing of children’s centers and circles … And we cannot influence any of this.
Such a state of general uncertainty and instability is a global factor against which individual problems and fears of a person can manifest themselves more acutely. If in “peaceful” time he could well cope with the situation, then against the background of the precariousness of the world around him, anxiety, a feeling of “driven”, a state of chronic stress may well develop.
This is a completely natural reaction of the psyche – however, it is extremely important not to let such situations take their course. Even if the causes of stress seem logical and inevitable, this does not mean that it is impossible to deal with it! On the contrary, during such periods it is especially necessary to take care of yourself, your stability, and psychological resources. It is the internal margin of safety that helps people withstand external changes.
If you find it difficult to assess the level of stress and anxiety on your own, you can take stress testing online (we recommend, for example, ). If the test results turned out to be worse than expected or the feeling of anxiety is growing, please be sure to contact a specialist: a therapist, neurologist or psychotherapist.
How can you help yourself?
All measures to combat stress can be divided into emergency and permanent. Emergency include quick ways to help the body calm down and relieve acute feelings of anxiety and stress:
- breathing exercises – the so-called “full breathing cycle”, you can learn more about it ;
- warm bath with foam and sea salt – and at least 30 minutes in silence and without distractions;
- walk in the fresh air – preferably in a park or in the forest, without gadgets, concentrating on the sights and sounds of nature.
If such measures were not enough and the feeling of stress and “driven out” regularly haunts, it is worth adding other ways of taking care of yourself to your daily routine.
First of all, it is important to practice regular physical activity: sports, yoga, dancing, swimming or walking. These exercises allow you to transfer the internal energy of stress into the external energy of movement. They stimulate the production of endorphins (“hormones of joy”), reduce feelings of anxiety and return a feeling of cheerfulness.
Note that “monotonous” (cyclical) sports (such as swimming or walking) are often more calming than activities that involve a variety of movements. However, first of all, of course, choose those activities that are close to you in spirit.
The so-called neuromuscular relaxation can also work well – a set of exercises aimed at alternately tensing and relaxing various muscles of the body. Such sessions contribute to the activation of blood circulation, metabolic and recovery processes, and also help relieve tension in the muscles and throughout the body.
Where else can you find information?
We recommend reading и faced with various manifestations of anxiety and stress, on the profile site . You will find useful information there about the types of anxiety disorders and methods of dealing with them, and also make sure that you are not alone, and seeking help is important and necessary. We wish you to find peace and stability in our unstable time!