Contents
Stress, if you learn to control it, can be your ally
Psychology
It is essential to recognize that we suffer from stress, to be able to take advantage of stopping it in time and enjoying its virtues
Say that the Stress It is the disease of the XNUMXst century. Falling is commonplace, but no matter how hackneyed this idea is, it is still true. Because it turns out that, if there is something that almost everyone can identify with, it is feeling stress, either due to work, family obligations or, ultimately, the tempo that today’s society sets, in which immediacy and movement prevails over anything else.
If stress appears, it is because it has a function. Explain Elena Mendoza and Carmen Castro, authors of “I want to learn to manage my stress” (Serendipity), that stress is a physiological mechanism whose objective is to adapt to
the demands of the environment. “What it seeks is to ensure our survival,” they assure and for this reason, they explain that, despite its “bad reputation”, if we learn to manage it and maintain it at adequate levels, “it can be a great ally.”
Stress and anxiety
It is important don’t confuse stress with anxiety. They comment that, while when we talk about the first we do it about a mechanism, anxiety is a pathology, a disease, and generally needs medical and psychological treatment to solve it. “Poorly managed stress, which becomes chronic, can lead to anxiety, so perhaps we tend to associate both concepts, but they are not the same,” they say.
Stress, as the two authors pointed out, can be of help in some situations. They give as an example when from one moment to another the tasks that we have to perform and finish increase and we need greater activation to solve it. “The hormones that are released to start this mechanism (cortisol, adrenaline, norepinephrine … among others) improve the functioning of our cognitive processes: memory, decision-making capacity, attention and concentration,” they explain. Therefore, they argue that in these situations, if we manage it properly, we can sustain a positive activation level that helps us to be more effective and productive.
A stress for everyone
Not all of us have the same symptoms when we experience stress, so it is important to learn to identify your own. Although the individual experience is never the same, Elena Mendoza and Carmen Castro comment that there are studies that determine that there are statistically very generalized symptoms, and that they can give us clues. «For example, it is concluded that, on the road to chronic stress, in the first phase, gastrointestinal disturbances, insatiable appetite, or loss of appetite, increased tension or body pain, fatigue and sleep problems, among others “, they indicate.
If we have reached the point where we recognize that we are suffering from stress, and we are not able to manage it correctly, it is important to stop it in time. The first step we must take, the authors propose, is «reconnect with our body, observe him, take care of him, to be able to detect the symptoms that indicate that we are crossing the limit that marks the fine line that separates eustress (positive stress) from distress (negative stress) ». They explain that the objective is to be able to perceive when we have crossed that line to stop and regulate. “If we get used to living there, in that area, we will end up suffering from chronic stress,” they add.
Work more, or work better
Likewise, they comment on the importance of dismantling false beliefs, such as that the more time you dedicate to a job, the more productive you are. They say that, the more hours of continuous work, the worse our concentration is. Therefore, it is important to organize our schedule in such a way that every hour and a half or two hours let’s include an “active pause” a few minutes in which we work on a technique, for example, breathing or mindfulness, to help us regulate and balance.
When we experience a state of stress, it is often accompanied by other emotions. The authors of “I want to learn to manage my stress” comment that, when we are alert for a long time and intensely, “as is the case right now due to the pandemic, it is very easy to become irritable, defensive and jump for anything ». At that point, where we experience “bad” stress, we may experience emotions such as sadness or feelings like helplessness, frustration or demotivation, which end up affecting our mood.
Resort to mindfulness
Finally, the experts talk about mindfulness, an increasingly widespread relaxation technique that according to many studies is effective for regularization in moments of nerves and little calm. «This practice will help calm the activation of our mind, to reduce the number of thoughts and be able to dissociate ourselves from them, that is, to see them from a distance “, the authors comment. This technique is not about “avoiding thinking”, but about “getting out of the automatic pilot that we start and from which we respond to everything without being aware of anything.”
To start practicing it, we can try to include a short period of mindfulness in conjunction with one of our routines. The idea is be aware of where the attention is at all times and focus it on everything we do. “For example, when you get up and are in the shower, pay attention to that exclusively, do not get caught up in your thoughts and observe the sensations, the smells, the steam that begins to surround you, that is, everything that is giving you that experience” , say the professionals, and conclude: “You can do this with your breakfast, when you do the dishes, when you walk to work … in short, any activity is good for practice.”