Or at least visit friends or relatives who have one more often. According to felinologists - scientists who study cats, the most powerful in terms of relieving stress and treating depression are long-haired and so-called indigenous cat breeds - Siamese, Burmese, Abyssinians, Angoras, Persians... They all cope well with another side effect of chronic stress - insomnia of the owner. In part, as scientists have found, this is facilitated by the vibration frequency of cats’ purring: the most healing waves “work” within 22 and 44 hertz. And, according to many felinologists, cats help better in terms of energy and stress relief, not cats.
2. Control your breathing
In order to learn how to relieve stress, you need to breathe correctly. You've probably seen in Hollywood films when, in a moment of fear or mental distress, a person is forced to breathe deeply. It is important to slowly take a deep breath through your nose, hold your breath at the peak of inhalation, and then exhale slowly so that the pulse decreases - this will become a kind of signal to the body that stressful situation behind. Also, be sure to relax your shoulders and facial muscles - this way, tension will no longer “hold” you. And so 3-4 times, after which quickly switch to some active physical activity, for example, clean up or go for a run.
3. Choose appropriate colors
Color therapy can help relieve stress. Very often, even the color of wallpaper or curtains can cause mental stress. For example, red, being a symbol of energy, can contribute to nervousness and anxiety. But, say, orange in the psychological field is often used in cases where a person loses interest in life and needs to stimulate new ones. vitality, the color has an antidepressant effect. And muted and pastel shades of blue help you relax and get rid of anxiety.
4. Walk among the trees
To relieve stress, it is useful to walk - in the forest, park, grove. According to alternative medicine experts, some plants are able to absorb “bad energy” and, accordingly, relieve stress, increased nervousness and tension. Such healing trees include, in particular, pine, alder, linden and, especially, poplar. Moreover, it is important to choose the right time for a walk: the energy activity of poplar is maximum in the interval from approximately 8.00 to 20.00, aspen and alder - from 14.00 to 19.00. But it’s best to walk among the linden trees in the morning (before 9 am), ideally on the waxing Moon.
5. Stay warm
According to scientists from Yale University, A 5-minute very warm, one might say hot (from 39 degrees) bath is an excellent remedy for bad mood, mental discomfort, feelings of loneliness and stress. This is explained quite simply: the lack of “spiritual” warmth is partly compensated by physical warmth. For the same reason, when we are stressed, we often feel cold and strive to dress warmly, wrap ourselves in a cozy blanket or drink a cup of hot tea. By the way, these “recipes” should not be ignored either!
A line at the checkout in a store, a traffic jam on the way home, a crush in the subway, disobedience of children, absence hot water... Sometimes even a minor problem can knock you out modern man out of a rut. And although small doses of stress help make our lives not boring, regular nervous tension, anxiety and restlessness can lead to loss of strength and illness. To avoid chronic stress, you should deal with negative emotions without delay. We offer you 10 unusual ideas getting rid of stress during the day.
Count 27 items
To relieve stress, you can follow the Chinese proverb: “If you want to get rid of sadness, move 27 objects in the house.” According to Eastern practice, to reduce stress it is enough to rearrange 27 things in the rooms.
These can be small objects - books, a vase of flowers, jars on the dressing table, stationery. By freeing up space for the unhindered flow of energy during such work, a person is distracted from problems and rests his soul.
Favorite music is a source of pleasure. You can combine listening to familiar audio recordings with dancing. A variety of movements will allow you to splash out your energy. It doesn't matter whether you dance the cha-cha-cha or hip-hop correctly. To feel comfortable, you can take a dance break alone. To do this, just turn on the music, close the door and feel the rhythm.
While dancing, try to swing your arms and legs as much as possible. When stressed, the muscles of the lumbosacral region, shoulder girdle and neck tighten. By relaxing them, you relieve yourself of tension and discomfort.
Many factors and situations can plunge us into a state of stress. But you need to somehow quickly overcome it in order to continue to work effectively or enjoy doing your favorite things. So how can you quickly relieve stress during the day? As a trainer, I will say that 200 burpees are a great way to get rid of stress! But! This method is definitely not suitable for everyone!
A less radical option is a relaxing massage. You just need to sign up for it first, which requires time. Here's what you can do directly in the situation that caused stress:
1. Physically end the situation.
No, do not hit the offender in the eye, but simply leave the room in which the unpleasant conversation took place, you can go for a walk. If you can't get out and the person is right in front of you, take a few steps away from him or simply turn your attention to a funny detail, for example, funny hair sticking out. This way you will get rid of stress and improve your mood.
2. Mentally discuss with yourself the unpleasant moment that happened
“What exactly is going on and why am I reacting this way?” Accept the answers that come to you. Yes, that person did something wrong, you have every right to be angry with him. Allow yourself such emotions.
3. Remember similar uncomfortable situations in which you would probably like to behave differently.
What did you do then? Mentally simulate such situations and your reaction options in them and take this as an action plan for the future. Although, maybe you already have it? It's time to use it!
4. In any unclear or unpleasant situation, dance!
Or just find a way to move actively, because it has long been proven that active physical exercise cause the body to produce endorphins - hormones of happiness. I don’t know how much happier you will become from mopping floors, digging beds, squats, push-ups and burpees, but dancing will definitely have an effect! Because dancing is a combination of body movements with music and its rhythms. Rhythm is what has a beneficial effect on all systems of the body and on thoughts in the head.
Dance as often as possible. 10, 30, or better yet 50 minutes (that’s how long the ZUMBA dance fitness class lasts). Let these minutes be a little vacation for your body and soul. How it works? You hear hot Latin rhythms and songs that are played in class, and images of the sun, sea, and parties appear in your head. There is simply no room left for negativity. If you are not very inclined to dance, then just listen and feel this fiery music! And problems - well, a grateful, rested brain will easily find a resource for solving them or processing them into useful experience.
Massage itself is a wonderful cure for stress. But if you need to act quickly, but don’t have time to visit a specialist, you can do self-massage. To relax, just massage your ears. To do this, you need to take a comfortable position - sitting in a chair, standing or lying down. Next, you need to close your eyes, take a few deep breaths and exhales, and then start massaging your earlobes.
Movements should be soft, without jerking. Be sure to walk your fingers along the contour of the entire ear, and then gently pull the lobes. After a mini-massage session, you need to relax in silence. You will definitely feel a surge of strength!
Do the plank exercise
Stress is the easiest thing to prevent. And a good prevention tool stress conditions are sports. You can choose any direction - from yoga to boxing. Regular visits to the gym have a positive effect on a person’s emotional state - along with strengthening muscles, self-confidence also grows. But even if you can’t go to training during the day, it’s enough to start doing the plank.
This miracle exercise has a multifaceted effect on the human body: it strengthens the back, improves posture, develops balance, and tightens the stomach and buttocks. But the plank in different variations also frees a person from anxiety and worry. Exercise helps cope with stress and achieve concentration.
In my experience, the most effective ways to relieve stress at work and outside of it are:
1. Relaxation - a technique for gradually relaxing all parts of the body. It can be performed while sitting, but ideally, lying down at home or in the studio, after the end of the working day. You can experiment and supplement your relaxation with aromatherapy (using oils for stress relief and relaxation: lavender, rose, sandalwood, eucalyptus, orange). Smells vary from person to person, I recommend trying the scent on sticks.
2. Stimulation - physical exercises from yoga. Exercises (a series of poses with forward bending) aimed at harmonizing 1 center help perfectly. Since he is responsible for the feeling of calm and security. Exercises to open the 2nd center (butterfly, goddess pose) help activate creative energy and see the situation from a different perspective. You can also do other physical exercises, such as squats, if you feel fear or anxiety. You can even do them in the office, during a break between calls to clients.
3. Meditation is a more advanced way of relieving stress, as it requires some preparation from the person. Meditation helps you concentrate, teaches you to discard unnecessary thoughts and attitudes, and as a result focus on the positive. Nowadays, workplace meditation has become popular in the most advanced companies that care about their employees. This technique helps the team reduce stress during the workday and improve results.
4. Affirmations that can be used to complement meditation. It’s easy to slide down the emotional scale, and therefore it is important to stop your destructive negative internal dialogue in time: “I’m a loser, nothing works out for me.” We need to replace it with new positive affirmations: “I can do it, there are so many in the world different people, I can do it."
5. Visualization is a way of transferring yourself to another place or desired state. I recommend doing it after relaxation or breathing exercises. You can imagine yourself in beautiful place, in a good mood, draw positive pictures in your imagination.
Regular chewing gum helps take care of oral hygiene. It can be used not only to protect against caries, but also to defeat stress. Just 3 minutes of chewing helps stabilize the psyche and reduce stress levels. This is confirmed by the results of a study published in the Journal Of Prosthodontics Research.
How more active person chews gum, the faster a feeling of relaxation and peace arises. And it's not about the chewing gum, but in reducing the level of catecholamines during the work of the jaw muscles. These substances are produced by the body under stress. A decrease in catecholamine levels leads to a decrease in anxiety.
Do some cleaning
Cleaning your home or workplace will help you organize your thoughts and calm your raging emotions. There is no need to wash the floors in all rooms or throw away deposits from the mezzanines or dismantle the balcony. It is enough to disassemble the drawer in the table or put books in the closet in alphabetical order. You can only clean the mirrors throughout the apartment.
Putting order in the surrounding space is a direct path to order in the soul. After all, smiling at your reflection in a sparkling clean mirror is much more pleasant! And mini-cleaning will be an excellent alternative to physical activity.
Expert commentary
I consider changing the interior an excellent method of combating depression and stress. This method allows you to switch your attention to another problem and get rid of problems. Banal but effective actions will help you cope with stress:
1. Place a vase with your favorite fresh flowers in the room. You can place a vase of fruits and vegetables in a prominent place. Bright fruits and flowers not only delight the eye with colors, but also awaken the appetite and lift your spirits.
2. Update photos in photo frames. You can print out the best moments of your life or hang a poster of your favorite actor on the wall.
3. Add decorative elements to the interior of the apartment: candles, figurines, beautiful jars, vases, boxes. A few decorative pillows, a new bedspread, decorative napkins, and bright vinyl stickers will also help to refresh the appearance of the room.
4. Do some general cleaning. If you are very short on time, you can sort out your closet/wardrobe and throw away things you haven’t worn for a long time.
5. Rearrange the table lamp/floor lamp or change the usual arrangement of curtains using drapery clips. By the way, you can make a retainer yourself - from beads, necklaces, chokers, etc.
You can get a dose of endorphins, the so-called happiness hormones, with the help of water procedures. It has been known since ancient times that water has healing powers. It literally helps wash away stress along with dust and sweat. In addition to taking a shower, you can choose water aerobics in the pool, swimming in a pond or taking a hot bath. The main thing is that at the end of the procedure you feel relaxed.
For water therapy, it is enough to allocate only 10-15 minutes. In the shower, it is important to ensure that the liquid first hits your head and then flows freely over your shoulders. This way she will take all the negative information with her. Your favorite scent of shower gel and shampoo will also help you calm down. The aromas of vanilla and cinnamon and freshly cut grass are the best to cope with stress.
Paint a picture
Bring out the artist in you! Take brushes or pencils, markers, colored pens and draw whatever your heart desires. With the help of drawing, you can switch your attention from thinking about pressing problems to searching for original ideas. During creative process you activate areas in the brain responsible for abstract thinking and creativity. And this, in turn, leads to a decrease in stress levels.
If you think that your creativity If you don’t have enough to create a full-fledged masterpiece, you can splash out your energy with the help of anti-stress coloring books. These are ready-made pictures for art therapy that promote relaxation. Anti-stress coloring books are popular all over the world among children and adults. You can print out a few pictures for yourself right at work to give free rein to your imagination during your lunch break.
Expert commentary
I bring to your attention creative ways to relieve stress during the day. These are art therapy methods:
1. Drawing breathing. Tracking your own breathing rhythms, recording them as lines on paper. Straight, curved, continuous and dotted, dots, dashes, commas, whatever. First, record your breathing from your current state on paper, then begin to breathe more deeply and freely, reflecting the changes in the drawing. Then compare both drawings and record the changes.
2. Drawing doodles on paper. Free movement of the pen on a sheet of paper for 1-2 minutes. If the stress is off the charts, intense stroke movements are possible, with strong pressure on the sheet of paper, as the condition dictates. After the drawing is completed, it is suggested that you examine it from all sides and think about whether the outlines of the image are similar to any familiar image? Draw the image to a familiar one, add details, as a result of which you will begin to like the drawing. Perhaps add some color, paint it.
3. Drawing in a circle. On a sheet of paper, draw a circle with a diameter of approximately 20-25 cm (depending on how much the sheet of paper allows). The circle is proposed to be filled with any patterns, colors and shapes, as your imagination dictates. It is advisable not to go beyond the circle - the form itself presupposes a closed space in which the emotions of the painter seem to be contained and held. Thus, a person has the opportunity to express raging emotions, but at the same time make them safe for himself and others.
While many people choose to boost their energy levels with coffee or black tea, cocoa is the best way to relieve stress. This drink contains a lot of magnesium. This substance prevents stress, improves mental performance, and increases a person’s emotional stability.
If it is not possible to brew a flavorful drink, you can leisurely eat it without a large number of chocolate. Preferably bitter. A product with a high content of cocoa beans also protects against stress, improves mood, and reduces distraction. Flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds are also rich in magnesium.
It is a fact!
Besides cocoa, orange juice is a delicious stress reliever. Nutritious and very healthy drink contains vitamin C, so it helps reduce anxiety. The substances contained in the juice reduce the level of stress hormones, including cortisol. Regularly drinking just 2 glasses of freshly squeezed orange fruit drink a day can help you overcome anxiety.
The connection between good mood and touching, stroking. For example, Albert Einstein coped with difficulties in scientific work with the help of his wife’s hugs. Tactile therapy relieves muscle strain, promotes psychological relief and relaxation.
Feeling the support of loved ones, it is much easier to cope even with seemingly insoluble situations. Moreover, not only moral support is important, but also tactile support. Hug your husband, child or mother - this way you will get a little warmth and feel a surge of new strength. Skin contact helps reduce the production of the stress hormone - cortisol levels.
To forget about stress, you don't need to take sedatives. Using unusual methods of dealing with emotional stress, you can look at the problem from a different angle, free yourself from irritation and anxiety, and feel happy.
In our difficult times, the diagnosis of “stress” will no longer surprise anyone. Nerve problems are experienced by the entire population, young and old. Often the cause is simple fatigue and being overloaded with routine tasks. The danger of diseases of the nervous system should not be underestimated and the situation should not be neglected. Recovery is in your hands.
Exercises to relieve stress and tension
Psychiatrists have developed special techniques for relieving and combating stress, which can be used at home, following the recommendations of a professional. If it is not yet possible to eliminate the cause of the development of a nervous experience, it is worth trying to calm the damaged nervous system. So, what methods of stress relief exist, and does performing a certain complex actually calm you down?
A set of anti-stress exercises
To relieve emotional stress, specialists have developed a whole range of exercises. This program of stress relaxation techniques is aimed at calming through psychophysiological relaxation of the body. Exercises, by influencing certain organs, allow you to relieve accumulated tension in the body and spirit and cope with stress in general.
- Belly breathing. Proper breathing to calm yourself is the first step to success. Try to inhale and exhale through your stomach, and not with your lungs, then rounding it, then “blowing it out” and retracting it. To regulate movements, place your hands on your navel. The duration of the procedure is 5 minutes.
- Slow breathing. One of the simplest physical exercises to relieve stress and tension. Inhale deeply for 4 seconds, then hold your breath for the same period. Repeat one by one for 5 minutes, completely relaxing during the psycho-gymnastics.
- Eskimo. Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Tighten your body by stretching upward. Stay in this position until you get used to the state of tension and get tired of it. Try feeling frozen. And then imagine that the sun is hanging over you, and you are slowly melting under its rays. Gradually relax your hands, shoulders, neck, face, the last ones will be your legs. Maintain proper breathing.
- Sea coast. Sit back comfortably on the sofa and imagine that you are sitting on the seashore. A light breeze blows over you, the sun shines from the sky, and you bask in its rays. Drop all problems, don't think about anything. Finish when you feel relaxed.
- Seven candles. This procedure includes elements of gymnastics and visualization (gymnastics against stress are known to be very helpful). Imagine that there are seven candles lit in front of you, which you need to blow out one by one. Having visualized, slowly do this with each one in turn, imagining everything in the smallest detail. Having “blown out” all seven luminaries, plunge into darkness and give your head a break from obsessive thoughts.
- “Everything will work out.” This method will help you focus on the problem and solve it. Think through your actions step by step, concentrating on the feeling that arises after each “step” taken. Remember your theoretical plan and implement it.
- Drawing. Try to depict on a landscape sheet the situation that worries you so much. Draw not only faces and objects, but also emotions: drawing will help relieve stress. On back side paper, write a few phrases characterizing the general state of affairs or your own feelings and sensations about this. Tear or burn the paper to get rid of the problem.
- "Squeezed lemon". Take a lotus position or any other position that is comfortable for you, sitting on the sofa or on the floor. Imagine that you are squeezing a lemon in one of your hands. Tense yourself and show effort by “squeezing” the juice out of it. Then “transfer” the fruit to the other hand, pressing it to the end.
- Scale. The exercise will be useful to those people who are fixated on a rather insignificant problem and are aware of this fact. But they can’t do anything about their anxiety. Close your eyes and imagine that you are in a house located in the middle of a long street. The street belongs to the district, the district to the city, the city to the country, and the country to the mainland. Next comes the planet, the Universe. Imbue yourself with the degree of greatness of the world and understand how insignificant the scale of your problem is.
- Swing. Sit on a flat surface and clasp your knees with your hands, bringing them closer to your face. Round your back. Rock from side to side as if on the waves. Such gymnastics for relieving stress through slow movements will put you in a peaceful mood.
Trainings and games to relieve stress
Individual and group exercises conducted in a playful manner relieve nervous fatigue well. By getting involved, a person focuses on the rules and forgets about what worries his soul.
Camel caravan
Take a comfortable position and close your eyes. You are in the desert, the sultry sun is shining overhead. Its rays have a soporific effect on you. A caravan of camels moves slowly along the sand, the animals shake their heads rhythmically. You climb onto one of them and set off with the caravan. The monotonous desert landscape, warm sand and the leisurely pace of camels immerse you in a state of nirvana. You don’t think about anything, all problems and worries remain outside the world of sands. Warmth envelops your body from head to toe, then fills your soul. Spend as much time among the sands as you need for complete relaxation.
Pyramid
The game is designed to get rid of negative emotions by sorting them out “piece by piece” and realizing that they are completely solvable. Buy two children's pyramids in the store, divide the cones for stringing into “positive” and “negative”. First, fill out the form for the feelings that are depressing you, trying to understand what causes each of them and whether the problem is that serious. With each ring you string, be aware of the fact that worrying will not help the matter, and the nerve cells are not restored. Then, freeing consciousness from negative thoughts, take on more enjoyable work - focus on what pleases your soul. Let the feeling of happiness completely consume you during this period. You must understand that these moments of happiness are worth living for.
Faces
This game will help you or your child get rid of a bad mood and get into a positive mood. A great option will be a collective activity - exercises to relieve stress. Make funny faces at each other or in front of the mirror, stick out your tongues, take pictures. Such simple actions can cheer a person up and save him from the blues.
Funny faces will cheer you up and drive away bad moods
Meditations to calm your nerves
The oldest practice of removing nervous tension, widespread and recommended by psychologists around the world, is meditation. This technique is an excellent alternative to drugs: once you master it perfectly, you will lose your dependence on drugs and become immune to influence external stimuli. Why meditation is useful and what effect it has on the human body and spirit:
- expanding the boundaries of consciousness and perception;
- calming the mind;
- abstraction from exciting issues;
- gaining self-control and peace of mind.
Yoga meditation against stress
The good thing about this technique is that you will eventually be able to meditate anywhere, even in places large cluster of people. True, such external independence is not acquired immediately; it is recommended to start with studying alone.
It is not necessary to take the Lotus position. Sit in a way that is comfortable for you. Relax, breathe deeply and evenly. You can turn on music for relaxation. Count your inhalations and exhalations and repeat mantras silently or out loud.
By practicing meditation daily, after a short amount of time you will feel how much more stable and stronger your spirit has become.
Conclusion
Stress is part of our mental state. Sometimes it serves as an impetus for decisive action and gives a push forward. Our job is to prevent the negative emotions coming from him from filling our consciousness and destroying it morally.
Protect your health from unnecessary worries to avoid psychological consequences.
Update: November 2019
Stress is a very dangerous condition. Left to its own devices, without attention, it slowly destroys the body, leading to the development of diseases of the heart, nervous and endocrine systems. Obesity, which is present in many people over 30, is nothing more than a manifestation of stress. Therefore, this condition must be combated. Next, we will talk in detail about various ways to relieve stress and fight depression. Your task is to choose one or more methods that are right for you.
Basic principles of stress treatment
Usually a person knows what caused the disturbance in his psycho-emotional state (for example, stress at work). Then treatment, if possible, begins with eliminating stress factors. This could be stopping communication with an intrusive colleague or neighbor (a one-time refusal to help or even a quarrel is better for the psyche than everyday cooperation, if this causes negative emotions). There may be more radical measures: changing the environment, switching to work as a remote employee.
If it is impossible to eliminate the stress factor, you need to change your attitude towards it, as well as change your priorities. This is possible through the practices of meditation, relaxation, animal therapy, travel and play therapy. The rest of the methods given below are aimed at returning harmony to the soul, and drug treatment and physiotherapy - to restore the body's strength.
All of these areas of treatment are more effective immediately after exposure to a stressor, but they must also be applied in the case of a long-term “stay in the disease.”
Factors such as:
- normalization of the “work: rest” ratio (sleep duration cannot be less than 9 hours, unless you have accustomed the body to a different duration through various meditative practices);
- good nutrition;
- sufficient activity (walking at least 30 minutes a day), doing exercises;
- hobbies.
If the stress turns out to be severe, it is necessary to begin treatment with psychotherapeutic treatment. In the case where the stressor was disaster, war, bandit attack or the like, you need to contact a psychotherapist or psychiatrist within the first 48 hours, otherwise the consequences can be very serious.
If we're talking about about the child, then during the treatment period it is very important for him to feel parental support and affection; he can be offered drawing, dancing, sports activities, spending more time together, walking in the fresh air, going on a picnic. Parents can better understand their baby's needs by listening to what they say with toys. The child’s daily routine, sufficient nutrition and adequate sleep during treatment are required. You cannot insist that your child fit in with his peers: this can further stress him. It’s better to find out where group art therapy classes are held (drawing, sand application, singing) and start going with him.
Features of nutrition during stress
The basic rules for eating under stress are:
- there should be no overeating;
- daily salt intake should be reduced to 6-8 g per day (about a teaspoon);
- food should contain 350-400 g of carbohydrates, 100 g of proteins, 100 g of fats;
- include in your diet foods that promote the production of endorphins (“happiness hormone”) in the body: bananas, avocados, strawberries, spices – mustard, sweets – chocolate in small quantities;
- do not eat high-calorie foods;
- When the body is stressed, production increases free radicals To neutralize them, you need to eat foods rich in antioxidants. These are citrus fruits, black currants (they contain a lot of vitamin C), almonds, raw pumpkin seeds, boiled Swiss chard, spinach, vegetable oils(especially from wheat germ, olive, coconut, camelina, hemp). The last 5 foods are rich in vitamin E;
- One of the mechanisms for the development of pathological processes under stress is also an increase in the permeability of cell membranes. In order to strengthen the cell membranes so that the contents necessary for their normal functioning do not leak out, we need vitamins PP, B (the whole group), and the microelement selenium. These are tomatoes and tomato juice, peanuts, Walnut, hazelnuts, cedar nuts, bran bread, cereal porridge, Jerusalem artichoke, garlic, avocado, carrots, zucchini, beans, lentils. Healthy fruits and berries include: apricot, peach, raspberry, mulberry, cloudberry.
Reduce the amount you consume, or better yet, completely eliminate those foods that stimulate the brain. These are, first of all, caffeine-containing products: coffee, black tea, cola, chocolate. Secondly, these are extractive substances contained in meat, fish and mushroom broths, as well as fried fish and meat. These products will cause increased activity of the gastrointestinal tract, which will therefore send a large number of impulses to the brain, thereby stimulating it.
Alcohol and drugs will only worsen the situation, so they need to be eliminated completely.
Psychotherapeutic methods
To overcome stress and its consequences, psychotherapists use various methods that help a person get out of a vicious circle if he cannot (as in the case of an acute reaction to stress) or does not want (considers it insignificant) to do it himself. This:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy. It is based on a person’s current thoughts, on what reactions occur in his body in response to certain events. Based on thoughts, feelings and the person, the therapist understands how they can be changed.
- Gestalt therapy. Here the psychotherapist communicates with the person in such a way that he himself understands the causes of his stress. Then the patient understands how to solve his own problem and, under the guidance of a doctor, takes the necessary steps.
- Hypnosis. In this case, the doctor resorts to suggestion, with the help of which he “forces” to get rid of psycho-emotional stress and bad thoughts.
All psychotherapy aims to develop a person’s psychological stability in difficult conditions, to form a stable system of life values, to develop a person’s sober approach to the world and the flexibility of his thinking.
Physiotherapeutic treatments
To treat stress, science has developed several physiotherapeutic treatment methods that will affect the nervous system. This:
- Electroson. In this case, electrodes are applied to the eye area, through which a constant pulsed current of low strength and short pulse duration is passed. It rhythmically stimulates the cortex and subcortical structures such as the hypothalamus, limbic system, thalamus and reticular formation, resulting in sleep. Such sleep differs in phases from natural or medicated (anesthesia). It stimulates the restoration of the relationship between the autonomic nervous and endocrine systems, has an analgesic effect, improves mood, reduces fatigue, and makes natural night sleep more profound. Unlike sleep during anesthesia or after taking it, it does not cause intoxication or complications.
Electrosleep is contraindicated in case of inflammatory eye diseases, inflammation of the facial skin, glaucoma, high myopia, late-stage cataracts, stage 2-3 heart failure, stage 2-3 hypertension.
- Magnetotherapy. In this case, the effect on tissue is carried out using a low-frequency alternating or constant magnetic field, which, by influencing molecules in tissues (especially the thalamus, hypothalamus, cerebral cortex), improves their ability to pass through cell membranes. Thus, biological processes change in tissues:
- Biochemical reactions are accelerated by 10-30%;
- the excitability of nerve cells decreases;
- the body’s “energy systems” go into saving mode;
- vascular spasm decreases;
- has a beneficial effect on sleep;
- the metabolism between blood and tissue fluid improves;
- emotional stress decreases;
- A pulsed magnetic field has a stimulating effect on the nervous system, while a constant field has a calming effect.
Magnetic therapy is contraindicated for cancer, schizophrenia, epilepsy, stage 3 hypertension (when there are already complications), cardiac and respiratory failure.
- Sinusoidal modulated currents (amplipulse therapy) with application of electrodes to the skin of the eyes. Currents pass through the skin and affect the hormonal and immune state of the body, normalize blood pressure, and have an analgesic and calming effect.
- Applications of paraffin and ozokerite on the back of the head and neck area. The use of this warm mass will improve the outflow of blood and lymph from the cranial cavity, reduce headaches by reducing intracranial pressure, improve the exchange of substances between the blood and tissues of the neck and head, and stimulate the immune system.
Applications are contraindicated for thyrotoxicosis, severe neuroses, tumors, diabetes mellitus, tuberculosis, and cerebral atherosclerosis.
- Acupuncture has an analgesic, calming effect, relaxes muscles.
- Acupressure. Its action is similar to acupuncture, but does not require special equipment, but requires a specialist with the necessary experience and knowledge. A massage therapist can teach techniques with which a person can subsequently perform self-massage of biologically active points.
- Ultrasonic exposure. With the help of ultrasound, micromassage is performed at the cellular level, it has an analgesic effect, and relieves spasm of blood vessels carrying blood to the brain. Contraindications are the same as for paraffin-ozokerite applications.
- Galvanization– treatment with electric currents of low strength and low voltage, which change the pH of the environment, osmotic processes, and polarize cell membranes. When galvanizing the collar zone, blood circulation, excitability and nutrition of the brain, organs of hearing and vision, and upper extremities change reflexively.
If a person needs intensive recovery (for example, with advanced stress, in case of an acute reaction to stress, or with post-traumatic stress disorder), a program consisting of the combined use of several procedures at once is suitable for him:
- drinking mineral waters;
- iodine-bromine baths;
- oxygen therapy with the supply of oxygen to the brain, organs and tissues;
- magnetic therapy;
- ultrasound therapy.
It is best when these procedures are performed in a sanatorium. Then, in the intervals between them, healthy meals and rest, physical activity such as measured walking in landscaped areas where various plant associations grow naturally or artificially are recommended. This therapeutic movement allows you to saturate the blood with air enriched with oxygen. Also, aeroionophytotherapy allows you to get additional positive emotions through communication with nature.
To ensure that stress the next time it happens does not lead to negative consequences for the body, physiotherapeutic procedures such as:
- water procedures;
- balneotherapy (treatment mineral waters in the form of baths and for oral administration);
- transcerebral electroprocedures: electrosleep, amplipulse therapy and interference therapy with application of electrodes to the skull.
Resort and SPA therapy
SPA treatment involves various methods of influencing the body to help it recover. in a natural way. They are very pleasant and affect many senses at once: smell, touch, hearing, vision. They are performed both at resorts and in specially created SPA centers, where you can choose one or several procedures.
SPA include:
- balneotherapy - treatment with mineral waters, which can be used in the form of baths, for oral administration, as well as for inhalation or microenemas;
- thalassotherapy (sea treatment), which consists of exposure to sea air (cavitotherapy), treatment with algae (algotherapy), sea water (hydrotherapy) and sea mud (fangotherapy);
- chocolate and coffee SPA treatment. In this case, mixtures with green coffee or cocoa extracts are applied to the skin, which have a pleasant smell, nourish the skin, and help eliminate excess subcutaneous fat;
- peloidotherapy or mud therapy is the application of biologically active mud to the skin, which, through its thermal and enzymatic effects, is involved in the treatment of the nervous system;
- aromatherapy (about it - in the corresponding section);
- stone therapy is a special massage technique performed with natural stones, which are applied either hot or cold (this is necessary to obtain the desired response from the body - relaxation or, on the contrary, toning), then laid out along the spine, then massage movements are performed with them;
- A Turkish bath is a thermal effect on the body, when there is no such stress for it as in a Russian bath or sauna, because the temperature here is only 35-50 degrees. Hamam has a relaxing effect, improves sleep, and stimulates digestion. The procedure is contraindicated for people with mental disorders, cancer, patients with bronchial asthma and skin diseases.
- therapeutic relaxing massage.
Spas are contraindicated during pregnancy, cancer, blood clotting disorders, blood diseases, epilepsy, severe diseases of any internal organ, intolerance to the components of the procedure, and also - but this is temporary - during infectious diseases.
During a resort or SPA treatment, you cannot engage in heavy physical activity, compete, lift heavy weights, or do crossfit. You can only hang on the horizontal bar, do stretching exercises, and swim in the pool. Intimate relationships during such treatment are not contraindicated.
Meditation
This is the main way that can help yourself get out of psychological stress. There is no harm from it, only benefit: relaxation of the nervous system, finding inner peace. If you relax correctly, you can even get an answer from the Universe to your questions.
Meditation is carried out either in sitting position(in a partial or full lotus position, or - if it’s really difficult - sitting on bent legs), or lying on your back, in a pose called “shavasana”.
Shavasana means that you need to lie on the mat, on your back, with your arms at a 45-degree angle to your body, palms up. The heels are at a distance of about 5 cm from each other, the head lies so that the eyes (they will need to be closed later) look at the ceiling. The tip of the tongue touches the palate behind the upper teeth.
The pose has been chosen, now here are the basic rules, without which you will either fall asleep or feel irritated instead of relaxing:
- Set an alarm clock (timer) for 10-15 minutes.
- Breathing is calm, preferably with the stomach, which inflates as you inhale, and decreases like a ball as you exhale. It is advisable to practice abdominal breathing before you begin to dive into the depths of your own consciousness.
- The tongue is behind the upper teeth: this closes an important channel for the flow of energy.
- Feel how each toe relaxes and warms up, then your shins, thighs, then each finger, forearms, and shoulders. Eventually you should stop feeling them and instead feel like you are floating on the waves.
- Relax your eyes - they seem to fall inside your eye sockets.
- Relax your nose and ears: feel like you are breathing from the back of your head.
- Stop your mental speech, try not to think about anything. It won't happen right away, but it will work out. Concentrate on your breathing. You can also concentrate on the music that you have turned on for this (those tracks called “binaural” are recommended), or on the pictures that will appear in front of you. eyes closed. You don’t have to close your eyes and look at a blazing fire or flowing water (this can be done in the form of a video on your computer). You can also imagine the picture that evokes the greatest peace: that you are lying in a green clearing in the forest, or on the sand near the clearest sea and so on.
- Ask your mental question or request, wait for an answer, consciously stopping any thoughts.
- Try to feel how, as you inhale, life-giving energy penetrates the body, and as you exhale, stress leaves the body and does not return.
If you fall asleep all the time, try the partial lotus position, in which you should be as relaxed as possible. If you are exercising in the cold season, dress well, lay 2 blankets on the floor, and use a third blanket to cover yourself.
Relaxation
This is a relaxation technique similar to the meditation described above. Only here you concentrate not on stopping thoughts or breathing, but on relaxing your body so as to “float in weightlessness” and thus get rid of stress.
Performed in a lying position (can be in bed):
- Spread your legs shoulder-width apart, toes apart, and arms slightly to the sides.
- Take a deep breath, long exhale, try to do this with your stomach.
- Alternately, first tense and then relax each part of the body: first the neck and head, then the arms, chest, stomach and legs. Tension should last for at least 5 seconds, relaxation for at least 30 seconds. This is the Jacobson technique. There is a second technique - according to Jackson. It involves alternate tension and relaxation of first the muscles of the dominant half of the body (right for right-handed people, left for left-handed people), and then the “secondary” half.
- During practice, imagine that you are in nature: near the sea, in the mountains, in a forest or in a meadow. Try to smell the herbs (salt water, mountain air) and the sounds that occur in this area.
You can perform relaxation practice in the following ways:
- Lie on your back, put your arms along your body, straighten your legs. Relax. Inhale through your nose, hold your breath for 3-4 seconds. As you exhale, imagine all the negativity, fatigue and anxiety leaving your body.
- Lie on your back as comfortably as possible. Inhale and exhale deeply and smoothly. After a while, begin to tense and then relax the muscles in turn in this way: right leg - left leg, stomach, right arm - left arm, chest, shoulders, neck, face, head. Feel your completely relaxed body, breathe deeply and calmly. Repeat tension-relaxation again.
Breathing techniques
If you are interested in how to get out of stress on your own, start with the use of breathing techniques. Proper breathing in a traumatic situation can even relieve stress or reduce its severity.
Breathing that can calm the mind is diaphragmatic (belly):
- you take a deep breath, and, placing your hand on your stomach, feel how it rises (the stomach inflates);
- exhalation is long, approximately equal to inhalation, the stomach at this time tends to “stick” to the spine.
Don't rush, watch the rhythm and frequency of your breathing, don't let yourself breathe too often, but don't panic when it seems like you're running out of air. Try not to pause between inhalation and exhalation. After a few minutes, do something else that requires concentration.
Visualization method
It means the following. Draw or write on a piece of paper about what is bothering you, then burn the piece of paper, imagining how both the problem and the negativity associated with it leave you with the smoke. While the leaf is burning, force yourself to imagine pleasant images, you can hum a cheerful song.
Method of shouting into space
By throwing out accumulated negativity in the form of a scream, you can supplement your vocalization with physical manipulation. So, you can hit a punching bag or a pillow, you can hit dishes, throw things or throw darts (not at living beings). In Japanese offices, for such release, there are special felt-lined rooms where employees can engage in such short-term destructive activities. In this way, local psychologists believe, he can relieve stress and continue to work productively, instead of performing his duties more and more carelessly, and then completely going on sick leave with a heart disease or neurosis.
Yoga exercises
The following yogic poses (asanas) help relieve stress:
Hirudotherapy
This is the scientific name for treatment with leeches, which is very reasonable for stress. Firstly, leeches bite the skin only at bioactive points, influencing those organs that “cooperate” with it (that is, the specialist chooses where to plant, and the leech itself searches for a specific location with an accuracy of a tenth of a millimeter). Secondly, leeches inject the substance hirudin under the skin, which thins the blood (less viscous blood “moves” more freely through the vessels and does not stagnate in the capillaries, but performs its function of nourishing the tissues). Thirdly, this worm injects other beneficial substances into the blood, which:
- reduce blood sugar levels;
- stimulate the production of “happiness hormones” - endorphins;
- reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood, which can, deposited on the walls of blood vessels, lead to a decrease in their diameter up to complete closure;
- activate the immune system.
Fourthly, taking a few milliliters of blood (one leech absorbs 5-10 ml of blood) in some way “unloads” the blood flow, removing “excess” blood. Fifthly, the effect of one hirudotherapy session lasts 3 months.
Color stimulation
It's called relatively the new kind physiotherapeutic treatment, which consists of exposing the body to light rays of the visible spectrum, which, due to different wavelengths, have different colors. The method is based on the fact that light is an irritant to the eye, which not only detects it, but sends signals to the brain. Moreover, depending on the wavelength, the signal goes to different parts of the brain and triggers slightly different biochemical reactions.
A program to combat stress and depression is selected individually by a color therapist based on the leading symptom:
- if you need to calm down (especially if your blood pressure has risen due to stress), blue is needed;
- if self-confidence has disappeared, and the world is seen in black tones, you need yellow;
- if one feels tired and does not want to work, the person should be shown green;
- when you need to increase your appetite, orange rays are added;
- if there is a tendency to spring-autumn depression, in color scheme should not be purple.
Not only the color itself that will be shown to a person after stress is important: the rhythm of the color signal, its shades, and the level of illumination of the field in which this or that color appears are also important.
Art therapy
Art therapy is treatment with art. This is a very good technique for relieving any, even traumatic, stress and its consequences. This is due to the wide possibilities of non-verbal self-expression, protective capabilities due to metaphorical images, a large number of materials and types of art. A person can transfer the experience of his stress to visual materials, because of which they will no longer cause such acute feelings in him, and after that he will be able to gain control over them. This task should be given by a specially trained specialist who will first assess the stage at which the person is, and then, with the help of tasks that will gradually become more complex, return him to the desired inner harmony.
Art therapy involves:
- switching attention from a traumatic situation to creativity. At the beginning of therapy, a person stops putting his problem at the forefront, gradually ceasing to “obsess” with it;
- transferring one's experiences and sensations to external processes and objects. This helps the negative experience become detached from the individual. A person's mental energy becomes more controlled by his own consciousness and will not cause such emotions as before;
- You can gradually “bring out” previously suppressed emotions from the subconscious and from the non-dominant hemisphere of the brain and experience them. This way a person will avoid chronic stress.
Art therapy is suitable for people of all ages and religions. It can be used both acutely and rehabilitation period. It is carried out both in the form of individual, family or group classes.
There are many types of art therapy, let's look at them in more detail.
Isotherapy
This is a fine art treatment:
- painting;
- appliqué;
- modeling;
- painting;
- origami;
- creating a clay amulet;
- anti-stress coloring books.
Each of the types has its own subtypes and techniques, which are known to specialists involved in art therapy, and they should help a person choose the technique necessary for him.
So, painting can be done in the form:
- self-portrait;
- when you need to draw your emotional state with the help of lines, strokes, and various shapes (a person moves a pen over the paper, creating chaotic lines until he feels better);
- “like a child” style: you need to draw with your non-working hand what interested you most or worried you in childhood;
- group drawing: when one person draws a doodle, and the other must find some image there, decorate and complement it;
- collage;
- meditative drawing. It is performed using the technique of either zentangles (patterns that are drawn in sections of a square), or zendoodles (the kind of patterns that fill anti-stress coloring books), or doodles (drawing arbitrary patterns).
Any isotherapy technique is performed according to the following plan:
- Create silence outside and within yourself by stopping your internal dialogue.
- Ask yourself an intimate question.
- Create using the chosen material: crayons, pencils, paints, gouache.
Creativity performed to calm music or recording the sounds of nature has a good effect.
Music therapy
This is what music therapy is called. This can be listening to songs or music (receptive music therapy), as well as singing or playing a musical instrument on your own (active music therapy methods). There is also integrative music therapy, when one plays, draws, or dances to music.
Music has a triple effect on the body:
- physical: when singing along, a person’s vocal cords vibrate, which is very useful;
- mental: if you like the music, it contributes to the production of happiness hormones in the body;
- associative: good memories are associated with certain music.
If you are stressed, it is recommended to listen to (perform) works by Chopin; if you are nervous, listen to the “Moonlight Sonata” or the 3rd movement of Beethoven’s 6th symphony, “Moonlight” by Debussy. In order for the treatment to truly help, the composition must be selected by a specialist.
Kinesitherapy
This includes dancing, physical therapy, as well as massage sessions and outdoor games - everything where movement is required.
Bibliotherapy
This is the name for book therapy through reading or writing your own essays or stories. There is even a separate type of bibliotherapy – fairy tale therapy.
Sand therapy
The main “healer” in this case is sand. You can simply pour it over, make sand animation, build sand sculptures, compositions or castles. You can use both natural sand and artificial sand, which has special properties - kinetic.
The following methods of sand therapy are distinguished:
- playing in a classic blue sandbox (blue has a calming effect);
- painting with colored sand;
- sand painting on backlit tables;
- dynamic drawing: combining colored sand and a white tray, when pouring sand produces different patterns;
- classes with kinetic sand - a special material based on starch and quartz sand, from which you can build various castles, figures, sculptures, while it does not stick to your hands and crumbles like dry sand.
Classes can be conducted individually, in pairs or with a group of people. You can draw with sand by pouring it from a pinch or from your fist. You can create a uniform background using your fingers, palm or tools.
Imagotherapy
This is a treatment with theatrical art, which involves either staging theatrical scenes or visiting theaters.
Phototherapy
This is conducting photo reports, photo sessions, photo collages or slides for patients.
Art synthesis therapy
This is a combination of several types of art therapy: for example, coloring and playing musical instrument, creating and retouching photographs and reading books.
Animal therapy or animal therapy
The fact that animals can help people heal was first learned in the 18th century. Then it turned out that dogs could help people undergo treatment in a psychiatric clinic: the presence of such a pet reduced the need to fix the patient in a straitjacket, since the number of attacks and general aggressiveness in people decreased.
The term “pet therapy” (that is, treatment with pets) first appeared in 1969. It was introduced by child psychiatrist B. Levinson, who noticed that the presence of a dog in his office has a beneficial effect on young patients, regardless of their diagnosis. After further study, it turned out that dogs have special properties that allow them to “sniff out” the presence of cancer cells in a person. These same animals anticipate within 20 minutes that a person will develop an epileptic seizure or a sharp decline blood sugar level in a diabetic patient. Later, scientists paid attention to special “talents” in treating people and other animals: horses, cats, dolphins and even aquarium fish. Then pet therapy became animal therapy - treatment with the help of animals, which do not necessarily have to be pets.
Positive aspects of animal therapy:
- Eliminate feelings of loneliness.
- Help in socializing the patient.
- Enhancing the effect of treating complex conditions when stress is combined with any acute or chronic disease.
There are several types of animal therapy.
Canistherapy – treatment with dogs
In the treatment of stress, canistherapy is especially needed for people who find it difficult to establish emotional contact with other people, those who tend to experience their grief alone, without telling anyone about it. Dogs can improve a person’s psycho-emotional state and create positive social attitudes, relieve emotional stress. Dog walking makes a person change his sedentary lifestyle and believe in himself (“The dog doesn’t care how much money you have or what you can do”).
For people prone to neuroses, friendly dog breeds are well suited: poodles, Labradors, spaniels.
Dolphin therapy
Swimming and communicating with dolphins are indicated for psychological rehabilitation for those people who have suffered an acute reaction to stress when wars, extreme conditions, hurricanes, and earthquakes acted as stressors.
And if dogs treat with their own spontaneity, kindness and devotion, then dolphins also have in their arsenal the ultrasonic waves they emit, which change the bioelectrical activity of the brain. Thus, they have a relaxing effect on the central nervous system and establish connections between the brain and internal organs. When studying the electroencephalogram, it turned out that after communicating with the dolphin, the brain rhythm slowed down, alpha and theta rhythms appeared, and the work of both hemispheres was synchronized.
Dolphin therapy has contraindications. These are oncological diseases, epilepsy, infectious diseases.
Felinotherapy – treatment for cats
With its vibration, emitted when purring, when it caresses a person, a cat helps him calm down and relax. There is also an opinion that every human tissue emits vibration: with its help, substances are exchanged between blood and tissue fluid, this fluid and blood. When its own vibration weakens, the organ becomes ill. The cat has the ability to sense such places and, by sitting on them and starting to purr, replenishes the deficiency of this resource.
Hippotherapy – treatment with horses
During horse riding, the rider experiences about 110 impulses per minute: within a short period of time, he has to make several hundred movements in different planes. He needs to stay on the horse, which results in a lot of his muscles working. These muscles send a large number of impulses to the brain, which helps develop connections between neurons.
In addition, the horse's movements have a massaging effect, which leads to improved blood circulation. The muscular work that is performed during horse riding promotes the production of endorphins in the brain, and contact with the skin of the animal (hippotherapy is carried out not in the saddle: the person sits on a thin and soft blanket) improves overall well-being, reduces aggressiveness and nervousness.
Hippotherapy is contraindicated for:
- epilepsy;
- kidney diseases;
- osteoporosis, when there is increased fragility of bones and joints;
- increased blood clotting;
- allergies to horse fur.
Therapy with aquarium fish and birds
Scientists have concluded that watching fish promotes concentration, improves mood, and develops an aesthetic sense. In addition, the aquarium in the apartment plays the role of a humidifier, which is useful for the treatment and prevention of diseases of the lungs and bronchi.
It is equally useful to have at home songbird: canary or goldfinch. They contribute to the development of observation, patience, and an ear for music. They represent good remedy for the treatment of insomnia and neuroses.
Aromatherapy
It involves calming the nervous system by exposing the olfactory receptors to certain aromas. For this, essential oils are used, which can be used in aroma lamps or added to creams or oils for the face and/or body. A few drops of essential oils can be added to massage oils and massaged with them.
Oils used in stress therapy:
- lavender;
- lemon balm;
- sandalwood;
- rosewood;
- ylang-ylang;
- juniper;
- patchouli;
- jasmine;
- marjoram;
- neroli;
- vetivert.
You can make mixtures. For example, for depression you can use a mixture of black pepper and mint. For stress – a combination of mint, lavender, juniper, rose, neroli and basil. To get into a working mood, inhale the aromas of tangerine, lemon, and fir. And if everything stops making you happy, the smell of clary sage helps a lot.
You can use the following recipes:
- Anti-stress bath. Drop in warm water baths with 2 drops of ylang-ylang and dill oil, 3 drops of lemon balm and 5 drops of lavender oil.
- If it's hard to sleep. Take a warm bath before bed, adding 1 drop of pine and ylang-ylang oils, 2 drops of cedarwood, 3 drops of lavender oil to the water.
Herbal treatment
Herbalists advise using the following recipes:
- Thyme infusion. 1 tsp herbs, pour 500 ml of boiling water, leave in a hermetically sealed container for half an hour. Take these 500 ml in 3-4 doses. You can take the infusion again only after 3-4 days.
- Borage (Borage). Brew 1 tsp. a glass of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes, take this amount throughout the day. Pregnant women and children should not drink this infusion.
- Take 1 tbsp. hop cones, peppermint leaves, add 2 tbsp. motherwort herb, 3 tbsp. valerian root. Mix the herbs, take 1 tbsp. mixture, pour 200 ml of boiling water, heat in a water bath for 15 minutes. Then you need to leave for 30 minutes, cool. Take 100 ml three times a day, 15 minutes before meals.
- Take 10 tbsp. peppermint leaves, 5 tbsp. hop cones and valerian root, 3 tbsp. oregano herbs. Mix the herbs, take 2 tablespoons, pour boiling water, wait half an hour before straining. Take 50 ml twice a day, 15 minutes before meals. Course – 10-15 days.
Before starting such treatment, consult your doctor. Use it with caution if you are prone to allergies.
Api therapy
This is the name for treatment with beekeeping products. In the treatment of stress and depression, it is recommended:
- Royal jelly: helps eliminate mild depression, apathy (lack of interest in what is happening), is effective in some forms of insomnia or constant mood swings;
- bee bread helps in eliminating anxiety and irritability;
- linden honey and honey, which contains a splash of orange honey, helps in eliminating the state of melancholy;
- A combination of mountain honey with essential oils of neroli, bergamot, and tangerine is also useful. These enriched bee products create increased performance, improved general well-being and can even cause euphoria.
Trips
If you like to travel and your financial situation allows it, a very good method of relieving stress is to go on a trip. This could be a trip around the world or a visit to a specific country, the main thing is that the trip is comfortable and planned. Otherwise, not having any idea about the country you are visiting may test you even more.
Drug treatment for stress
The diagnosis of stress is established by a psychiatrist or psychotherapist. These specialists should evaluate:
- severity of anxiety, anger, depression;
- the degree of depletion of subjective mental resources that play main role in ensuring overcoming difficulties;
- the nature of the electroencephalogram;
- the state of the autonomic nervous system, based on galvanic skin response and skin temperature;
- degree of increase in stress hormones in the blood: cortisol, ACTH.
If the doctor assesses that psychophysiological resources are depleted, and/or anxiety, anger or depression are too strong, he prescribes medications(in milder cases, you can use one or a combination of the above stress management methods).
The following types of drugs are used to treat stress:
Soothing herbal preparations
Medicines in this group are prescribed for increased excitability, insomnia, and nightmares.
- "Novo-Passit";
- "Sedaphyton";
- "Persen";
- valerian tincture or tablets;
- motherwort tincture;
- peony tincture.
These drugs improve the interaction between the autonomic nervous system(mainly its main organ - the hypothalamus, as well as the limbic system of the brain) and internal organs, normalize the activity of the cardiovascular system, improve the quality of sleep, and eliminate insomnia.
The first results can be seen after 2-3 weeks, but a lasting effect will occur only after 6-8 months of use.
Disadvantage of this therapy: daytime sleepiness.
Adaptogen drugs
These are general tonics for those people whose daily activities are associated with nervous or mental overload. They improve sleep, mood, and can increase performance by 1.5-2 times.
Adaptogens can be of both animal and plant origin. They have a dose-dependent effect:
- In minimal doses they cause relaxation, reduce excitability, slow down catabolism and have an anabolic effect, so they can be used to increase body weight.
- In medium doses they create a feeling of vivacity, a surge of strength, and emotional uplift. They also increase immune defense, which is why they can be used for “soft”, natural treatment of long-term, sluggish and chronic inflammatory pathologies.
- If you exceed the dosage, irritability, insomnia, and aggressiveness will appear, but they do not have a long-term or toxic effect on the body even in this case.
Adaptogens are especially indicated for older people: by increasing their energy, they help prolong youth. Until the age of 16, medications are used only as prescribed by a doctor, as they will accelerate puberty.
Adaptogens include:
- Leuzea extract;
- Eleutherococcus extract;
- ginseng extract;
- lemongrass seed extract;
- preparations based on Manchurian aralia root: “Saparal”, aralia tincture;
- "Pantocrine".
Drugs in this group are taken during daylight hours to avoid overstimulation at night. They are used with caution in hot weather, as they contribute to an increase in body temperature.
Magnesium preparations
Their use during stress is justified: in such conditions, the body experiences an increased need for magnesium, which dilates blood vessels, helps conduct impulses from the nerve to the desired organ, improves cardiac activity and has a sedative effect.
Magnesium preparations include: “Magne-B6” and its analogues “Magnelis B6 forte”, “Magne-express”, “Magnevit”.
Modern sleeping pills
They can be considered anti-stress, since, by influencing the structure of sleep, they enhance the anti-stress function of the period of night rest. They are especially indicated for acute insomnia, during the duration of the stress factor, when they can be used in a course of 2-3 weeks. They are not addictive and do not require increased dosage. Some of them (Doxylamine, Melaxen) help in the treatment of sleep apnea. "Melaxen" also, being an analogue of the hormone melatonin, produced in the pineal gland, restores normal sleep cycles, especially when changing time zones, making it soft, natural.
Modern sleeping pills include:
- "Ivadal";
- “Sonnat” and its analogues “Imovan”, “Sonovan”, “Normoson”;
- "Melaxen" and the analogue "Vita-melatonin";
- "Andante" and analogue "Selofen".
Antidepressants
These are drugs that are used if stress has caused depression, neurosis or a neurosis-like state. They affect the formation and movement of biologically active substances produced in the brain, such as norepinephrine, serotonin or dopamine. When taken according to indications, they reduce melancholy, anxiety, reluctance to do anything, increase appetite, and normalize the phase and duration of sleep.
To treat stress, Iprazide and Nialamid are used, during which, in order to avoid an increase in blood pressure Until high numbers, you should not consume cheeses, fermented milk and some other products. Amitriptyline, Incazan, Prozac, and Paxil are also prescribed.
Tranquilizers
These are medications whose main task is to eliminate anxiety and fear. They calm, reduce fluctuations in blood pressure, thereby having a positive effect on the heart. Their “competence” also includes an anticonvulsant effect, elimination of obsessive thoughts, hallucinatory disorders, but most of them cause drowsiness and can only be used in evening time days.
In the treatment of stress, “moderate tranquilizers” are used: “Mebikar”, “Tranquilar”.
Biologically active additives
These products can be bought in pharmacies; they consist mainly of a combination of vitamins and some herbs:
Complivit anti-stressCompound: nicotinamide, vitamins B1, E, B12, B6, A, folic acid, C, B2, calcium pantothenate, zinc, magnesium, motherwort and ginkgo biloba extract, selenium, sodium, copper. |
Biorhythm Antistress 24 day/night
|
Lady's formula Antistress enhanced
|
Men's formula Antistress
|
