Recovery after severe stress. How to restore the body after prolonged stress. stage. Movement towards goals

Long-term stress is a threat to humans. Poor health, apathy, pathologies internal organs manifests itself against the background of prolonged stress on the psyche.

After nervous tension, the body needs recovery

A correct daily routine, diet correction, and constant work on your body and your own thoughts will help you recover from a stressful situation.

Stress can be of physical, chemical and emotional types. The conditional classification covers 3 stages of stress:

1. The anxiety stage occurs due to physical and chemical reactions. The adrenal glands begin to work twice as fast due to the interaction of the brain and nervous system. Long-term exposure to stress leads to adrenal fatigue.
2. The resistant stage occurs with adaptation of the adrenal glands. The stage lasts several months and promotes the enlargement of internal organs.
3. The final stage, exhaustion, is characterized by a person’s condition when he is unable to adapt to stress.

Weakness and confusion are symptoms of emotional burnout and exhaustion of a person. Disturbances in the functioning of internal organs lead to changes in behavior.

Hormonal imbalance contributes to nervousness and increased anxiety. The work of enlarged adrenal glands affects a person’s overall well-being: weakness does not go away day and night.

Stages of stress according to G. Selye

Symptoms of long-term stress

Cardioneurosis, alopecia, exhaustion and insomnia are common consequences long-term stress, which can appear at any time. Diseases of internal organs, mental disorders and poor health require proper treatment. Eliminating the effects of stress begins with identifying the main symptoms of the neglected condition:

• increased irritability;
• sudden mood swings - a person either laughs or suddenly falls into hysterics;
• fatigue and sleep disturbances;
• decreased concentration;
• overeating or starvation;
• apathy and lack of initiative;
• pessimistic outlook on life;
• depressive state.

Feeling unwell is an alarm signal sent by the body. Emotional burnout contributes to personal alienation. When a person is stressed, relationships at work and in the family are destroyed.

To start living fully without constant stress on the psyche, it is necessary to restore the proper functioning of the nervous system.

Determine symptoms, treatment and prevention. Disturbances in the functioning of internal organs are treated with medications, and blues are fought psychological exercises– the person makes new acquaintances, finds a hobby and clears his head of disturbing thoughts.

Fighting irritability

Due to prolonged stress, a person cannot relax. Constant emotional pressure affects the reactions, attention and behavior of the individual: to restore health means to return to the normal functioning of the body. Experienced psychologists advise coping with increased irritability and aggression:

• through systematic physical exercise;
• using laughter therapy (therapy is based on prolonged exposure to positive impressions);
• change of environment, work, place of residence - any changes will help you switch from the cause of stress;
• affirmations are practices based on positive thinking and visualization of pleasant events;
• art therapy shows good results;
• using zootherapy.

The choice of an activity that will help relieve stress on the psyche depends on the wishes of the person. Playing sports (swimming, playing tennis or football) will strengthen the body and allow you to catch your breath after a grueling day. Laughter therapy is available to every person: a person experiencing stress can watch a comedy or attend an entertainment show.

Art therapy is based on a frank dialogue between the subconscious and human consciousness. Through clay sculpting, painting, or dancing, the individual expresses anxieties, acknowledges fears, and reveals traumas.

Zootherapy works through communication with animals. Tactile contacts with animals give a positive feeling.

Timely combating irritability eliminates severe stress. If a person learns to relieve stress (through drawing, running or watching entertaining films), he is not in danger of prolonged stress on the central nervous system.

Recovery process

Stress occurs as an acute defensive reaction to an irritant. Frequent contact with an irritating factor contributes to the deterioration of well-being: the person loses energy, is tormented by nightmares at night, and does not have enough strength to work during the day. The following will help put your nervous system in order:

1. Eliminating the irritant. To understand what situation or event prevents one from finding inner harmony, a person keeps a diary or observes his own reactions. Detachment from people or situations that cause tension will improve the person's living conditions.
2. Work on thinking. The reaction to a situation is determined by a person’s upbringing and habits. To combat increased anxiety, a positive attitude is necessary. To do this, they use visualization techniques: every day for 20 minutes a person imagines pleasant events, feels them and programs the brain to search for favorable opportunities.
3. Fight bad habits. Stress eating, smoking, drinking alcohol - bad habits partially reduce stress. Distraction provides temporary relief. If you get rid of bad habits, a person will learn to cope with stress and let go of worries without harm to health.
4. Breathing exercises to relieve the condition. A calming technique that can be used at home or outdoors to help relax the body. Abdominal deep breathing normalizes the functioning of the nervous system and reduces stress levels: in a stressful situation, it is necessary to alternate 5 deep breaths and 3 exhalations.
5. Prevention of stress. Constant work on the body increases stress resistance.

Complex therapy will help you quickly recover from stress - exercises and loads alternate with rest. The rhythm of life and sleep is normalized. A balanced diet will provide good job nervous system and brain.

Positive experiences are a factor that improves the condition of the affected person. Communication with friends and family will make it easier to endure the recovery period.

Relaxation and rest

The body's systems are normalized through rest. Low stability and frayed nerves are the main reasons for a break.

Relaxation is the absence of irritants and disturbing thoughts. During meditation or yoga, a person relaxes his muscles, gives rest to his head, and calms his worries.

Restoring the nervous system can begin with simple walking fresh air. A change of environment and occupation has a beneficial effect on people with stress.

Daily routine

A set daily schedule saves you from depression and mental stress. The day is scheduled at the rate of: 8 hours of sleep, 2 hours of rest during the day, meals every 4 hours. No more than a third of the day is allocated for active physical activities.

During the day, time is allocated for walks, for playing sports and communicating with like-minded people. A morally exhausted man organizes own life: He follows the schedule without violations. The personality is deprived of spontaneous decisions under the influence of negative emotions. Over time, normal sleep resumes, and the need to worry about problems at work or in the family disappears.

Meals are taken every four hours

Exercise

To improve the condition before going to bed and immediately after waking up, a person does simple exercises. Recent studies have shown that physical activity promotes the production of the happiness hormone. Sports activities take place at home, on the street or in sports clubs.

List of calming exercises that will help bring the nervous system back to normal:

1. Breathing exercises. The breathing technique “Double Exhalation” or “Belly Breathing” relieves severe stress. As you inhale, the stomach inflates, and as you exhale, it retracts (the stomach stretches towards the spine). Wave breathing engages the abdomen and then the chest. Double breathing consists of exhaling twice and holding your breath. Instead of inhaling as usual, a person holds his breath for a few seconds and then exhales again. Breathing exercises train the abdominal muscles and calm nervousness.
2. Jogging. Outdoor activities are a good distraction from stress. Jogging is an intense, rhythmic run. Concentrating on a monotonous task can reduce emotional stress.
3. Swimming. Exercising in water destroys negative thoughts. Water relaxes muscles, and while swimming a person is distracted from problems at work.
4. Good for fatigue and tightness in the body - gymnastics

Exercising three times a week gives consistent good results. Restoring mental balance through sports is beneficial for the body, which suffers from hormonal imbalances or improper functioning of the adrenal glands.

Physical exercise saves you from depression - a person who takes care of his own body learns to enjoy his achievements. Group training in the gym opens a person to communication with new people.

Drug treatment

Complex therapy with medications will help restore nerves after suffering an emotional shock. It is necessary to treat the nervous system:

• sedatives (in difficult cases, tranquilizers);
• herbal medicines;
• vitamins and mineral complexes.

The medicine prescribed by the doctor restores the nervous system and reduces the stress on the psyche. The action of tranquilizers is based on a decrease in the activity of the central nervous system. Sedative medications inhibit a person’s reactions: it is difficult for him to concentrate. Strong sedatives are prescribed to reduce anxiety (short-term use).

"Glycine" has a sedative effect, but does not affect human activity. Use the product for a month to reduce temporary stress. You can take natural herbal medications without a doctor's prescription.

"Glycine" - a sedative drug

Folk recipes

Adults and children use folk remedies to recover from stress. To calm the nerves, drink safe teas, use aromatherapy and acupuncture. The most effective drugs for restoring nerves:

1. Calming collection. For this collection, soothing dried herbs and inflorescences are useful: fennel, motherwort, caraway and valerian. The dried collection is brewed with boiling water in the proportion of 1 tablespoon of herbs per 250 ml of water. The freshly brewed infusion is divided into 3 doses. The course of treatment is a month.
2. Tea. Teas made from St. John's wort, coriander seeds and mint are useful for people exposed to constant stress. Dried leaves are poured with 250 ml of boiling water (1 tablespoon of herb) and infused for 10 minutes. Add honey, lemon and other herbs to the tea as desired.
3. Tincture. The motherwort is infused for several days, then filled with alcohol (proportion 1:5). The daily dose of tincture is 20 drops three times a day. The course of treatment is a month.
4. Sachet. Bags with fragrant herbs You can make it yourself: put dried lavender, lemon balm, oregano and rosemary in linen bags. The sachet is carried with you in a bag, left in a desk drawer at work or in a closet at home.
5. Pine baths. Relaxing baths restore the nervous system and psyche: in warm water pine needle extract is diluted. Water procedures are taken for no more than 20 minutes. The course of treatment is 10 days.

The nervous system is restored with the help of pleasant aromatherapy. Essential oils of orange, ylang-ylang, cedar and pine are used in incense. To diffuse a soothing scent, use an aroma lamp or scented candles.

They come to their senses after severe stress using acupuncture. The ancient technique is based on acupressure. There are several calming points on the human body: under the nose, on the bones of the skull under the eyes and under the thumb on the palm. Exposure to the points (for 10-15 seconds) can reduce the level of anxiety.

You can make fragrant sachets yourself

Diet for a good mood

Food is a source of nutrients and energy. With the help of food, internal metabolic processes are regulated. Correcting your daily diet will improve the functioning of your internal organs. Calms the nervous system after prolonged stress a menu that includes.

More and more more people asking the question: “How to restore the nervous system after prolonged stress?” Modern world endlessly confronts people with stressful situations in all areas of life. A person strives to take everything and more from life. But due to lack of time, you often have to sacrifice: sleep duration, quality of nutrition, walks and rest.

At first, the body successfully copes with difficulties. But soon the nervous system is exhausted, and the person becomes depressed and irritable, constantly feeling tired and apathetic. If the necessary measures are not taken in a timely manner to restore the system, the consequences affect human health as a whole. It’s not for nothing that they say that any disease is caused by nerves. After all, this system controls the functioning of all internal organs.

Features of prolonged stress

Even the most minor mental disorders must be eliminated as quickly as possible in order to avoid serious consequences. And what about protracted stressful situations? Here you need to act immediately. After all, prolonged stress carries with it a huge health hazard. It leads to: ulcers and cardiovascular diseases, allergies and neuroses, atherosclerosis and asthma, depression, constipation and diarrhea, oncology and diabetes. Immunity also decreases, and the body begins to age at an accelerated rate.

Against the background of prolonged stress, these are the most common problems, but, unfortunately, this list can be supplemented with more rare diagnoses for a long time. Accordingly, the longer the stress persists, the more time it will take to recover from stress.

It was once believed that nerve cells were unable to regenerate. Now scientists know that regeneration occurs in these cells too. But this process is proceeding too slowly. To speed up recovery nerve cells, it is not necessary to make a huge effort, to begin with it is enough to reconsider your worldview, rethink life values and set new priorities.

Yoga, meditation, breathing exercises.

If you are faced with stress or depression, you should not immediately switch to various pharmaceutical medications. Try the most simple methods and, oddly enough, sometimes even more effective. For example, such as:

Yoga

This practice allows you not only to relieve stress, but also to get rid of the symptoms of unjustified anxiety and depression. Yoga helps to concentrate attention on the sensations of the human body and at the same time release accumulated internal tension outward. Let's consider the most simple exercises accessible to everyone:

Meditation

Recovering from stress through meditation is gaining great popularity among the population. After all, the method is really valid and you only need to spend ten minutes.
Take any comfortable position in a quiet place where no one will disturb you. Forget about the surrounding problems and city bustle. Start feeling every part of your body. Look at yourself from the outside, examine yourself in detail from head to toe. Begin to gradually relax your entire body, starting with your toes and ending with your facial muscles. With each inhalation and exhalation, begin to count to ten, and when you finish, start over. Don't let your mind think about pressing problems, continue to meditate. After ten minutes, open your eyes.

Breathing practices

How to recover quickly from stress? Gives instant results breathing exercises. This practice not only relieves muscle and emotional tension, but also normalizes blood pressure.

Feet shoulder-width apart, hands on your waist, slowly inhale from your stomach. Next, exhale sharply, while simultaneously throwing your arms forward, pronounce the sound “HA”. At this moment, visualize how all your internal negativity spills out. Repeat exercises 10-15 times

Folk remedies

How to restore the nervous system after prolonged stress using traditional medicine. Our grandmothers knew exactly how to support and restore the body using the forces of nature. In addition, such methods do not pose any danger or side effects to the body. Let's consider the most accessible and effective traditional medicine:

Nervous system disorders almost always affect appetite. The only difference is that some people completely lose interest in food, while others cannot stop, endlessly eating all sorts of goodies.
First you need to bring your appetite back to normal, and after that the recovery process will be much easier. If you have no appetite at all, try eating your favorite foods. In case of overeating, switch exclusively to low-calorie foods so that the digestive system is normal.

In general, this is just the beginning of a solution to the problem called “how to recover from stress.” The main thing is to choose the right foods in your daily diet that will help you calm down and restore the entire system. Basic rules for selecting products:

1. The main enemies of the nervous system: alcohol and smoking. Completely give up these harmful unnecessary habits;
2. Eat a lot of vegetables and fruits, either in the form of salads or on their own;
3. Products containing Omega-3 have an excellent effect on overall health; pay special attention to them;
4. Drink green tea 3-5 times a day, it contains special substances that promote rapid recovery of the nervous system;
5. Give up sweets, replace them with bananas and dark chocolate, they kill the blues and lift your mood and positive attitude

You should pay attention to medications last. If you have already tried all the methods described above and still don’t know how to recover from stress, only then start taking medications.
Pills for stress and depression are mainly divided into two types:

• Herbal
• Synthetic

The former act much more slowly, but have the advantage of carrying with them a minimal risk of side effects. The effect of synthetic drugs occurs much faster, but they have their own contraindications. You need to be careful with such tablets, although many of them are available without a prescription, it is better not to use them without a doctor’s prescription on your own initiative.

The most popular drugs that can be purchased without a doctor's prescription:
Quatrex;
The drug can be taken by women during menopause and children suffering from nervous diseases. In general, these tablets have a wide range of actions. Before using this substance, like any other, read the contraindications, there are plenty of them.
Tenotem;
Stress pills and various diseases nervous system, are available in tablets and in the form of an alcohol solution. The dosage is prescribed only by the attending physician.
Afobazole;
Most often used to treat unreasonable panic, fears and anxiety. It also has its contraindications, which can be found in the instructions for use.
There are a great many tablets and drugs that treat this disease. But only a competent doctor will be able to determine and prescribe what exactly you need in a particular case.
Combining several techniques simultaneously will also be effective in combating stress and depression. For example, meditation proper nutrition and herbal collection.

Stressful situations happen throughout a person's life. However, some people are able to get out of them without consequences for the body, while others experience health difficulties after the experience. The impetus that provoked such a state could be anything. Dismissal from work, divorce, death loved one and much more, can seriously shake your inner peace. After all, no one is immune from unexpected turns of fate. Learning to survive life's troubles and cope with the consequences is very important. A simple question arises: how to recover from stress. The reader will learn about what methods will help you get back on track and enjoy life in this article.

Factors affecting psycho-emotional health

Being in a negative environment, a person becomes a hostage to stress. How to quickly recover from the blows of fate? Not many people can boast of a strong nervous system.

After all, there are a lot of provoking factors that affect the smooth functioning of the nervous system. This:

• unfavorable psycho-emotional environment at work and in the family;
• negative thinking (addiction to watching bad news, TV shows, movies, etc.);
• poor in vitamins, unbalanced diet;
• constant lack of sleep, improper organization of sleep and rest;
• excess of unnecessary information;
• living in a noisy area;
• crazy rhythm, fear of not being able to do something;
• dependence on other people’s opinions, inability to express one’s emotions;
• constant pressure from negative factors.

Therefore, if there is at least one point in a person’s life, then he should know how to recover from stress. There are techniques that help you relax immediately at the moment of the current situation, as well as after it.

What can inaction lead to?

In stressful situations, the human body succumbs to strong pressure. The nervous system begins to activate all its reserves. During this period, much more energy is expended than usual. Accordingly, mutual compensation must occur. Otherwise, malfunctions begin, and as a result, physical and moral exhaustion makes itself felt.

Without knowing how to recover from severe stress, the body depletes its reserves. Then psychosomatic pathologies arise, manifesting themselves in the form of arthritis, dermatitis, bronchial asthma and other ailments. Circulatory system stops functioning normally and increases the risk of myocardial infarction or stroke. Transient ischemic attacks and angina occur.

External factors cause cosmetic defects: early aging, skin rashes, brittle nails, thinning and hair loss. Against the background of a general disorder, the protective forces of the immune system are reduced. The risk of colds increases, as does the development of cancer pathologies. Therefore, it is impossible to predict how long it will take for the body to recover from stress. After all, such processes require long-term treatment. Also, do not forget about the social aspect of life. After all, being in a neurotic state can give rise to increased aggression, or contribute to the development of self-isolation. A person loses the ability to communicate normally with people around him.

Video on the topic

A quick way to calm down

Once in trouble, a person must know how to quickly recover from severe stress. The ability to pull yourself together and stop being nervous is invaluable in such moments.

There are several methods that are useful for all occasions:

• An effective and invisible method of calming people around is hand massage. You need to massage the palm area, smoothly moving to the fingers.
• In difficult times, you need to be able to distract yourself. It’s enough just to close your eyes and imagine a pleasant picture (beach, forest, date with your loved one). It is advisable to think through your fantasy to the smallest detail, so it’s better to forget yourself.
• Physical activity also helps to cope. It’s enough to wave your arms, do a few squats, and run up and down the stairs. Or just walk quickly enough down the street.
• Counting to 10 will help you not pay attention to the aggressor (boss, client or other person). You don’t have to just count banal numbers. You can come up with something funny. For example, count minions or gnomes. At the same time, imagine a cheerful picture.

You shouldn’t calm down with a glass of strong drink (alcohol) or immediately grab a cigarette. This creates imaginary reassurance, which is not only harmful to health, but can also aggravate the problem.

Creative ways to unwind

When looking for ways to recover from extreme stress, it is worth paying attention to the creative niche. Psychologists consider this a fairly effective method. Breaking away from the routine, a person immersed in an activity that interests him will be able to not only kill time, but also have fun. You just need to decide what exactly will become a distraction.

Here are some ideas:

• Drawing. Nobody says that you need to immediately become an artist. You just need to take paints and a sheet of paper and start writing whatever comes to mind. You can use your fingers, brushes, and pencils. There are special coloring books with unusual abstractions (“The Secret Garden”).
• Listening to and creating music creates real miracles. You can download a special program to your phone or computer to create melodies. Classical compositions have a healing effect on the psyche.
• Handicrafts will help you distract yourself. You can do embroidery, knitting, sewing and more (modelling, felting, quilling). You can find a sea of ​​ideas related to this activity.

Art therapy is a real medicine for the soul. You just have to find your niche, and then everything will go like clockwork.

Physical activity against stress

The first assistant in the fight against bad thoughts and well-being is sport. With just the desire to drive obsessive thoughts out of your head, it is almost impossible. But with the help of physical exercise this is possible. By putting other tasks in front of the brain, a person is distracted and at least temporarily forgets about the problem that was driving him crazy. Therefore, if the question is how to recover from stress, just put on comfortable sneakers and go for a run.

Physical activity temporarily suppresses mental activity. After all, the brain is initially focused on the dominant (problem). During classes, a new focus of activity turns on, gradually shifting towards physical education. As a result, a person does not think about the problem, improves his body and health.

Types of physical activity to reduce anxiety

Before you start choosing classes, you should determine the appropriate option. When the question is how to recover from stress, you need to choose the right “medicine”. Relaxing techniques work best. To do this you need to do yoga. Correctly performing breathing techniques and mastering asanas will help you achieve harmony with yourself. It is up to the individual to decide whether to study independently or enroll in special courses. Everything is individual here.

If yoga is not to your taste, then you can turn your attention to swimming. Contact with water has a beneficial effect on the nervous system. Helps to quickly recover from stress and neuroses. How to start the treatment process correctly? First of all, you need to sign up for the pool, without postponing this moment for later. If possible (for people living near the sea), then swim in open water. It's even cooler and better than a swimming pool.

Contact sports against stress

Some people need to vent their emotions. And not in song and drawing, but in hitting something or someone hard. You can give free rein to your emotions in the gym. Recover from a strong nervous stress, a punching bag or sparring in a fight will help as soon as possible. An experienced trainer knows what to advise a person in such a situation. After all, he is also a bit of a psychologist who faces similar questions every day.

If it is not possible to pay for a trip to such an institution, then there is an alternative. Set up your own personal “martial arts club” at home with pillows. Fight with them until exhaustion, imagining problems and your offenders, until this desire passes. Psychologists say that this is very effective remedy against stress. In Japan, almost every resident practices this. Apparently this is why the people living there are so calm in appearance.

Dancing as an alternative to pills

Before you throw a calming pill into your mouth, you should think about the benefits of dancing. The impact of musical waves on auditory receptors creates a desire to move to the beat of the melody. Problems fade into the background. By dancing with all your heart, you can recover from nervous stress. Like physical exercise, dancing distracts the brain from obsessive thoughts. In addition, during the action, the hormone of happiness is released in the body. Especially when dancing gives you goosebumps.

Relaxation

A well-known way to recover from stress and depression is massage and aromatherapy. An experienced massage therapist knows which points to press in order to relax the client as much as possible. Even if it is not possible to visit a professional, you can carry out this procedure yourself. Armed with massage oil, after taking a relaxing bath, carry out all the manipulations. For a better effect, you can light candles and/or an aroma lamp with essential oils.

Baths with sea salt help to relax. You can purchase special herbal infusions at the pharmacy to add while bathing. They help well to recover from prolonged stress. Musical accompaniment of the relaxation process in the bathroom will be the best way to promote the process of relaxation in the bathroom. It is worth giving preference to instrumental music or sounds of nature.

Breathing exercises are an excellent method of self-control and relaxation. With their help, you can quickly relieve tension and easily pull yourself together. difficult situation. Don't forget about the benefits of baths and saunas. Due to the thermal effect on the body, peripheral vessels dilate. This happens to avoid overheating. At this time, mental activity decreases. This is due to the fact that the vessels supplying blood to the brain begin to work more slowly. In addition to this effect, a person has excellent rest in body and soul, forgetting about problems. Naturally, if you have heart pathologies, respiratory diseases and oncology, you should avoid visiting the sauna.

Traditional methods of dealing with stress

After learning how to recover from stress using popular methods, you can get acquainted with traditional methods. Proper application of knowledge can significantly improve the quality of life. The most popular folk method is a healing herbal decoction for bathing. The best recipe is lavender infusion. To do this, you need to take one glass of plant inflorescences and pour a liter of boiling water. The container must be enameled. Infuse the product for three hours, then strain and add to the water during an evening bath. Lavender can be replaced with mint leaves.

Aromatic sachets will help restore good sleep during a stressful period. They can be purchased at a pharmacy or made yourself. The main components are mint, lavender, hops and valerian. Finished products should be placed under the pillow so that they exude their healing aroma.

Herbal teas can be used for oral administration. The main components of the medicinal drink are motherwort, mint and valerian. If you are intolerant to the products, you should not use them. It is possible to understand whether the nervous system is recovering from stress only after some period. After all, it is impossible to give an accurate forecast of how long it will take. It all depends on the degree of difficulty. Sometimes practices, relaxation and folk methods alone cannot cope. The intervention of a psychotherapist may be required. He is the only one who will be able to resolve the issue of prescribing effective therapy in the fight against stress and depression. You should not prescribe sedatives to yourself.

Conclusion

The importance of calming techniques should never be underestimated. They not only help you calm down, but also prevent the development of stress and depression. Including in this list, also the consequences of them. You should always try to analyze the situation. After all, very often problems turn out to be far-fetched and exaggerated.

Finding a way to solve a given problem makes life easier. Oddly enough, stress is still beneficial for humans. Thanks to it, the body activates all its powers, while making it possible to understand itself and its needs better than ever. And life without such shocks would be boring. After all, who cares when everything is fine all the time? Another thing is to not take any action while under stress. This is already harmful. After all, the condition can become chronic and constantly torment its owner with apathy and fatigue. Everything should be in moderation.

Stress is the real scourge of our century. Modern man Every day I encounter this phenomenon in one form or another: the dismissive attitude of a doctor in a clinic, an arrogant salesman in a store, a disgruntled boss, a bad mark in the diary of a beloved offspring. The list goes on and on. All these events cause negative emotions in us. Over time, they layer on the psyche, turning into a magnificent cake of tears, hysterics, irritability, and illnesses arising from stress. We'll figure out how to deal with this in this article.

Stages of stress

Before we start dealing with stress, let's look at its stages and how our body behaves at each of them. In total, there are 3 such stages in psychology.

1. Anxiety. This stage is characterized by the release of hormones such as adrenaline and norepinephrine. They have a stimulating effect, forcing a person to take quick rescue measures. Typically run or hit. This condition is typical during an attack or fear. If the factor that created stressful situation If removed in time, the person recovers quickly, without negative consequences.

1. Resistance. If negative impact exert on a person for some time, the body and psyche move into the second stage. They begin to resist and try to remove the negative factor. At this stage, the body becomes vulnerable to various types of infections and diseases. But so far the person does not feel it. Its main task is to get rid of the irritant. In this state, the level of aggression rises.
2. Exhaustion. This is the final stage in which the body cannot resist. Signs of physical exhaustion, depression, and a number of unpleasant diseases gradually appear.

If it is quite easy to get out of the first stage, then in the third, in most cases, it is necessary to treat concomitant diseases. Why is this happening? The fact is that during stress, a defense mechanism is activated. The body focuses on protecting the life support system.

In this mode, the level of immune defense is greatly reduced. Letting the situation take its course is extremely dangerous.

The consequences of a careless attitude to the situation can lead not only to a bad mood, apathy, but also to more serious illnesses. Up to oncology.

Symptoms of long-term stress

Many people are accustomed to chronic stress and consider this condition normal. Subsequently, they are surprised by the bouquet of physical and mental diseases that have appeared. To prevent this, you need to learn to recognize the signs of stress in order to effectively cope with this painful condition.

If you notice any of the following signs in yourself, you should urgently take measures to restore your normal physical and psychological state:

1. Decreased concentration (when a person cannot concentrate on a specific task and becomes distracted)
2. Chronic fatigue
3. Sleep disturbances. This may be insomnia, chronic drowsiness, nightmares
4. Eating disorder. These include overeating or, conversely, refusal to eat.
5. Pessimistic view of the world. This has nothing to do with temperament. A person who is in a prolonged state of stress simply refuses to see the beauty around him.

Fighting irritability

Chronic stress affects psychological state. The person loses the ability to calmly assess the situation and respond to it. The level of aggression increases greatly. After some time, a person who is stressed becomes an irritant to his environment and instead of helping, he receives more negativity into his life. How to avoid this?

If you notice increased irritability in yourself: you raise your voice, you react too emotionally to even the smallest little things, you feel irritated towards people in public transport, in a store, at work - it’s time to think about it. Here are some ways to help deal with irritability.

1. Regular physical activity: strength training, yoga, Zumba, etc.
2. Positive thinking practices. There are quite a few of them, but in most cases they are based on visualization techniques. Mentally replaying positive memories or pictures
3. Hobby. Any activity that will force you to switch from negative experiences to positive thoughts: drawing, singing, reading books. Thus, the psyche will receive the necessary rest.

Various yoga practices work very well in this direction. They combine exercise, visualization and general relaxation.

Recovery process

To restore health after prolonged stress, you will have to make some efforts. First, you need to identify the causes of stress and eliminate them. Try to eliminate or minimize contact with the cause of stress. This could be communicating with someone, driving a car, loud music, a mess at home.

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to eliminate the cause of a bad mood. For example, when it is not possible to change jobs or send a child to grandma. Then, you need to reconsider your view of the situation. For many of us, this is the most difficult step. For example, if you are annoyed by the constant bad marks in your son’s diary, think that in a few years, the baby will become independent and will no longer need you. Enjoy every day you live.

Try to get rid of bad habits. Smoking, alcohol, and excessive consumption of “fast food” deplete the body’s protective resources and reduce its ability to resist stress.

Relaxation and rest

Rest time is the best period to recuperate. Try not only to sleep 8 hours a day, but also to switch to pleasant thoughts during the day. Devote 20 - 30 minutes a day to meditation, reading interesting book or your favorite hobby.

Daily routine

By daily routine we mean not only sleep, work and rest time, but also planning. Try to ensure that all the tasks that must be completed in a day are evenly distributed. Don't put anything off until tomorrow. This will avoid rush jobs, overtime and unnecessary stress. Try writing down all your tasks in a notebook for several days in a row and doing them systematically. You will be surprised how much easier your life will be.

And be sure to leave time for yourself. In our mentality, unfortunately, it is not customary to take care of yourself. Remember that you can only take care of your loved ones if you yourself are healthy.

Exercise

Enough has been said about the benefits of physical activity. We'll talk about calming exercises. Give them time after waking up or before going to bed. It's best to include several types of physical activity in your schedule. This will help not only get rid of stress, but also harmoniously develop your body.

Here are a few activities to consider:

1. Breathing exercises. Any yoga practice is suitable for relaxation. It is best to do them in the morning, after waking up. Exercises will help you get into a positive mood.
2. Running. A great way to take your mind off your problems. The main thing is to focus on the process.
3. Water sports. Finding himself in an unusual environment, a person switches and forgets about troubles.

Drug treatment

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to get out of stress with the help of yoga and positive thinking. Sometimes to restore you have to resort to drug treatment. More serious sedatives such as finalepsin are sold only with a doctor's prescription. Before using them, be sure to read the instructions. They have some contraindications and side effects.

Also, the pharmacy chain offers a large selection of herbal drugs. Such drugs relieve anxiety and relax the nervous system. But, you need to take them in a course. A single application will not give results.

Don’t forget about vitamin and mineral complexes. They will support the body's defenses and help quickly restore strength in the field of prolonged stress.

Folk recipes

Folk anti-stress remedies are suitable for both adults and children. Aromatherapy, acupuncture, herbal ingredients, etc. These preparations do not contain chemicals and extremely effective. They can be used both to prevent stress and to overcome it.

Here are some simple recipes for home use:

1. Dried herbs of fennel, valerian, motherwort and cumin pour boiling water, leave for 20 - 30 minutes and take 2 - 3 times a day
2. An alcoholic tincture of motherwort has a calming effect no worse than pharmaceutical products. To prepare it, you need to pour motherwort leaves with alcohol in a ratio of 1:5 and leave for 5 days. Take 10 drops twice a day
3. Oil baths are relaxing and soothing. Coniferous scents work great. To do this, just add a few drops to hot water.

Diet for a good mood

And the last thing that will help you cope with stress is food. Let us repeat once again the common truths that are known to almost every person:

1. Eliminate food waste from your diet: chips, sweet soda, etc. All this brings us only empty calories and no benefit
2. Diversify your diet with colorful vegetables and fruits. Remember, the more flowers there are on the plate, the greater the likelihood of getting all the substances necessary for the body
3. Eat regularly. Hunger is also stress for our body.

Recovery from prolonged stress takes time. Try to work on this problem comprehensively and, if necessary, do not hesitate to seek the help of a specialist. It depends only on you how quickly you can return to normal.

Stress has long ceased to be some kind of incomprehensible concept; there is too much of it in the life of every person. Unfortunately, we encounter it all the time, some more often, some less often, but no one can avoid becoming familiar with this phenomenon. Its impact on the human body and psyche is destructive. Therefore, it is very important to know how to restore the nervous system after suffering long-term stress.

First of all, it should be understood that the danger of stress is not only that this condition depresses and deprives vitality. It negatively affects every system human body. On the cardiovascular side, it provokes heart attacks, strokes, and ischemia. Gastritis, colitis, and ulcers occur in the gastrointestinal tract. Suppresses the immune system, which leads to frequent illnesses. The nerves themselves also suffer, a person’s sleep is disturbed, neuroses and nervous tics appear.

To restore peace of mind and protect your body and psyche, you must first determine what type of stress we are dealing with. There are two of them:

• sudden stress;
• chronic stress .

The first is characterized by the fact that it is provoked by sudden events, such as threats to life, loss of loved ones, reprimands at work, quarrels. It is interesting that this type of stress is a normal phenomenon in nature; its meaning is so that the body can maximize its strength to combat the irritant through powerful release adrenaline.

Chronic stress is a completely different matter. This is already a product exclusively human civilization and her own scourge. It is characterized by the presence of prolonged exposure to a stress factor (lack of time, information overload, prolonged conflicts, loss of meaning in activity or life). In this case, adrenaline is not produced in the body, and the destruction becomes truly catastrophic.

Symptoms

One of the earliest symptoms of stress is bad dream. This refers to all the problems associated with it. These are insomnia, nightmares, frequent awakenings, when sleep is superficial, and a person often gets blown up in the middle of the night by the slightest rustle.

In people suffering from constant stress, depression, pessimistic states, depression, lack of desire to live, to move on are often observed. They get tired quickly, suffer from frequent headaches, and become nervous and irritable.

The appearance of habits such as nail biting, leg twitching, hair pulling, etc. - a signal that the nerves are not in order.

Many people tend to withdraw into themselves, isolate themselves from family and friends, and even their own children become indifferent to them.

We're on the warpath

It is almost impossible to avoid factors that depress the psyche in the modern rhythm of life. Therefore, it is very important to learn how to recover from stress as quickly and efficiently as possible. Here special drugs can come to the rescue, as well as proven folk remedies that are quite accessible to every person.

As for medications, they are most often effective, but have many contraindications and side effects. Since only a specialist can correctly select the right drug and write a prescription for its purchase, we will not talk about them here. It’s better to consider methods that will help protect the body and calm the nervous system.

Nutrients are true allies in the fight

Our brain is a very delicate, sensitive organ. For normal functioning, it needs polyunsaturated fatty acids - omega-3. Where can I get them? In fatty sea fish, in special vitamin complexes. This is a very serious assistant in the fight against the effects of stress, thanks to it the connections between brain cells become more flexible and stronger, as a result of which its functions are restored. This leads to improved mood, elimination of anxiety, increased libido, and improved sleep.

Many people tend to resort to the calming and relaxing effects of alcohol, but in reality it is a double-edged sword. Yes, in case of sudden stress and very rarely you can use it. But in case of severe, long-term stress, this cannot be done, since alcohol will only aggravate it. It is better to turn your attention to green tea, which contains polyphenols that effectively stabilize the nervous system.

The following products will help cope with depression, improve sleep, restore mental balance, and protect the body from stress:

• low-fat milk, kefir, cottage cheese, etc.;
• nuts;
• any vegetable oils;
• oatmeal, buckwheat;
• high-quality dark chocolate;
• seaweed;
• eggs;
• meat;
• any vegetables and fruits.

Physical activity

Sport is a person’s faithful ally in the struggle for peace of mind. Physical activity helps cleanse the body of adrenaline, which is a stress hormone. But here it is important to maintain a balance, since the goal is not to sweat as much as possible.

Excessive loads can have the exact opposite effect. Preference should be given to calmer activities, such as slow running and swimming. An evening walk can restore sound sleep better than any sleeping pills.

Breath

Oxygen is our life. A person under stress breathes irregularly without noticing it. As a result, the oxygen supply to the brain is disrupted. To restore it, it is enough to periodically arrange a kind of exercise for yourself. Leave things behind for a few minutes, let go of your thoughts, breathe deeply and evenly. This will not only “feed” the brain, but will also allow you to relax and restore strength.

Relaxation

There is nothing scary or inaccessible hidden behind this fashionable word. Essentially it's just rest and relaxation. The main thing here is to accustom yourself to having this rest regularly.

Every evening, upon returning home, you need to lie down on your favorite sofa or sit in a chair, relax all your muscles, and close your eyes. Someone can simply lie down for a while, listening to how fatigue gradually disappears from each muscle. Some people prefer to conduct a dialogue with their body mentally or out loud, giving it the command to relax. At the end you need to yawn deeply and stretch. And you can continue to go about your business; your body will thank you for the minutes of rest.

Aromatherapy

Incredibly pleasant aromas can effectively calm the nervous system, improve sleep, restore strength and give a great mood. Molecules of essential oils easily and without barriers penetrate the body, returning it to a light and harmonious state. A person has a huge selection of means at his disposal; it is possible to determine which of them will be the most suitable only through experience. But these experiences are incredibly pleasant!

Embrace of Morpheus

There are many ways to deal with stress, but the most effective way is sleep. No matter how strange it may sound, it is he who helps a person relax, get rid of all the excess accumulated during the day in the head and body.

To avoid insomnia, you need to get regular, good sleep. You need to train yourself to fall asleep at the same time, organize optimal conditions (choose a bed, mattress, pillows and blankets, ideal lighting level, etc.), and maintain the duration of sleep (at least 8 hours).

All this will allow you to quickly recover from stress and face any situations fully prepared in the future.