"I'm stressed, everyone's stressed!" 8 ways to help yourself in a difficult situation

What methods of dealing with anxiety are the most effective and how to turn stress to your advantage, said Alina Adler, a clinical psychologist and author of the book "You're OK" (Alpina Publisher).

1. Try to embrace stress

Stress is a tense emotional and physical state of the body that occurs if a person is threatened by something or it seems to him that he is in danger. This is a protective reaction of the psyche, which protects us in non-standard situations.

Usually the body begins to suggest that a person is under stress: insomnia, headache and other pains appear, libido decreases, you become whiny, forgetful or easily irritated. So the body says: pay attention, something is wrong in our life, something needs to be changed. Therefore, the first thing that is important to do is to recognize and accept the fact that you are stressed, understand what went wrong and correct it. It will not be possible to get rid of stress once and for all, but our task is to prevent it from becoming chronic, to take care of ourselves, not to put up with discomfort.

2. Turn on gentle mode

Perhaps everyone knows what to do in the first place to help the body cope with stress: get enough sleep, eat well, communicate with nice people, play sports. Do not wait for a magic pill, it is better to take these banal, but effective steps. Start by organizing your day. Your daily routine should include outdoor walks, healthy food, meeting friends with whom you are on the same wavelength. The last point is especially important, because the environment has a strong influence on well-being. If communication with loved ones causes you anxiety, irritation and other negative emotions, then it is better to distance yourself for a while or ask not to talk about topics that bother you. At the same time, you should not completely close yourself from society, it is important to maintain a balance.

3. Try Meditation Practices

Meditation does not necessarily mean that you have to sit with your eyes closed. You can achieve a meditative state while walking, cleaning, drawing, knitting, some other hobby that requires concentration. Everyone can find an activity that will relax and bring their attention back to the present moment, allowing them not to worry about the past and the future.

4. Ask yourself "What do I want?"

There is no need to try to understand some of your global desire, something small is enough. As often as possible, pay attention to your feelings, needs, body signals and do something pleasant for yourself.

5. Find something you love

People who are constantly busy with something are less likely to fall into stress and other conditions that accompany it. Hobbies, work, schedule for every day - such immersion in reality allows the psyche and brain to receive many signals that everything is fine: the sky does not fall on our heads, the saber-toothed tiger does not rush through the night forest after us, no one kills us, home does not collapse, nothing happens. There is no time left for stressful factors, so a person recovers faster.

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6. Don't Become a Lifeguard

When we notice that our loved ones are under stress, we want to help them. But it is important to remember safety precautions and not make it worse for others or for yourself. Firstly, if a person wishes, it is better to send him to a mental HEALTH specialist who will tell you how to get out of stress. Secondly, do not forget that none of us is omnipotent. It is possible to support a loved one in a difficult period, but the idea “I will definitely get him out of this state” is destructive: obsessively saving someone and “causing” good, you will only make things worse for yourself, the other and your relationship. So it’s as if you are trying to take away responsibility for a person’s life, but he is able to cope on his own: defensive reactions of the psyche, his own experience and knowledge will help him. If he tries to get out of the situation in ways that you don't like, treat them with respect.

7. Take charge

Now many are under stress: family, friends, and colleagues. This is a social trauma that started a long time ago, since the covid-19 pandemic . And, on the one hand, here everyone should be for himself. In the sense that a person's stress and his individual manifestations and moods are his responsibility. No one comes into the office and cries from morning to evening. People switch to business - and this supports, gives the feeling that life still goes on.

In psychology, there is the concept of "creative adaptation", when a person is looking for ways to survive a difficult state. You can get used to everything except physical pain. This is due to the launch of many protective mechanisms of the psyche, which are harmoniously fighting for its health and survival. The feeling “I am stressed, everyone is stressed” can even support: a person understands that he is not alone. This creates a certain commonality. Therefore, it is important to share experience, to tell how someone copes with stress.

8. Try to get out of stress with benefit

It would seem that what good can be learned from stress? For example, collection. In a turbulent period, a person often has good ideas, which in a calm state he does not even think of. He lives quietly, when suddenly something happens, and he has to actively think, make non-standard decisions, otherwise move through life. This is an experience that may prove useful in other situations.

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