By Natalia Kozlovskaia
“Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.” – Chinese proverb
Everyone can face stress and fatigue during the studying process or at work. However, not every student or employee understands the importance of dealing with stress. Why is this issue important? What ways and methods of dealing with stress exist? We will try to understand the phenomenon of stress and analyze the main causes and consequences of chronic stress in this article.
We will not talk about the whole range of stressful situations, but only about those that can lead to difficulties in learning and memorizing – one of the most important aspects when you are getting an education.
Stress can be defined as the experience of perceived threat (imagined or real) to one’s mental, physical, or spiritual well-being, resulting from a series of physiological responses and adaptations. A little stress is useful for the body, it helps to put the body into a state of activation or training. However, prolonged stress can become, according to Hans Selye, a" speedometer of life". Stress can accelerate the aging process of the body. WHO also claims that adverse events and related stress can lead to depression.
The causes of stress can be different: emotional and physical violence, social instability, social and personal problems, problems at work, illness. One of the actual factors of stress may be the economic instability associated with the emergence of a pandemic. Social isolation, school closures during the pandemic also affected the increase in the prevalence of stress around the world.
What about the statistics?
Statistics say that one-quarter of US residents take antidepressants. According to the website, www.stress.org between 70 and 85 percent of all diseases are stress-related, 43 percent of all adults suffer from adverse health consequences due to stress, and 80 percent of visits to care physicians are accompanied by stress-related complaints.
Stress-related problems
Lack of sleep, physical fatigue, headache, lack of appetite, muscle pain and other health problems are all the consequences of chronic stress that you can face. Inability to manage your time is the reason for the appearance of stress associated with constant haste, lack of time for family and favorite things and hobbies, lateness and the appearance of a feeling of wasting time. It is also worth highlighting the most important problem – people do not know how to properly respond to stress and cope with it. As strange as it may sound, but stress can also occur with positive experiences, researchers call this phenomenon the "stress paradox". We have prepared for you the most suitable ways to cope with stress, presented below.
Ways to deal with stress
1. Focus on your strong personal qualities
The method of determining your own strengths will help you decide what you should focus your attention on. This test will help you determine your best qualities and understand how to work with them. According to the website, this technique will help you feel more happy and learn to work with your emotions. Self-acceptance will also help you cope with stress.
2. Fight stress with the help of recommendations from WHO
WHO developed a guide for dealing with stress in 2020. The guide contains 5 types of techniques for stress relief. You will only need a few minutes a day for exercise. The manual is located here. There are 15 languages available on the site, as well as an audio version.
3. Get more sleep
Lack of sleep can worsen stress, or, conversely, lead to fatigue and stress. Therefore, you need to spend more time sleeping, at least 7-8 hours a day. The body will certainly thank you.
4. Meditate
Meditation is the ability to focus on yourself and relax as much as possible, move away from the outside world for a certain time. Usually, meditation can last from 5 to 20 minutes a day. Nowadays, there are many applications with meditation techniques for smartphones. One of these is Insight timer, where you can find short and long meditations from professionals and celebrities.
5. Manage your time
The problem of not being able to build a schedule of tasks and meet it can lead to stressful situations. If you notice a problem of not being able to manage your time, then try to start keeping a to-do list. If it is inconvenient for you to keep this sheet yourself, applications can do it for you, for example, this one.
6. Get yourself a hobby
Sports and creativity allow a person to get out of their ordinary framework. Try art therapy with the help of adult coloring books, jog or study music. That’s how you do not allow yourself to pay even a second of your attention to stress, while you receive only positive emotions. Isn't this the perfect medicine?!
7. Breathe correctly
One of the techniques that came from yoga is called nadi shadhanam. It is based on the method of breathing, according to which you need to inhale through the right nostril and exhale through the left. It may seem difficult at first, but this repetitive practice will help you relax. Do not forget to inhale and exhale deeply and slowly, it’s the only way you can really calm down, and in the future - successfully cope with stress. You need to repeat this inhale-exhale cycle 15-20 times, you can also change the scheme during the exercise (inhale through the left nostril, and exhale through the right).
By performing these simple techniques, you will be able to both overcome the stress that is rolling in on you, and you will start new habits, whether it is keeping a to-do list or daily meditation. We hope that now you have a better understanding of how to manage your stress. However, if you feel that you are constantly experiencing stress, do not hesitate to contact a specialist.
References:
Doing What Matters in Times of Stress: An Illustrated Guide: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240003927
Grygorian M.F. Relationship depressive disorders expression, stress sensitivity and activation of stress proteins in the elderly https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/stress-bolezni-i-starenie
Krechetnikov K. G., Shoynhorova V. R. STRESS AND STRESS MANAGEMENT IN THE ACTIVITIES OF THE HEAD. 2016. №40-2. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/stress-i-stress-menedzhment-v-deyatelnosti-rukovoditelya
Novikova N. A. STRESS & LIFE. 2021. №1. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/stress-i-zhiznestoykost
Institute on character. URL: https://www.viacharacter.org
Seaward B. L. Managing Stress: principles and strategies for health and well-being. URL: https://books.google.ru/books?id=OFgnDwAAQBAJ&lpg=PR1&ots=XWXBUP30WJ&dq=stress&lr&hl=ru&pg=PA372#v=onepage&q&f=false