What is stress and how do you cope with it?
Stress-related problems are very common. It is estimated that about 10% in the general population consulted at some point of its life a doctor because it feels anxiety, tension or anxiety.
It is also estimated that between 2% and 4% of the general population at some point in their life has some anxiety disorder (source). Therefore, anxiety-related disorders are considered the most commonly unattended disorders in the general population.
But what do we call stress?
Anxiety is a diffuse, unpleasant, often unclear feeling manifested by fear, tension and anxiety and which most often is accompanied by physical symptoms (tachycardia, cardiac arrhythmia, digestive internal disorders, dry mouth, paleness, terror, headache, etc.).
Many words describe with subtleties the emotional or mental symptoms of anxiety, such as anxiety, irritation, discomfort, agitation, tension, sadness, distress, distress, anguish, meaning, nervousness or feeling that something bad will happen.
Many and varied though are the physical symptoms of pathological anxiety such as rapid pulses, trembling, headache, pain or plummeting in the chest, knot in the neck, shortness of breath, bloating and hot flashes or colds and chills, shortness, nausea and dizziness, tendency for fainting, numbing and ants, dry mouth, diarrhea or frequent urination.
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The physical symptoms of anxiety are the ones that usually scare us the most. We think our physical health is at stake and that we are at risk. This anxiety causes more anxiety and this in turn brings more physical symptoms. So we’re entering a vicious circle that finally gets worse.
This is the pathological anxiety that with the vicious circle it creates and its unpleasant consequences in both the physical and mental spheres, it is involved in our daily lives and it is necessary to learn to deal with it and control it.
There are ways they can help you reduce your stress levels. We will mention some of those who have been described as extremely effective.
Don’t forget that stress is always very unpleasant but it’s rarely dangerous. Do not avoid stress-causing situations. Start experiencing situations that cause little and moderate anxiety and then be exposed to situations that trigger more intense reactions and more intense anxiety. The longer you experience the stress-causing situation, the better results you get. Learn to control stress-causing thoughts.
Distract you from the unpleasant symptoms of anxiety and deal with something else. You may think of something pleasant or interesting to break the chain of stress-causing thoughts or you can engage in another activity. Try to replace negative thoughts with positive ones.
There’s always something positive to think about. Recognize yourself the right to say no. It may make you nervous to say yes, accept certain situations or make up for many obligations. Share your problems and emotional problems with others. Set realistic and achievable goals. Learn ways to effectively solve your problems. You have to wait for difficulties and be ready to deal with them.
Don’t let them interfere with your life. Expect the worst and the present will become easier. You should experience your anxiety as soon as it first occurs or in the early stages of its appearance. So as soon as you feel a little dizzy, tachycardia, chest fluttering, or numbness immediately put your preferred stress response tactics and that you have found to be effective in you.
But when you see that you can’t control your anxiety in these ways, ask someone with advice.
The treatment of anxiety
Control Your Breathing
A very useful way to deal with your anxiety is to control your breathing. A person’s intensity level is reflected in the way he breathes. When we are calm and happy our breathing is slow and rhythmic while when we are in intensity our breathing is fast and shallow. This stressful breathing can cause symptoms such as tremors, dizziness or numbness. These symptoms can quickly be treated by correcting our breathing.
So learn to breathe deeply and slowly. To do so, put your hands on the upper part of your chest and inhale slowly so that this part of the breast rises slightly. Exhale and make sure all the air comes out. Repeat the exercise up to ten times. Let your hands gently rest on the top of the chest to feel the rhythmic lift of the upper chest.
Then put your hands on your belly. Inhale slowly and you will feel your hands pushed upwards. With the exhalation you should feel your belly becoming flat and your hands returning to their original position. Repeat the exercise five to ten times. After practicing calm and controlled breathing, use it every time you need to experience a difficult situation.
Try to Relax
A second very useful way to beat your anxiety is relaxation. There is a very useful relationship between breathing and relaxation.
Try the following exercise:
Tighten all your muscles as hard as you can. Then relax. You will find that as you tightened the muscles, you held the breath and as you relaxed you left it. This relationship between exhalation and relaxation is very useful and you can use it in the relaxation exercises we will say below.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
There are many relaxation techniques. The most well-known is progressive muscle relaxation. Although it is better that this method is taught by an expert, you can try the basic steps yourself:
Lie on the bed as restfully as possible. Slowly – slowly stretch each muscle group, counting to five. Start with your shoulders; continue with your neck, face, arms, legs, abdomen and back. Slowly – slowly relax each muscle group in the same order, counting again as five in each.
Re-exercise for any muscles you feel tightened or sore until you feel them all relaxed. Relaxation takes time and practice. When you experience you can use the following way to relax quickly.
- Sit on any chair.
- Let your hands fall on your ribs.
- Your feet must not be crossed.
- Your back should be straight.
- Now tighten all the muscles together.
- Clench your fists.
- Bend your hands on your elbows trying to touch your shoulders with the wrists.
- Take a deep inhalation.
- Close your eyes tightly.
- Tighten your teeth.
- Tighten your stomach and belly muscles.
- Tighten your buttocks.
- Tighten and stretch your legs.
- Stay in this position, slowly counting to five.
- Now relax. Let go of it completely.
- Notice the difference between tension and relaxation.
Practice relaxation in this way as often as you can. A few minutes or even thirty seconds of quick relaxation is enough to maintain this ability in time.
👉 For more information on how to prevent stress burnout and more tips on how to manage stress effectively, I urge you to check this guide by RemedyList. It has a ton of information on stress and stress management.
👉 Also, visit the American Institute of Stress for more information on what is stress and how to manage it.
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