According to Sonia Lupien, the brain is an expert threat seeker. When it finds them, it triggers a response whose objective is to help us survive in the face of danger. When we talk about this mechanism to face threats from the environment, we are referring to stress.
But what is stress? Is it as bad as you think? When is it bad? And, above all, can we do something about it? The answer is yes. In this Psychology-Online article, we will tell you how to destress based on the physiology of stress.
What is stress and how does it work?
In psychology we call stress the level of activation of the organism. This activation aims to help us adapt to the environment. So, it is a normal response to the appearance of dangerous stimuli or pressure.
To a certain extent, stress can be beneficial, but in the majority of stressful situations we experience today this physiological reaction no longer works. Even so, it continues to occur because the organism has not had time to adapt to the organization of modern society. In fact, if the stressful stimulus lasts over time, it causes the following negative effects on the body:
- depressed mood and sleep problems when dopamine runs out.
- If cortisol builds up, it prevents cell regeneration.
- Greater vulnerability to infections due to the appearance of immunodeficiencies.
- Increases the irritability.
- appears the headache.
- Digestive problems.
This type of stress is known as distress. As we see, the body is prepared to act in the event of the unexpected, but currently there are so many situations that can cause stress that there is no time for the body to recover after the physiological response and the effects of this become chronic.
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Understand stress
It is possible to learn to manage stress from the roots. Stress arises in a situation in which you feel that the difficulty is greater than the resources you have to cope.
If you are wondering what to do to de-stress quickly and easily, it is essential to understand this physiological reaction. Stress is a natural survival mechanism that is activated in situations that require an effort to adapt, for example, a new job or learning to drive.
The characteristics of the situations that are considered risk factors for the stress response are:
- Novelty: that the situation is new.
- Unpredictability: that you cannot predict what will happen.
- Sensation of lack of control.
- Threat: that the situation represents a threat to us.
Analyze the situation and resources
According to Lupien, when faced with stress you should ask yourself what you can do and establish a plan. What exactly scares you? Is this exam really that complicated? Examine the situation as objectively as possible. Perhaps you are anticipating or assuming some unlikely danger. The situation may not be demanding as much. Ask yourself what you are demanding of yourself.
Among the tips to relax and de-stress, what never fails is to reflect on the resources you have to face the situation, from knowledge and skills, the time you have and even the people who can help you. The resources may already be there and you don’t see them.
If you really don’t have enough resources, you can expand them. For example, work on your self-esteem, learn English to better face the search for a new job, delegate household tasks, ask family members for help, etc. When you observe the situation and perceive that you have sufficient resources to face it, you stop seeing it as a threat and start seeing it as a challenge.
Keep it real
Once you have analyzed the resources you have to face a demand, the key to de-stressing is adjust your goals and expectations to correspond with them. Learn to differentiate what depends on you, such as the effort you dedicate to studying, and what does not depend on you, such as accessing the opposition or not. Pose realistic goals and be aware of what is possible and what is not.
Stop your thoughts
What to do to de-stress? Stress can be your ally, as long as it does not exceed the limit that separates eustress from distress. So in order not to continue activating yourself, stop. Realize that you are getting carried away by your thoughts. Come back to the presenthere and now.
Professionals recommend putting it into practice to de-stress quickly at home, at work or anywhere. It is worth mentioning that it is useful in specific moments To reduce stress, however, to learn to manage it, a little deeper work is necessary.
Practice mindfulness attitude, that is, living in the here and now, helps you focus on the present, on the temporal plane in which you have the possibility of acting. In addition, it also helps to put all five senses into what you are doing. Here you will find everything you need to know about it.
Do breathing exercises
To de-stress in 5 minutes and prevent stress activation from increasing, focus on your breathing. The best option is to take deep breaths as follows:
- Inhale for 4 seconds.
- Hold the air for 2 seconds.
- Exhale the air through your mouth for 7 seconds.
When you have started to focus on your breathing, and after taking some deep breaths, you can practice abdominal breathing. To do this, sit in a comfortable position, place one hand on your abdomen and the other on your chest. Next, try to let your belly swell when you breathe in and move your first hand. This type of breathing informs your body that there is no danger. Here you will find others.
Become aware of your body
When in doubt about what to do to relieve stress, analyze each part of your body, detect the parts that are tense and relax them. The most typical parts are the wrinkled forehead and tense shoulders. Move your body and relax it by making gentle movements with your head to relax the cervical muscles. To de-stress it is also important to move your arms and shoulders.
Use humor and smile
According to Freud, laughter releases accumulated tension. In this sense, laughter therapy is a technique that enhances benefits of laughing as the following:
- Reduces levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.
- Relax the muscles.
- It stimulates the release of endorphins, dopamine and serotonin, which have positive effects on mood.
- Helps you relax.
It is proven that both body posture and facial expression feed back on mood. That means that if your posture is tense and you have a frown, you feed stress, while if you adopt a relaxed body posture and a friendly facial expression, you feed calm. So, to de-stress in a minute, always put your best smile.
Be a friend of stress
Stress tries to help you, yes, just as you read. Stress activate your body to face any danger or obstacle you encounter. When you have to deliver a job in a short time, for example, your body helps you by offering you the energy you need and sharpens all your senses so that you are more effective and can finish the task.
Connect with others
When wondering how to de-stress, you should know that social support is a great protector against stress. Social relationships and interactions with others can increase oxytocin levels and decrease cortisol levels, which provides confidence and reduces stress. Don’t miss the opportunity to have a conversation with another person, help others or facilitate physical contact.
Take care of yourself
How to de-stress emotionally? To manage stress, it is essential to maintain basic self-care guidelines such as the ones we propose below:
- Maintain a healthy and balanced diet: Avoid consuming stimulants such as caffeine and theine.
- Rest: Sleep between 7 and 8 hours and take short breaks during the day.
- do exercise: practice some sport or physical activity.
- Dedicate time to your personal hobbies: listen to songs that relax you, do activities that you like such as taking a walk, reading, writing, etc.
- Practice emotional self-care: Listen to your emotions and analyze what things to de-stress will work best for you.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
References
- Lupien, S. (2012). Well stressed: Manage stress before it turns toxic. John Wiley & Sons.
- 2.ALLÁ, M. (1920). Sigmund Freud. ARCIS University School of Philosophy. http://philosophia.cl/biblioteca/freud/Freud%20-%201920%20-%20Mas%20alla%20del%20principio%20del%20placer.pdf
Bibliography
- Barlow, J. (2000). Stress management, how to overcome obstacles and improve your attitude and quality of life. Management.
- Christian, R., Ramos, J., Susanibar, C., & Balarezo, G. (2004). Laughter therapy: A new field for health professionals. Rev. Soc. Per. Inter Med.17(2), 57.
- Lazarus, R.S. (2000). Stress and emotion. Management and implications on our health.
- Peiró, JM, & Salvador, A. (1993). Triggers of work stress (Vol. 2). Madrid: Eudema.