Stress is an integral part of life, a natural by-product of any human activity. In moderate doses, “stress adds flavour and aroma to life”, as noted by Hans Selye, the discoverer of this phenomenon. But only in moderate doses… Frequent or prolonged exposure to stress leads to nervous exhaustion, headaches, insomnia, and sometimes much more serious illnesses.
Some people are naturally stress-resistant and react more calmly to emerging problems. However, it is not so much important to avoid tension, anxiety, fear, and anger as it is to quickly get out of the self-destructive states that accompany stress. And this is something that you can learn. “Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, it’s at the end of your arm”, the famous British actress, Audrey Hepburn, once said.
So, here are some fairly simple self-help techniques that will help you to cope with difficult situations of today.
Sleep. It is not for nothing that they say that if a problem suddenly hits you, you need to sleep through it. If possible, you should wait until tomorrow and then start reacting. “Morning is always wiser than evening”, says the Ukrainian proverb. What seemed to be a dead end yesterday may not seem so hopeless with a fresh head. By the way, sometimes even a short daytime nap is a good way to solve a problem.
Warm bath or shower. If you feel that you are “losing your temper” and cannot respond adequately to the situation, find an opportunity to stand in the shower or lie in the bathtub – a positive effect on the nervous system will be ensured.
Food. When feeling bad, many people have the need to eat something. And it’s not for nothing. Delicious food reduces the intensity of mental pain. A light snack can really calm you down a bit and give you the strength to make a more informed decision. However, you should be careful with this method and not make it the only way to help yourself (to avoid problems with overweight and related problems).
Television. In a stressful situation, find something interesting to watch and try to forget about what happened. Music, theatre, the internet, going to the cinema, etc. will also help to relieve excess tension. This will contribute to relaxation and further constructive problem solving.
Shopping or simply window shopping. This technique is more commonly used by women, although it can be successfully recommended to men. Looking at the windows, choosing new clothes and gifts for yourself or a loved one distracts and calms you down, and the stressful situation no longer seems so global and insurmountable.
Walking. During the walk, you have the opportunity to communicate with nature, be alone with yourself, your thoughts, rethink what is worrying you and find ways to solve the problem. In addition, the load on muscles helps relieve the nervous system, which has a positive effect on the reaction in a stressful situation.
General cleaning. You can do this literally and figuratively. You can do a general cleaning in your apartment, change something in everyday routine, rearrange furniture, throw something away, give something away, take unnecessary things out, buy new things, etc. Tidying up in the figurative sense involves trying to organise your day better, abandoning planned but unnecessary things, switching to something really important, finding the necessary resources to achieve your goal.
Talking to a real friend, a person you trust. It’s always bad to be alone with a problem, because negative emotions amplify when you don’t talk about them. With people you trust, it is easy to see your problem from the outside. A friendly conversation will provide the support you need, strengthen your self-confidence, and give you hope and strength to solve the problem.
If your loved one is not around, you can call or email them. There are times when there is no way to contact the person you want to hear from. So, you can… just make up a conversation or write a few paragraphs that no one will ever read except you. Even such unsent letters become a kind of self-help in difficult life circumstances. A diary has a similar function.
