How To De-stress: 7 Techniques And Keys To Chase Away Stress
Stress is an inherent reality of life. Many people believe that it is a phenomenon dependent on the particularities of the event we face, while others consider that the key lies in the perception of the person who experiences it.
Society displays before us a suffocating need for achievement and progression (in the academic, work, family, etc.); stimulating rivalry and discovering ourselves in the face of the rigors of time shortage.
This is why we run the risk of feeling overwhelmed from both a physical and emotional perspective, which can lead to a heightened risk of mental disorders and organic problems.
Given this particular situation, knowing how to de-stress becomes of capital importance for health and quality of life. In this article we develop a set of strategies, easy to apply, that will help us achieve this successfully.
Stress is a response of the body to a circumstance that demands an effort or a proactive response , for which the body is biologically prepared. It involves a series of adaptations at a physiological and psychological level, aimed at quickly resolving the situation that could have contributed to its appearance. In this way, the balance (allostasis) on which the organs and systems involved must be supported can be recovered.
Stress cannot be understood considering only the objective dimensions of the situation, since the person’s vision of it also contributes. Every time we are faced with an event of this nature, we subject it to a primary assessment (in which we probe its specific characteristics and the degree of demand associated with it) and another secondary assessment (in which we compare it with all the emotional resources and materials available).
Pathological stress (or distress) arises when there is a dissonance between both types of appraisal, such that the individual perceives that the demands of the environment exceed his or her own ability to resolve them. In these cases, a succession of changes is set in motion in the body aimed at maintaining the highest degree of effort possible, but which tend to collapse when a long time passes without the stressor resolving or disappearing.
Some of the main changes occur at the level of the adrenal gland, which releases cortisol into the bloodstream as a result of a biochemical signal from two brain structures: the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland. Sustained stress would weaken the ability to regulate the production of this hormone, causing the body to become “flooded” with it and end up losing its adaptive properties (since under normal conditions it helps us mobilize energy).
One of the consequences that is often seen among people who suffer from chronic stress is the compromise of cognitive functions, and particularly memory, since excess cortisol generates a harmful (although reversible) effect on the integrity of the hippocampal neurons. (bilateral structure that participates in the process of long-term memory consolidation). Other symptoms may also be expressed; such as fatigue, diffuse pain, sadness and unexpected shocks.
The maintenance of stress ultimately leads to a physiological response of exhaustion, which represents a phase in which adaptive mechanisms collapse under pressure, favoring the appearance of mood and anxiety disorders that require independent attention. To avoid these dramatic health consequences, it is crucial to have knowledge on how to de-stress in a simple and effective way.
How to destress
Stress can be combated through different strategies. Some of them are easy to apply, but others require a little more time. We proceed here to describe a set of activities useful for this purpose, excluding psychotherapeutic procedures and the use of drugs.
1. Organize your time
Many times, Stress arises as a result of inappropriate management of one of the most precious resources we all have: time. There are endless acts through which we can turn time into a cruel predator of health, such as postponing the implementation of what we need to resolve a specific situation or rushing towards it (without order or concert) carried away by impatience. .
The use of avoidant strategies, as well as impulsivity, contribute significantly to increasing the experience of stress. Facing demands without taking short breaks, accumulating the least desirable things to resolve on the horn (without interspersing them with attractive activities) or carrying out an infinite number of simultaneous tasks can overwhelm anyone’s resources, and are related to greater physical or psychological tension.
Making lists of activities that we must do and reserving a few minutes between them to rest can be very useful, as well as analyzing at what times of the day we are in a better position to undertake the most difficult or complex tasks (something that varies from one person to another). ). They are simple methods that require greater self-knowledge about our management capacity.
2. Accept the things that cannot be changed
Another reason for stress is the determination to change a situation that, by its very essence, cannot be altered. Learning to recognize that there are life circumstances that do not depend on us, or that are unchangeable despite the efforts we can invest, is essential to optimize the use of our resources.
In these types of situations, the most useful thing is to orient ourselves towards the emotional correlates they cause.
3. Learn relaxation techniques
Relaxation techniques are effective in reducing tension levels that result from the activation of the sympathetic nervous system, an autonomic branch that accentuates anxiety symptoms. Procedures that use controlled breathing make it possible to balance the oxygen supply, which is often altered in those who live permanently stressed (since their breathing tends to be excessively shallow).
Other procedures that follow this same line, such as progressive muscle relaxation, help reduce overload by teaching to discriminate between muscle contraction and distension. These exercises help to know precisely the points where the body remains excessively rigid, to deliberately relieve it. This problem is common among people subjected to high levels of stress (although it often goes unnoticed) and precipitates the appearance of contractures or local pain.
4. Do physical exercise
Physical exercise, especially when it takes place outdoors, It has proven to be a very useful tool to improve mood and anxiety symptoms in those who suffer from a disorder in these areas. There is a broad consensus regarding the benefits associated with practicing sports, and that they are not only limited to stress reduction, but also extend their effects to self-esteem and the sense of self-efficacy.
Regular physical exercise reduces cholesterol levels, heart rate and blood pressure; three physiological indicators associated with sustained stress that negatively affect quality of life and morbidity and mortality. The scientific literature on the issue describes that people who exercise (at least twice a week) perceive themselves more positively and report a greater sense of calm.
5. Sleep properly
Stress is one of the most common causes of insomnia , while the latter is also associated with the experience of stress. That is, people who sleep with difficulty report feeling much more stressed, while those who report high levels of emotional distress report poorer quality sleep. Both phenomena, therefore, are directly related and can contribute to a cycle that feeds on itself.
There are a set of brain regions linked to both stress and sleep, so their balance will preserve the architecture of the latter. The best known link areas are the hypothalamus, the locus coeruleus and the amygdala. On the other hand, it has been proven that stressors that are perceived as unpredictable generate a much deeper impact on sleep, such effect being mediated by the activity of the medial prefrontal cortex.
It is known that, in addition, stress-induced insomnia can compromise the neuroplastic processes that are consolidated during sleep, increasing the probability of dementia during old age. Therefore, adequate sleep hygiene is essential to reduce levels of physical and emotional tension, as well as to maintain health throughout life.
The buffer theory establishes that social support, understood as the efficient use of emotional and material resources that the environment can provide us, is a mediating factor between stress and the development of health problems. Thus, resorting to the help of the people around us can provide us not only with moments of pleasure, but also a qualitative and quantitative reduction of the stress that we may be experiencing.
Carrying out shared activities, especially those that have recreational components or that require collaboration for their adequate resolution, contribute significantly to feeling less overwhelmed by adversity. It is also known that the simple act of sharing what we feel has a beneficial effect on internal experience, and at the same time contributes to strengthening ties with others.
7. Take a break
Some people, especially those who work in jobs that involve excessive demands or who care for someone with high levels of dependency, may suffer from a type of intense stress known in the literature as burnout. This manifests itself in the form of sadness, loss of motivation, irritability, self-abandonment and general dissatisfaction.
This stress is particularly toxic, so it is recommended that those who live with it can participate in respite programs. This therapeutic modality consists of guaranteeing moments of recreation and self-care, in which the overwhelming tasks that are usually assigned to them on a daily basis can be delegated to other individuals, at least temporarily. Such procedures are used in clinical and community settings sensitive to this problem.
And if the stress is not resolved…
In some cases, despite a deliberate effort to improve stress levels, it continues to persist for too long and ends up affecting our physical and emotional health. If you perceive that you are in this specific circumstance, it is necessary that you consult with a healthcare professional so that they can offer you the best possible solution.
Currently, there are multiple therapeutic programs aimed at reducing the level of stress, from those that make use of Mindfulness to those that use cognitive or behavioral models (training in decision making or problem solving, cognitive restructuring, etc.). A well-trained therapist will be able to guide you and customize a treatment program appropriate to your needs.
