Chapter 5. Conceptual approaches to the problem of coping with stress 5.1. The concept of "overcoming stress"

5.2. Interest in the problem of coping with stress Not every person reacts to a stressful environment by reducing their ability to work, developing depression or psychosomatic disorders. In fact, most people under these conditions manage to maintain or quickly

5.3. Social aspects of coping with stress 5.3.1. Changing social roles In the problem of coping, of great interest is the statement that people face significant difficulties in solving personal problems. This interest may be related to serious

6.2. Methodological features of studies of coping with stress There are pronounced individual differences in response to stress. Thus, the same stressors can have different consequences in different people, just as the same person will have different effects.

Chapter 7. Models and mechanisms of coping with stress It is generally recognized that not every person under the influence of stress factors in life and work loses working capacity, falls into depression or falls ill. Most people manage to keep their

7.1. Stress coping models 7.1.1. Ego-psychological model This model is based on the concept of defense systems, such as unconscious adaptive mechanisms, which are the main means of overcoming instinct and affect: G. Vaillant believes that there is

7.2. Models for Evaluating Stress Coping One of the aspects of studying coping with stress is to identify approaches to evaluating the measure of its effectiveness. Currently, two general models are being developed to assess coping with stress: one of them is the "outcome model" -

7.3. The mechanism of action of coping with stress C. Aldwin and other authors studied some aspects of the mechanisms of regulation of the process of coping with stress, including a statistical approach to the problem, on the basis of clinical studies. Overcoming can affect a person,

Chapter 8. Processes and resources for coping with stress Countering stress and adapting to the conditions of its development are determined by the availability of personal resources for the implementation of this process, as well as the type of action strategies used and the behavioral activity of a particular

8.2. Determination of the process of overcoming stress The process of overcoming stress depends on the characteristics of the influence of a number of factors on it, such as personality traits human, environmental conditions, life crises, individual significance and assessment

Chapter 10 Measuring Stress Coping Strategies The most contentious issue in coping with stress is how to evaluate the process and outcome of coping. Almost everyone agrees that coping is a critical factor in understanding the impact of stress on

It is important for almost all people to be able to communicate in such a way that they are understood correctly, that they are listened to and heard. Therefore, it is important to know how to overcome barriers.

Communication always involves at least two people. Everyone simultaneously influences and is affected.

Let us conditionally separate these functions and single out the speaker (the one who influences) and the listener, realizing that everyone in communication simultaneously or alternately is both.

Efficiency can be managed...

There are never great things without great difficulties.
Voltaire [Marie Francois Arouet]
The need to overcome various life difficulties arises in our lives constantly. This is the kind of work that we regularly have to do. After all, it is simply impossible to imagine life without difficulties.

Difficulties arise for everyone and always. No matter where and how a person lives, he will constantly face certain life difficulties, because they are inevitable. And since they're inevitable...

I have long been interested in the problem of overcoming fear, liberation from the chains that bind us to the instinct of self-preservation. So, Musila is one of those few people who, having tested themselves in desperate situations, were able to permanently eliminate fear from their lives ...

While he and his comrades-in-arms were fighting in South America, the people of the United States were keeping a close eye on the conflict in a very different part of the world. This conflict was called the Vietnam War. But in Bolivia it was...

The famous British writer Thomas Carlyle once said: "Insofar as a man conquers fear, so much he is a man." Does this mean that fear is a catalyst for the degree of our "humanization"?

Indeed, if we look at our life through the prism of fear, then it seems to me like a blanket woven from many shreds of fear.

We are constantly waging a conscious or "reflex" struggle with our own fears.

Getting rid of some, crowding out others, integrating with others...

There was a recent study that asked the question: what do people prefer to do when they want to reduce or relieve stress? According to the Reuters news agency, 56% of those polled around the world said that they consider music to be the most effective medium.

AT North America 64% of respondents put music in first place, and in developed countries Asia - 46%.

As a rule, watching TV is in second place, then taking a bath or shower. Tom Miller, Head...

According to sociological research, the fear of death is one of the three most powerful fears experienced by most people. Do you feel that kind of fear? Do you want to overcome the fear of death so that you become neutral towards this word and concept?

I believe that this is possible and should be done by everyone. The fear of death will simply dissolve and disappear.

Fear of death. Am I afraid of death? No, the word "death" does not cause me fear. I accept that anyone, including me, can...

Poverty zone
Imagine yourself and millions of people to boot in a big prison. Here you are told what time to get up, what time to fall asleep, when to work and what to eat, and you also have some time to take a little walk and sort things out with local “friends” if there is nowhere to put your energy…

And behind the bars, endless fields bathed in the sun. Complete freedom and endless fresh air.

I think the metaphor is quite clear to you. But many will now decide that I call for everything to be abandoned and freed from oppression ...

“The boss will definitely fire me,” “my wife was disappointed in me,” “the doctor does not confirm the diagnosis, but I don’t believe him” ... We all get nervous from time to time for various reasons. And when the anxiety persists, attempts to calm down exacerbate the situation. Cognitive psychologist Robert Leahy names 12 the worst ways deal with anxiety.

1. You are looking for validation.

You worry that you don't look good enough and keep asking your partner, "Do you think I'm fine?" Do you feel like the pain in your chest...

The effectiveness of coping with stress largely depends on psychological readiness to resist him and from the ability to manage their emotions in difficult situations.

Of great importance for managing stress on a personal level is knowledge of the characteristics of one's own psyche. It is known that depending on personal characteristics, the reaction of each person to stress is very specific.

In this regard, there are six types of personalities that react differently to stress:

ambitious type. This type includes people with a strong need to achieve success. They are energetic, agile, aggressive and business-oriented.

The causes of stress for them are overload, high intensity of activity and interpersonal relationships, insufficient understanding of themselves.

The main symptoms of stress are insomnia, high blood pressure, heart problems, and excessive smoking.

Calm type are carefree and calm people, focused on the past, dreamy and inactive.

They are characterized by a low tendency to stress. The cause of stress can be people or the demands of professional activities that disrupt the measured flow of their lives.

conscientious type. This type includes people who are petty, inquisitive, pedantic, dogmatic, stable, conservative and obligatory. They trust authority and obey tradition. For them, the causes of stress are people who violate their plans and behavior patterns.

They have an average degree of propensity to stress, but are very sensitive to changes in their habitual life.

The type that doesn't stand up These are people who cannot stand up for themselves and defend their rights. They please others, avoid interpersonal conflicts, are afraid of problematic relationships with each other. Internal stress, arising on the basis of interpersonal relationships, is a common cause of stress.

life-loving type. People belonging to this type are strong, energetic, cheerful, impulsive, uninhibited. They tend to change interests frequently.

The causes of stress are routine work and excessive internal stress.

alarm type is highly prone to stress. People of this type show anxiety about possible failures, have low self-esteem. The causes of stress for them are responsible work and sudden changes in life.

According to psychologists, overcoming crisis situations is possible subject to the observance of the principles on the basis of which it is possible to form a system of strategies for restoring mental balance.

These principles include:

Satisfaction principle provides for the implementation of psychological protection based on identifying the maximum degree of emotional well-being possible in an unfavorable situation. The mechanism for implementing this high degree well-being lies in the cognitive and emotional infantilism of a person.

reality principle aims at a sober approach to the world, in which movement towards any goal is not seen as a straightforward process of climbing more and more steps, but involves long, including detours and indirect means. The psychological mechanism for implementing the reality principle lies mainly in the ability to be patient.

Principle of value indicates the need to build systems of various life alternatives on the same value basis, as a result of which each of the alternatives within the framework of this value system receives its own assessment. This priority list of assessments serves as a tool for rationalizing the situation that needs to be overcome.

The principle of creativity determines to a large extent the self-improvement of a person, the active and conscious creation by a person of himself, and not only in the ideal sense, but also in practical implementation in real crisis situations.

Classes on the development of various strategies for solving life problems increase the psychological stability of a person in conditions that require the tension of spiritual forces. In this case, the main role is played not by knowledge, but by flexibility, which allows you to change and thereby normalize behavior in a timely manner.

The modern life of any person is associated with great overloads that arise as a result of the formation of new social and labor relations in the country in the conditions of the formation of a market economic system and the adaptation of workers to it.

The way to resist these overloads is known - it is preventive preparation for new conditions and a new mode of activity. To do this, you need to know the very technology of training and specific methods and techniques for protecting a person from overload, from critical situations.

Interesting and very effective is the approach presented for the first time in science, which substantiates the relationship between a person's blood group and his stress resistance and specific methods of protection from stressful influences.

People of the I blood group are resistant to stress due to an overactive immune system in conditions of intense physical exertion.

People with blood group II are resistant to stress factors if they operate in orderly life support structures and if they prefer a vegetarian diet. The best way to protect against stressful factors for representatives of this blood type is complacency.

Representatives of the III blood group, by their very nature, are better protected from stressful influences than representatives of all other blood groups. They have a powerful immune system. And the most effective way to deal with stress they have is the transition to creative activity. Exemption from a serious condition associated with stressful influence occurs quite quickly and quite reliably. This method will be more successful than more representatives III blood groups combine mental activity with physical activity.

Stress for representatives of the IV blood group is sometimes destructive. And the way to relieve tension is "intellectual, accompanied by physical vivacity."

This method turns out to be the more effective, the more the representative of the IV blood group has the opportunity to enter into intensive communication with close (and not only) people, during which they successfully realize the dominant feature of their type - the ability to adapt to any human environment.

In groups of people of each blood type, the most effective way of stress resistance is the development (possibly volitional) of such features of these groups that are most developed among their representatives, the most desirable and most effective. Balancing the body and psyche of a stressful person occurs both through the desired activity and through obtaining good results.

Simple Psychological Stress Relief Exercises

Coping with psychological stress is actual problem modern people undergoing a "frantic" rhythm of life. The need to study this problem is determined by the realities of a society that suffers from the tendency of increased accumulation of psychological stress and the inability to get rid of it. Psychological stress is the first enemy to human success, for which there are effective methods of confrontation.

The concept of psychological stress lies in the causes of human ill-being, leading to frustration, failure and suffering. modern man. This state of the body determines not what happens in a certain period of a person’s life, but how exactly he perceives it. Stress occurs when the reaction of the human body to a stimulus is out of its control. Sometimes there is an extraordinary reaction, and sometimes there is an altered behavior caused by the ability to restrain one's emotions.

Stages of psychological stress:

Psychological stress can be caused not only by external factors, but also by internal ones, which are quite conscious or completely unconscious. An unbalanced state of the body may occur as a result of changes in the functional systems of the body or emotional mood.

Stress is manifested by the following symptoms:

• Excessive muscle tension in the face and collar area;
• Characteristic trembling of the hands;
• Increase in the rhythm of breathing;
• Trembling of the voice and violation of speech functions;
• Decreased speed of sensorimotor reaction.

To effectively eliminate psychological stress from a person’s life, one should find out the causes of its occurrence and try to either eliminate them or find possible compromises to resolve this issue. To relieve emotional overload, there are effective methods by which you can quickly achieve the desired result.

Ways to overcome psychological stress

All methods that relieve people from the effects of psychological stress are based on a single mechanism - the achievement of a special psychophysiological state aimed at psychological unloading (stress relief) and switching the brain dominant. For this, various exercises have been developed, based on psychoanalysis, which helps to achieve a harmonizing state.

When people are emotionally unstable, they automatically perform unconscious balance exercises, which consist of walking up and down the room, swinging their legs, tapping their fingers on the table, rocking their bodies, twisting in a chair, and so on. How are automatic unconscious movements and ideomotor exercises similar?

Ideomotor in the fight against emotional instability

Ideomotor is a term consisting of two parts: “ideo” - thought and “motor” - movement, that is, you can literally translate this word as “mental movement”. Ideomotor is an internal mechanism of a person, based on the representation of the implementation of movement and manifestation of oneself in life as ideomotor attacks.

The difference between involuntary motor movements and automatic controlled movements is that specially designed exercises are designed to relieve stress, expressed as psychological tension.

There are several methods by which you can cope with emotional instability and even prevent the occurrence of stress:

1. The first position - the more accurately the mental image of the movement is created, the “cleaner” its execution in the physical state;
2. The second provision - the methods of ideomotorics represent a connection between mental images of motor activity with muscular-articular realization;
3. The third position - the effect of mental representations increases many times when they are dressed in verbal formulations, that is, you need to pronounce each visualization, and only then demonstrate it.

This technique, although effective, is not common, as it requires some training with an instructor and some skills for self-study.

Simple psychological exercises in the fight against stress

With the help of psychological impact on your body, you can restore emotional instability. To do this, it is necessary to systematically perform relaxation exercises, preferably in the morning. Exercises allow you to feel changes in the body after a few days: the acquisition of self-confidence, a surge of strength, an increase in vitality and mood.

4. Exercise number 1 - "Problem"- to remove the emotional psychological state, you should find out the problem that influenced its appearance. After eliminating or dulling the irritant, it is necessary to perform actions that help to achieve inner peace: you should take a comfortable position, relax and present your problem from the outside. Effective way in this situation, it is a comparison of a sore problem with more global catastrophes on a world scale, which will minimize it;
5. Exercise number 2 - "Inner light"- It takes 5 minutes to relieve stress in this way. For this exercise, a visualization technique is used to visualize a light beam appearing at the top of the head and moving slowly from top to bottom, illuminating the face, arms, shoulders with a pleasant warm glow. One should imagine not only light, but also its beneficial effects: the disappearance of wrinkles, the fading of tension, charging with inner strength;
6. Exercise number 3 - "Mood"- helps to cope with stress after quarrels for 15 minutes. To perform, you need pencils or felt-tip pens, with which you need to state your condition on paper, choosing the appropriate colors and images. After the drawing, you can express emotions in words by writing them on the back of the sheet. Having finished expressing your mood, the “masterpiece” should be broken, getting rid of negative emotions.

Dealing with stress is not easy, especially on your own. But there is an opportunity to restore your emotional instability and strengthen psychological condition with the help of specially designed exercises and methods aimed at combating and preventing negative emotions.

Simple Ways to Cope with Stress

Every day, a modern adult is faced with a whole bunch of various tasks, which at times are simply impossible to cope with. And life forces! Over time, such a frantic pace unsettles and leads to stress. To quickly and easily cope with such problems, you need to know what are the ways to overcome stress.

What is stress?

This term is translated from of English language as "tension, pressure". Under stress, psychology means the tension of the human body as a defensive reaction to negative factors.

In other words, stress is the body's response to a large number of strong emotions (positive or negative). In a stressful situation, adrenaline is produced, which makes the brain work harder.

It turns out that without such a reaction a person cannot, because it makes him think. But everything should be in moderation. If there is too much stress, the body will weaken and soon begin to hurt.

Solving the problem at its cause



To find a solution to a problem, one must look at the causes that caused it. There are external and internal causes of stress. The former usually do not depend on a person, and it is almost impossible to fight them. Modern psychology names such external causes:

7. changes (job change, moving to a foreign city, etc.);
8. death of a loved one;
9. disasters (floods, tsunamis, accidents, etc.);
10. weather and temperature changes;
11. viruses, microbes and other factors.

As for internal causes, they directly depend on the person. To cope with them, it is enough just to change your attitude to what is happening. Psychologists refer to the internal causes of stress:

12. self-esteem;
13. life principles, values, beliefs.

Try to analyze the causes and, if possible, get rid of them. Any doctor will tell you that it is better to get rid of the cause of the disease than the symptoms.

nip in the bud

In order not to have to treat, it is necessary to engage in prevention. And psychology agrees with this principle, too.

In order to minimize the risk of stress, take note of simple rules:

14. Eat in moderation. Don't "eat" your problems.
15. Don't drink alcohol. “Filling” your grief is also not an option, you will only make yourself worse.
16. Get rid of bad habits, stop smoking.
17. Make friends with exercise. Do exercises regularly. During exercise, endorphins are produced - hormones responsible for happiness.
18. Learn to relax.
19. Rid yourself of overly responsible tasks, take on only what you can accomplish.
20. Learn to manage your time so that you can do everything and still remain calm. Time management will help you with this.
21. Set goals that you can achieve so that you don’t get disappointed later.
22. Get more rest. Fatigue is one of the main causes of stress.

Such simple mental hygiene will help you minimize the risk of stress.

14 ways to overcome



If all of the above reasons did not help you avoid the response of the body, do not despair, but fight it.

Modern psychology offers a variety of ways to overcome stress - everyone can find the most suitable one for themselves and always use it.

During tea drinking, the human body relaxes and calms down, peace and harmony come. Best soothing herbal tea and green. But if you like another variety, then please. The main thing is that a cup of tea is a joy for you.

A great way to relieve stress is to do what you love. Love to embroider - please, skydive - no problem, sing karaoke - to your health. The main thing is to enjoy the process.

Concentration

As you know, the state of stress makes it difficult for a person to concentrate. To deal with this problem, you can do a simple exercise. Close yourself in an empty room, sit sideways on a chair and put your hands on your knees. Look into the void and try to relax. Now start counting to ten and focus on counting as much as possible. After that, stand up, take a deep breath and slowly stretch.

Physical training

During enhanced sports training, our body splashes out all the negativity that torments it from the inside. In addition, endorphin is produced - the hormone of happiness. Try to go in for fitness and you will not notice how a bad depressed mood is replaced by a happy smile.

Mutual Aid

Very often, others help to distract from problems. As soon as you start helping someone, you immediately forget about your troubles and failures, and your mood improves. Try, for example, to move a granny across the road or help her carry a heavy bag. First, you will be proud of yourself. Secondly, a sincere “thank you” evokes positive emotions.

Sometimes, to calm down and reduce stress levels, it is enough just to change the pace of breathing. Try to exhale twice as long as you inhale. For example, when you inhale, mentally count up to 4, and when you exhale, count up to 8. Try to breathe evenly, slowly. When dealing with stress, psychologists also recommend humming songs or reading poetry.

Play with your pets, if you love animals, of course. They are able to feel the pain and tension of a person, and in some cases, even heal.

One of the most enjoyable ways to deal with stress. During sex, as well as during sports, the hormone of joy is produced, which both raises the mood and fills with vital energy.

Often the cause of stress is fatigue. Don't torture yourself, if you're tired, take a break. As they say, work is not a wolf, you will have time.

Sometimes, to see the solution to a problem, it is enough to say it out loud or write it down on paper. Start a diary and pour everything that oppresses you onto paper, it will endure everything.

Problem Sorting

Psychology often advises: if you cannot solve a problem, forget about it. Analyze your problems, divide them into solvable and not solvable. Then deal with the first ones, and just forget about the rest.

This applies to office workers and those who work indoors. If you are overwhelmed by a wave of stress, take a walk. Hiking and cycling have a beneficial effect on the emotional state. And the fresh air is uplifting.

We all come from childhood, so games calm us down. Go to the shooting gallery, rides, play a board game, crocodile or something else. With these activities, you will be distracted from negative thoughts.

They say to be happy you have to hug 8 people every day. Feel free to look like a child, hug your loved ones. Everyone will only benefit from this.

Today, negative factors surround us everywhere. But so that stress does not turn into more serious problems, learn how to deal with it.


ostresse.ru

Stress Coping Techniques



Today, a lot of techniques have been described to get rid of the effects of stress, ranging from simple stories self-reliance from stress, to multi-step and cumbersome psychological techniques. Today I present to your attention a set of effective and easy-to-use methods of coping with stress, which are included in the golden arsenal of the self-development system. You will receive a guide to the most effective anti-stress methods and techniques.

As you call stress, you will swim on the waves of life

In the popular Soviet-era animated series The Adventures of Captain Vrungel and His Friends, the crew of the Pobeda ship felt the expression “as you name the ship, so you will sail” in their own skin, after the first two letters fell off the name of the sailboat: “P” and “O ".

Troubles and a sea of ​​troubles literally overwhelmed the ship of Captain Vrungel with the sonorous name "Trouble". A similar situation occurs in the fight against stress and its consequences.

There are as many methods for coping and relieving stress as there are definitions for it.

Let's look at common approaches to dealing with stress, based on how we define stress.



When stress is an energy imbalance

I consider the balance of energy, first of all, as the balance of work (tension) and rest (relaxation) in life. In other words, it is how you combine spending and replenishing your life energy in your life.

Here, stress wins at the moment when you spend more energy than you replenish it. And the consequences of such stress are manifested in a general breakdown, apathy, boredom and pseudo-laziness. This is when you don’t want to do anything, literally “there is no strength to live.”

Most often, such stress overtakes workaholics, careerists and businessmen who work up to 18 hours a day and even think about work on vacation.

If you already have an imbalance of energy, then The best way to overcome such stress is to restore the balance of work and leisure in life. You will have to learn to rest and disconnect from work again, literally by an effort of will to allocate time for relaxation and recharging.



You will need to master the methods of rapid accumulation and replenishment of energy:

Lifestyle. Allocate at least 8 hours for sleep and 2 hours for rest per day. Go to bed early and get up early. Sign up for a qigong or yoga class. Visit the pool at lunchtime, Russian bath or sauna 2-3 times a week. Master and practice any method of quick muscle relaxation, sign up for a massage, visit spa treatments. And most importantly, when returning home, turn off your mobile phone and tablet. Clearly separate work and leisure areas.

Weekend training. Spend half a day Saturday or Sunday practicing Hawaiian stress management techniques. Hawaiian priests believe that through the eyes, visual perception, we spend up to 80% of vital energy. Therefore, the best way to replenish strength is to stop wasting it on vision. Your weekend stress relief training will consist of spending half a day at home blindfolded doing various household chores. Blindfolded, you must wash the dishes, load in washing machine dirty laundry, sweep and mop the floor, cook dinner. At first, you will experience irritation and bump into furniture in your apartment. Then you will get a taste, and by the end of the training you will experience a powerful burst of energy.

Synthesis of the cerebral hemispheres. Another technique that has proven to be effective in accumulating energy and influx of creative forces is the integration of the right and left hemispheres of your brain. Tape your dominant hand (for right-handed people, this is right hand, for left-handers - left) to the body and spend first, one day off, and then a working day, using the non-dominant hand. You will be surprised what your hand, which you hardly used before this practice, is capable of, and how much energy it will give you in the end. In Germany, this method is used to treat psychological impotence in right-handed men in 2 weeks.

Sponge breath. This exercise is used in Body Oriented Therapy to quickly re-energize lethargic clients. The author of this technique is V. Baskakov, and for the first time I met the “Baskakov sponge” at his methodological training. A sponge is a mollusk that breathes to the rhythm of the ocean, opening its shells on the inhale and squeezing the shells on the exhale. Lie on your back, bend your legs at the knee joint, and lean on your feet, spreading your knees, spread your arms to the sides. Gently close your eyes (the sponge has no organs of vision). You are a sponge that breathes in the rhythm of the universe. As you inhale, bring your knees together and your hands with your palms above you. As you exhale, drop your hands to the floor and spread your knees as far as possible. Breathe in motion for 10-15 minutes. Then spread your arms and legs in the “starfish” position and lie down for a few more minutes, breathing freely. This bodily practice allows you to relax all the muscles as much as possible and gives a quick burst of energy.



When stress is the result of mental trauma

Sometimes stress overtakes you as a result of psychological trauma, having received which, you have jumped over strong emotions that are "frozen" in the body and take away your energy.

We are talking about the trauma of loss (longing and grief for the deceased close person), experienced a traffic or natural disaster (fear, horror and panic) or a strong conflict (repressed anger, guilt and shame).

And it doesn’t matter if you experienced this misfortune recently or in the distant past. The matrix of trauma and trapped emotions tends to accumulate and attract new stressful situations.

The usual companions and consequences of traumatic stress are perhaps the most common reasons for seeking help from psychotherapists and psychologists. We are talking about depression, panic attacks and phobias, anxiety disorders and neurosis, as a consequence of such stress.

In such cases, you should not rely on stress self-therapy techniques alone, they should be combined with professional psychological help. It is no coincidence that a psychological service was created under the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia, and psychologists of the Ministry of Emergency Situations are among the first to arrive at the scene of disasters and fires in order to provide timely psychological support and prevent survivors from freezing traumatic emotions in the body.



When stress is the result of intrusive negative thoughts

Almost any stress is accompanied by a search for solutions and constant reflection on what is happening. Sometimes the negative thoughts themselves, sometimes called anxious or automatic, are the cause of severe and lingering stress.

In this case effective methods liberation from such stress will be techniques for controlling and getting rid of this kind of obsessive thoughts.

Search the Internet for stress- and anxiety-inducing thought-stopping techniques such as The Work of Kathy Byron, the Sedona Method, or your own affirmation techniques, questioning techniques, and even self-hypnosis.

I entrust you with a tool that will literally snap all the negativity out of your head and make you think positive thoughts. This technique is lightning fast and effective, like a click of a rubber band.



First, prepare a list of your negative or anxious (stressful) thoughts. Write them down during the week, whenever you feel the next impact of stressful situations that piss you off.

When a sufficient number of thoughts have accumulated in the list of thoughts, make a hierarchy of them. At the top of the list should be the negative thoughts that cause the most stress.

The next step is the transformation of negative thoughts into their opposite, the opposite, which brings other emotions.

For example, you wrote down such a negative thought: “I am afraid of losing my job and being left without a livelihood.” You realized that this negative thought causes anxiety and fear by 70 points on a scale of 1 to 100. Good. Now come up with a thought opposite to this one. One of the polar thoughts sounds like: “I am a professional. Bosses hold on to employees like me”, makes you confident and reduces fear from 70 to 20 points. Excellent. You have done all the preliminary and preparatory work.

Now it's time to build this new thought into your consciousness. We use the effectiveness of pain therapy to improve our lives. Put on your left hand (left-handers - on your right), on your wrist a bank elastic band of such a size that it fits tightly enough, without squeezing, to fit it.



Whenever you catch yourself on a negative thought (we work with all the thoughts from the list one by one, 1 per week), say mentally: “stop!” and, pulling the elastic, painfully click yourself on the wrist. At the same moment, by an effort of will, focus on the new alternative thought that you prepared in the previous step of the method. For the first two or three days, click the rubber band, and then leave only the mental “stop!”. You will notice that the body, fearing pain, will cause your mind to automatically switch to a new, positive thought, in place of the old negative thought.

The red scar will come off your wrist at the same time as the last negative thought from the list with which you part. Well, if there are no bad thoughts, then there is no mental basis for stress.

So, we examined the most common causes of stress and identified the most effective methods for overcoming it, based on this. As you understand, this is not a complete and exhaustive list of definitions and methods.

And this is good, because it means that we will meet again in new articles on VitaMarg, but for now, share your impressions, thoughts and feelings in the comments on this post. Ask questions and get answers from the author. Be sure to share the stress relief methods suggested in this article with your friends.

Happiness to you for no reason and good luck in the fight against stress.

www.vitamarg.com

• ALCOHOLIC PSYCHOSIS ALCOHOLIC PSYCHOSIS. The main factors leading to the occurrence of alcoholic psychosis are metabolic disorders caused by chronic (usually at least 5 years) alcohol abuse. Delirium tremens (alcoholic delirium) usually develops against the background of withdrawal […]
• Signs, diagnosis of neurosis and its treatment Signs of neurosis can manifest themselves both in poor physical health (high body temperature, sweating, frequent urination) and in behavior. This disease cannot be determined by taking tests, but an experienced psychotherapist uses his methods to recognize […]
• Autism: How to recognize it and what to do about it April is Autism Awareness Month. We understand what to do for families faced with this diagnosis. Photo: Vlad Kobets / Vykhod Foundation What is autism? Let's start from the beginning: what is autism spectrum disorder (abbreviated as ASD), what are […]
• Celebrities diagnosed with schizophrenia We often admire the stars, get inspired by them, and want to be like them. But whatever one may say, they are mere mortal people. With all the pros and cons. And diseases too. For example. JIM GORDON For nearly two decades, Gordon has been one of the most sought-after […]
• About neuroses in children Neurosis is a child's reaction to difficult situations that are experienced by him very painfully, which is reflected primarily in the child's behavior. Common forms of neurosis are neurasthenia, hysterical neurosis, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. First, it is worth knowing that neuroses in children are […]
• Causes of Down's Syndrome Down's syndrome is a congenital pathology that occurs more and more often from year to year. According to statistics, today ten percent of newborns have this form mental retardation. Down syndrome is a terrible diagnosis that shocks parents. All […]
• Dangerous psychosis: why NATO and the Baltic countries are crippled by Shoigu's military exercises Russia will continue military exercises announced from August 25 to 31 by order of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in pursuance of the order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. The stated goal is […]
• What to do if you have depression? What to do if depression took all the strength? 7 simple ways get rid of her. Depression is considered the most common ailment of modern people. This term refers to the depressed state of the psyche. Depression manifests itself in depression, sadness, feeling […]

The very term of coping behavior in domestic psychology is not so long ago - in the 90s. The first studies in this direction were carried out by: V. S. Merlin, K. K. Platonov, L. I. Umansky, L. I. Antsyferova, B. M. Teplov. Such scientists as L. G. Dikaya, V. I. Suslova, N. A. Sirota, R. K. Nazyrov, V. M. Yaltonsky, S. K. Nartov-Bocharov, A. A. Borodin and others. Basically, in these studies, the analysis of various developments of foreign authors was carried out. Most of the research on coping is theoretical and analytical in nature.

Here are the most famous and significant studies in this area.

In modern domestic psychology, research is being conducted aimed at identifying personal characteristics that are responsible for successful adaptation and coping with difficult life situations in various spheres of life. Personal coping resources include: self-concept, perception of social support, locus of control, empathy, low neuroticism, affiliation and other psychological characteristics. Strategies such as distraction and problem analysis are associated with the cognitive sphere, emotional release, passive cooperation, optimism, maintaining self-control, with the emotional sphere, distraction, active avoidance, altruism, constructive activity, and the search for support are associated with the behavioral sphere.

L.I. Antsyferova in her value-semantic theory described the dynamics of coping behavior. She explores the dynamics of consciousness and actions of a person in difficult life situations, which, in her opinion, are the result of a person's mental processing of life events from the standpoint of his own, only partially realized, individual picture of the world. Coping, in her opinion, should be understood as a simplified definition of difficult life situations, which are understood as life circumstances requiring from a person such actions and conditions that are on the border of his adaptive capabilities or even exceed his reserves. When considering difficult life situations, one must take into account the main thing - the value, which under certain conditions can be lost or destroyed. It is the loss of value that makes the situation stressful. In order to preserve, protect, affirm this value, a person uses a variety of methods to change the situation. Thus, the more significant the place in the semantic sphere of the personality is occupied by the object in danger and the more intense the threat is perceived by the personality, the higher the motivational potential of coping with the difficulty that has arisen.

According to this theory, the reaction to a traumatic event proceeds in stages. In the beginning, a person reacts on a sensory level - there is a state of numbness. At the second level, it is replaced by the activity of the individual - cognitive assessment. This is the process of recognizing the features of the situation, identifying its negative and positive aspects, determining the meaning and significance of what is happening. The choice of a strategy for coping with a traumatic event, a difficult life situation, depends on the level of development of this mechanism, on the ability of a person with different points view a difficult situation and apply techniques for reassessing it. The main goal and result of cognitive assessment can be considered the conclusion of a person about the ability to control this situation. In the case when a person considers the situation under control, constructive coping strategies are included. On the contrary, the feeling of fatality, the power of the situation over a person leads to an external locus of control and, as a result, the choice of strategies of avoidance, suppression, and the inability to refuse the use of psychological defenses. Antsyferova

Regarding the cognitive assessment itself, the following can be said. V.A. Bodrov identifies the following factors for evaluating an event as stressful:

emotions associated with the event. Moreover, emotions can be both sharply negative and positive of high intensity.

· Uncertainty of the situation caused by lack of information or unpredictability. The need to act in a situation of uncertainty, lack of information, increases the likelihood of error, reduces the effectiveness of activities, thereby causing increased anxiety of the subject.

The significance of the event, reflecting the degree of its danger to a person (or others) and the importance for achieving the final result. Significance can be high both in the literal sense - if we are talking about some kind of emergency, and figuratively - if we are talking exclusively about the subjective significance of the situation.

In the work of F.B. Berezina studied the correlation of a sense of threat with personal anxiety and previous human experience. The author concludes that "the occurrence of mental stress in a certain situation can be noted not because of its objective characteristics, but in connection with the subjective characteristics of perception and the prevailing individual stereotypes of response" [Bityutskaya]

Also, L.I. Antsyferova belongs to the classification of coping strategies, including:

· transformative coping strategies - it is assumed that a person perceives the situation as a problem that can be positively solved, namely: outlines goals, outlines a solution plan, ways to achieve them. It is assumed that actions can be not only practical, but also verbal, or represent a rethinking of the problem. These strategies are divided into: "comparison going down" - a person compares himself with those who are even worse "comparison going up" - a person remembers his successes in other areas, "anti-picking co-ownership" and "anticipation of sadness" - a person is psychologically prepared to anticipated problems.

adaptation techniques - a change in attitude to the situation, or work on one's own qualities. Here they distinguish: positive interpretation, role-playing behavior, identification of a person with more successful people.

· Auxiliary methods of self-preservation in situations of difficulties and misfortunes - various techniques for dealing with emotional disturbances caused by negative events that cannot be eliminated from the point of view of the subject. For example, leaving or running away in a difficult situation, which can be carried out not only in practical, but also in a purely psychological form. It should be mentioned that there are situations when leaving can be a justified and constructive life strategy. However, there are times when a person can neither practically transform the problem nor get away from the source of danger and suffering. Then most often a person chooses strategies based on emotions - strategies of psychological struggle with their negative emotions and painful sensations. These techniques are not constructive in the sense that they do not eliminate problems, but they are still adaptive, since they alleviate the psychological state. Various methods of psychological defense are also non-constructive strategies of behavior.

· the formation of two life worlds and the splitting of consciousness under the influence of mass disasters is rather a defensive behavior that allows one to survive in unbearable conditions. A person who has gone through a war or experienced a long natural disaster in the future experiences serious difficulties in adapting to ordinary reality. This leads to alienation, isolation, misunderstanding. Two worlds are formed in the human mind - the ordinary and the extreme. Moreover, the latter is considered familiar and normal.

the influence of personality traits on the choice of strategies and the success of coping - of course, different people tend to choose one or another strategy initially. Strong and energetic choleric people tend to choose active strategies, weak melancholic people - passive ones. In addition, the choice is influenced by living conditions. A person who is accustomed to struggling with difficulties is likely to find a way to overcome another life situation. The locus of control, self-esteem and worldview also matter.

There are several approaches to the definition of coping strategies. For example, R.M. Granovskaya and I.M. Nikolskaya share coping strategies as follows:

· Behavioral - any behavioral acts that allow you to neutralize the focus of tension, eliminate muscle clamps, relieve psychological stress.

Emotional - it is supposed to remove the focus of tension by the method of emotional discharge, as well as with the help of social support.

· Cognitive - the removal of tension by changing the subjective assessment of the situation and the corresponding change in the level of control.

R. M. Granovskaya and I. M. Nikolskaya in their studies analyzed the specifics of the main coping strategies and psychological defense mechanisms in children, revealed their content and features of coping in children, depending on age, gender and personality characteristics [Nikolskaya]

A. V. Libin, within the framework of differential psychology, created a structural-functional model of human behavior in difficult life situations. He explores the importance positive emotions in successful problem solving. A.V. Libin considers psychological defenses and coping with different response styles. The response style, in his opinion, is a variant of individual behavior that characterizes the ways a person copes with emerging difficult situations. This behavior can be realized in the form of psychological protection from unpleasant experiences, as well as in the form of real human activity aimed at solving the problem. Response styles are an intermediate link between the stressful events that have occurred and their consequences in the form of psychological discomfort, anxiety, somatic disorders associated with protective behavior, or emotional uplift and joy from successful problem solving that are characteristic of coping behavior.

S.K. Nartova-Bochaveris explores the conditionality of the choice of psychological overcoming life problems gender stereotypes. In addition, she owns works on comparing age and choosing a coping strategy. And also, the choice of a way to overcome, in her opinion, is influenced by a person's belonging to a particular society. Coping itself is an individual way of interacting with the situation in accordance with its own logic, significance in a person's life and his psychological capabilities. The psychological purpose of coping is to the best way adapt the person to the requirements of the situation, allowing him to master it, weaken or soften these requirements, try to avoid or get used to them and thus neutralize the stressful effect of the problem.

S. V. Frolova owns works on the study of strategies for overcoming crisis situations in adolescence. She divides coping strategies into several types:

· Type "A" strategy of behavioral coping: adaptive - active coping, altruism, partially adaptive - seeking social support, distraction, non-adaptive - isolation, compensation using doping agents, avoiding reality.

· Strategies of type "B" of cognitive coping: adaptive - finding a solution to the problem, giving meaning, partially adaptive - focusing on the opinions of others, maintaining aplomb, denial, maladaptive - avoiding the problem, confusion.

· Strategies of type "B" of emotional coping: adaptive - emotional concentration, partially adaptive - search for emotional support, emotional discharge, non-adaptive - suppression of feelings, guilt, aggressiveness, submissiveness.

Yu. V. Postylyakova, studying the features of resources for coping with stress in different types professional activity, notes that in situations beyond the perceived control of the individual, adaptive avoidance strategies or an emotionally oriented strategy of coping with stress can be used.

Self-control, according to V. N. Myasishchev, is one of those features that underlie adequate human behavioral responses to external influences and are extremely important in terms of distinguishing between norm and pathology. Put forward by S.L. Rubinstein's position on the internal emotional regulation of activity is based on the recognition of the organic inclusion of emotion in the fabric of need, on the disclosure of the unity and interpenetration of the emotional and motivational.

In general, despite numerous serious studies, there are still conceptual and empirical difficulties in explaining coping behavior. The question of the effectiveness of coping remains open. “It should be especially noted that coping is a process in which, at its different stages, the subject uses different strategies, sometimes even combining them. There are no such strategies that would be effective in all difficult situations"

Per last years collected a lot of material on the problem of coping. At the same time, it is of increasing interest to scientists, because. coping is considered as one of the important processes of social adaptation.