We are all familiar with a situation: palms start to get cold; the heart pounds madly. It seems that the beating of your own pulse can be heard even from the outside. The whole body tenses, breathing quickens. You are under stress. There are many reasons why it occurs: conflicts, constant lack of time, poor sleep, or small daily troubles. One thing is clear: we are in a state of stress when the situation is somewhat unpredictable for us, and we cannot control it as we would like.
At this point, the so-called "sympathetic system" – the autonomic part of the human nervous system in the body – is activated, and a large amount of adrenaline and cortisol is released. As a result, the heartbeat accelerates, the blood sugar rises, the muscles tense.
Another part of the autonomic nervous system is the parasympathetic system responsible for physiological rest. During stress, this system tries to get you back to the normal state by lowering the stress hormone cortisol by all means.
Fortunately, there are several ways you can help your body get out of stress faster and find peace of mind.
1.Breathe out deeply and slowly.
When you are under stress, your breathing rate increases, the body prepares itself, so to speak, for the unexpected and activates all its resources. To get out of this state, you should slowly breathe out several times. When you breathe out, the parasympathetic system is activated. This causes the heartbeat to return to normal and you will calm down.
2. Eat something.
Even if the last thing you think about during a stressful situation is eating something, the meal does reduce stress levels. While eating, the digestion process is activated, which suppresses the stress response. For instance, dark chocolate lowers blood cortisol levels.
3. Make physical contact.
Hugging, touching, sex, and other social interactions contribute to oxytocin's release, the "cuddle hormone." Oxytocin has a calming effect and strengthens social bonds. Whereas dopamine, which is also activated when cuddling, has a mood-enhancing effect. If the right candidate for a hug isn't in sight, consider petting the pet or doing something fun.
4. Do sports.
Exercise is a great way to reduce stress. The movement leads to motoric discharge and muscle stretching. Thanks to the release of endorphins, the body receives a signal that everything is fine and relaxed. Pilates, yoga, meditation, or martial arts - the choice is yours. The main thing is that you need to enjoy this sport.
5. Think positively.
It may sound banal, but the ability to add humor to a situation can reduce stress. Almost every stressful situation contains funny aspects - and now the drama is not so dramatic.
Physical and emotional stress can be pretty annoying in your life, distracting from positive emotions and constructive actions. In moments like this, the main thing is to find your piece of serenity - your way to calm down. After all, there are so many stressful situations, and you are the only one.
