In certain life conditions, stress, being an activator of human capabilities, can be a benefit and a driver of development. But it’s no secret that today we live in an increasingly rapidly accelerating world. When living in such an intense rhythm, tension accumulates in the body and psyche, which is increasingly difficult to get rid of. But our psyche and our body have huge reserves for self-regulation. You just need to be able to access them. There are ways for this that every person can use. The concept of “stress” (from Latin - “tension”) was introduced in 1936 by the Canadian physiologist G. Selye. There is a distinction between eustress - normal stress that serves the purpose of preserving and maintaining life, and distress - pathological stress, manifested in painful symptoms. In everyday consciousness, the second idea of ​​stress is mainly entrenched. Stress is a tense state of the body with the mobilization of all its systems in response to a stressful situation. Anything can cause stress. It depends on the individual and the specific circumstances. It’s not about the situation itself, but about how a person perceives it, how he relates to it. That is, the subjective factor plays a decisive role in the occurrence and development of stress. Human nature is such that he reacts not only to real danger, but also to the perceived threat: the unknown, uncertainty. This predetermines the body’s readiness to activate protective mechanisms. A strong emotion (fear, anxiety, etc.) causes muscle tension and a change in breathing rhythm, other physiological reactions that prepare the body for fight or flight, that is, for intense muscular and physical activity, which is a natural release of this process. This biological mechanism is much older than humans and does not provide for the features of modern life. But socio-economic, informational, and emotional factors of modern life also affect humans in a similar way. And, unfortunately, they rarely lead to natural physical release. Much more often a person has to “control himself,” that is, suppress his thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Therefore, it has little chance of being “discharged” naturally, and the body needs to make additional efforts and a long time to restore the disturbed balance. Eventually, there comes a point when the adaptive mechanisms are exhausted and the changes caused by mental and emotional stress become chronic. Organs and systems do not have time to return to normal operation. When all the involuntary reserves of self-regulation of the body are exhausted, a disease develops. First, functional failures occur (for example, blood pressure jumps, hands tremble, etc.), and over time organic lesions develop. Such diseases are called psychosomatic because the cause of bodily changes is a disruption of normal mental activity. Fortunately, our body is very plastic and capable of change. Only for the worse everything changes by itself, but for the better it requires some effort! There are reserves for this, you need to know and be able to use them. There are a huge variety of ways to overcome stress and its consequences, but a one-time “victory over the situation” does not guarantee getting rid of the problem! Therefore, it is advisable to develop skills of anti-stress behavior by developing permanent resistance to the effects of stressors. Experts dealing with the problem of neuropsychic tension and the regulation of emotional states recommend using deliberately special techniques to manage them. These are precisely what are called methods of self-regulation (or methods of self-influence), emphasizing the active (volitional) participation of a person in them. Self-regulation is the control of one’s psycho-emotional state, achieved by a person influencing himself with the help of words, mental images, and control of muscle toneand breathing - four basic means used individually or in various combinations. As a result of self-regulation, three main effects can occur: a calming effect (elimination of emotional tension); a restoration effect (weakening the manifestations of fatigue); an activation effect (increasing psychophysiological reactivity). Self-regulation classes do not require special equipment or money, an individual program is easy to select, and there are practically no contraindications. Outstanding specific abilities are not required; it is much more important to practice systematically. The most common and effective anti-stress methods of self-regulation: Relaxation Relaxation is a method with which you can partially or completely get rid of physical or mental stress. Relaxation is a very useful method because it is quite easy to master - it does not require special education or even a natural gift. But there is one indispensable condition - motivation, i.e. Everyone needs to know why they want to master relaxation. Concentration The inability to concentrate is a factor closely related to stress. As a rule, modern people daily face the need to perform a large number of diverse tasks in one period of time and at a fast pace. Such tearing into pieces day after day ultimately leads to exhaustion, mainly mental. In this case, concentration exercises are simply irreplaceable. Situations often arise when it is difficult to remember someone’s name or some of your thoughts. It is in such cases that short-term concentration on command is recommended - on your word or on your score. In most cases, a word (or thought) that has fallen out of memory will come to mind literally in a moment. By concentrating on a word or count, you can remember something forgotten faster than by using increased memory tension. With this simple method a person is able to make an effort and overcome himself. Regulating breathing Conscious control of breathing (regulating breathing movements) is the most ancient way of dealing with stress. There are many breathing techniques, both the simplest, accessible to any person without training, and special ones (in spiritual practices, in transpersonal techniques), which should be mastered under the guidance of a specialist. With the help of deep and calm autoregulated breathing, you can prevent mood swings. When laughing, sighing, coughing, talking, singing or reciting, certain changes in the rhythm of breathing occur compared to the so-called normal automatic breathing. It follows that the method and rhythm of breathing can be purposefully regulated through conscious slowing down and deepening. Increasing the duration of exhalation promotes calm and complete relaxation. The breathing of a calm and balanced person is significantly different from the breathing of a person in a state of stress. Thus, by the rhythm of breathing, one can determine the mental state of a person. Rhythmic breathing calms the nerves and psyche; The duration of individual breathing phases does not matter - the rhythm is important. Self-programming for resistance to stress. Self-programming is one of the main methods of self-regulation, in which a person himself sets a program of action for his body. We have the power, without any prior preparation, to tense or relax our muscles, change our posture, make any voluntary movement, and consciously change the rhythm and depth of breathing. These functions can be trained like any physical skill. Of all the changes caused by chronic stress, chronic muscle tension is the most important from a self-regulation perspective. When talking about our condition, we often use, without thinking, figurative expressions that accurately reflect the essence of the changes taking place. We find problems “on our own”, this person “sat on my neck”, “this is where (pointing to the neck, shoulders and upper back) it sits on me.” Just in timethe muscles of the shoulder girdle, neck, back, and “nest” mainly our problems. It is here that chronic muscle tension accumulates the most, squeezing blood vessels and nerves, disrupting the normal state of the spine and the functioning of internal organs. But muscle tension is consciously regulated. If neuropsychic tension causes muscle tension, then you can act from the other end: relax the muscles to relieve mental tension. Relaxation is a state of muscle relaxation. There are many special relaxation techniques. Over the thousand years of their existence, they have been superbly designed and honed to perfection (Indian, Chinese, Tibetan, Japanese techniques). Naturally, based on ancient methods and taking into account modern scientific knowledge, new modern self-regulation techniques are being created. Many of them are complex and specialized, used in the training of high-class athletes and people of extreme professions. But there are also simple effective techniques available to everyone, like morning exercises. The classic method of autogenic training by the German doctor I. Schulz is based on inducing muscle relaxation by self-hypnosis of a feeling of warmth, consistently in the fingers, limbs and throughout the body through repeated repetition of formulas. The method is very good, effective, and is used for treatment and self-development, in various systems of psychological training, and as the first step to higher levels of mental self-regulation. It is possible to master the method independently, without the direct participation of a doctor (instructor, teacher). The only drawback is that it requires quite a lot of time and patience. Therefore, many express methods have arisen. For example, the progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) technique is a modern modification of classic autogenic training that allows you to achieve a state of relaxation in a few minutes. The PMR method uses the unconditioned reflex of muscle relaxation after maximum tension. Thanks to this mechanism, you can quickly master the method and use it independently. But no matter what method we use to achieve relaxation, this state is the background, the basis for programming. Programming is giving the body a program of action, a certain physical and mental state. The program is implemented through influencing the unconscious level of regulation, for which altered states of consciousness or trance of varying depths are used. Heteroprogramming is possible, when the program is set by another person (doctor, instructor, etc.) and self-programming. Self-programming is the main method of self-regulation, in which a person himself sets a program of actions for his body. With self-programming there is virtually no resistance, it is easy to adjust the formula if it causes discomfort. Who knows better than the person himself what he needs? The program should be: short, specific, positive. Basic rules of self-programming: 1. The body does not understand the particle "not". The formula “I don’t have a headache” is ineffective; the word “hurts” will work. Possible working formulation: “the head is light, clear, fresh.”2. A formula is an order. It must be specific, brief and unconditional. The second, unconscious, level of regulation does not understand complex semantic structures, comparisons, hesitations, conditions and reservations.3. The formula is compiled in such a way that the desired state is presented as having already arrived, it already exists, and there is no doubt! Our doubts and hesitations direct our own strength against us. Before you set yourself a program in a state of relaxation, you need to draw it up, thinking carefully about what exactly you want to achieve. It’s not so difficult if you know what you want, the right words will come as if by themselves, the brain itself tells you how best to command it. Ready-made formulas can be used as a basis; no one can create a formula better than the person himself. There is one universal formula, found empirically, suitable for anya person, which has a truly universal effect on all functions: “I AM STRONG AND CALM. I AM.” Repeating this formula three times against the background of even light and short-term relaxation well restores strength and stabilizes the condition, activating internal reserves. In a state of relaxation, you can set yourself a program that connects a keyword and a result. With a little training, it is often enough to say a key word to quickly enter the desired state, without prior relaxation. You can use for self-programming a state on the border between sleep and wakefulness, awakening or falling asleep when “daytime consciousness” is still or already partially turned off, this is also a type of trance (a meditative state corresponding to the alpha rhythm of brain activity). A combination of verbal formulas gives a very good effect with images - emotional-figurative construction. There are 2 main options for working with images: 1. Create an image that expresses the main idea of ​​the desired state - “I am calm, like this sea.” The image can be anything, as long as it reflects what you are setting yourself up for: the eternal, wise and dispassionate sky, a tree blooming under the spring sun, the sea, a lake, etc. You can create a “cinema”, that is, an action, a change in image and a change in your state through this. For example, it is very difficult to imagine a calm sea while being in a “boiling state.” Just imagine "sea". Surely it will turn out stormy, dark and cold, depending on your condition. Slowly change the picture: introduce the sun into it, calm the waves, until finally the stormy storm is replaced by the gentle splash of waves running onto the sunny shore. Open your eyes and see how your condition has changed.2. Create a mental image of a situation that causes you stress and difficulty. Try to imagine it as clearly as possible, in all details, in color, sound and sensations. Feel yourself in this situation, feel it as fully and realistically as possible. Now act, do everything exactly as you need, easily and freely, without tension. Feel in every detail what you are doing, all your sensations and the victorious result. Let the “film” follow your script. All that remains is to bring it into life. So, the goal has been set. But: “I cannot achieve it.” Replace (mechanically) the word “can” with the word “want” and say it out loud. Is this really true? Sometimes a goal seems unattainable because it is too big and distant, therefore vague or, conversely, not so necessary (it is possible that you need a different experience). It makes sense to break a big goal into a number of successive steps and work with them in order as independent goals, monitoring each small victory and celebrating it as a personal holiday. Technique of progressive muscle relaxation (abbreviated version). The method is based on reflexive relaxation of muscles after tension in combination with a breathing rhythm: maximum muscle tension and breath holding, then full exhalation and muscle relaxation. The breathing rhythm is the same in all exercises. A fairly deep degree of relaxation is achieved in just a few minutes. The exercises can be performed while sitting on a chair, without attracting attention, even at the workplace.1. clench your fists tightly and hold very, very tightly (10 seconds), then release with an exhalation (30 seconds). 2. tighten your elbows, as if pressing forcefully on the armrests of the chair (if chairs have armrests, then really pressing).3. raise your shoulders with effort, as if holding a weight.4. Without raising your knees, pull your toes upward with force.5. Without raising your knees up, strain them with effort, as if holding a weight.6. last exercise: while holding your breath, tense the muscles of your chest, abdomen, back, exhale, relax and close your eyes. After completing all the exercises, a sufficient degree of relaxation is usually achieved from the first sessions. This is facilitated by some muscle fatigue. Subjective sensations during relaxation are very individual, which is notinfluences the effectiveness of training. Music can be used to relax, alone or in combination with other techniques. Closing the eyes also promotes relaxation by shutting off the main channel for receiving information from the external world and increasing receptivity to internal sensations. Dynamic self-regulation exercises Exercise 1: stroking the fingers with a “tightening” motion, as if removing a tight glove, on one hand, then on the other. Feel your fingers. Feel that you have fingers. Exercise 2: take your fingers “locked”, but without squeezing, gently, without tension. One hand rotates the other, then vice versa. Feel that you have arms. Exercise 3: raise your elbows to the sides to shoulder level, forearms and hands down and relaxed. Without lowering your elbows, rotate your forearm and hand alternately and with both hands together, towards each other. Feel that you have elbows. Feel them in motion. Exercise 4: rotational movements of the shoulders (arms freely lowered), together and alternately, forward and backward. Now feel that you have shoulders, do any movement that you want to do to feel that you have shoulders, shoulder blades, back. Exercise 5: for the legs. It is advisable to do this without shoes. One leg is slightly forward, the toes rest on the floor and do not come off the floor, and the heel describes a circle in a vertical plane. Exercise 6: in the same position of the leg, the knee describes a circle in a horizontal plane. Feel that you have legs. Exercise 7: transfer your body weight to one leg, the toes of the other leg rest on the floor and rotate at the hip joint (dance movement, the knee describes a circle in the vertical plane). Feel this area in motion. Exercise 8: Perform the movements from exercise 7 with both legs. Now do the movements that you want to do, that your body asks for. Listen to yourself and move! Feel good! Algorithm for action in a stressful situation (based on the developments of Dr. Paul Stoltz on increasing the indicator of resistance to adversity) 1. In a difficult situation, look for at least one aspect that you can take control of or at least influence. 2. Mentally or out loud refute the opinion “Well, nothing can be done here.” Come up with at least three ways out of the crisis situation. 3. Objectively and impartially evaluate all the evidence in favor of whether this situation is truly beyond your control and whether it is sure to last long, affecting other aspects of your life. 4. Regardless of whether there is Whether the current situation is your fault or someone else’s, don’t blame anyone, and don’t make excuses yourself. This is not constructive. It is better to propose an action plan to get out of the situation. 5. Ask yourself what must necessarily happen as a result of this event over the next 24–48 hours. Then select those consequences that you can actually correct. 6. When adversity strikes, immediately begin “firefighting”, preventing it from spreading to other areas of your life. Immediately extinguish emotional outbursts as soon as they appear - only with a “cool head” can you make rational decisions. 7. Don’t let difficulties spread to all aspects of your business, “infect” relationships with people and life in general. To do this, like a surgeon, cut them off (isolate), as during an operation, and try to look at the problems as if from the outside, or better yet, “from above,” like at a performance in a puppet theater. Problems will lose their “global” nature. 8. Draw in your imagination a positive picture of the future life that will come after the troubles are in the past (this will definitely happen - nothing lasts forever). 9. Develop your “balance sheet”: in one column write down all the disadvantages of your situation in a stressful situation, and for another, try with all your might to find its advantages (they will always be found - absolute evil is unattainable in principle, and there are, after all, others