Often, due to the accelerated pace of life, the human nervous system very quickly gets tired and exhausted. As a result, stress arises, which negatively affects the ability to correctly and objectively perceive the world around us. You can find a lot of advice on how to increase stress resistance on the Internet. But not all of them will really help strengthen the nervous system.
First, let's figure out why overvoltage resistance is needed in general and what its main signs are. This will help you better understand the principle of developing the necessary qualities of the body. And by understanding the principles, it is very easy to learn and absorb useful information.
Why do you need stress resistance?
The body's resistance to stress is a useful protective function that allows it to adapt to external stimuli or ignore them. In other words, it is what gives you the ability to remain calm in any situation.
The ability to always remain calm and balanced is the main sign of a well-developed defense against shocks. Thanks to it, the wear and tear of nerve nodes slows down significantly. As a result, you will achieve much more if you are not distracted by any minor trouble.
Are there any downsides?
In psychology, stress tolerance, like many other personality traits, is viewed from two perspectives. On the one hand, this is a necessary quality that allows you to survive in difficult situations. However, sometimes it can turn out to be harmful.
Emotionality
Resistance to stress can lead to callousness and indifference—properties that negatively impact family and social life. If you constantly suppress emotions in yourself, in the future this will happen automatically and will work not only in difficult life situations, but also in ordinary ones - everyday ones. Difficulties will arise when you need to be happy for someone, express sympathy, or feel sorry for them.
Overload
A person becomes so fixated on irritating factors that he sees them where they are not there. For example, the boss calls you to his place. And the scrolling of possible scenarios begins: he will fire you, reprimand you, ask you to go to work on the weekend, give you a new task. An algorithm of actions for each of them is immediately formed in your head. That’s it, before entering the office, a person is calm and absolutely confident in himself, since there is a plan for any development of events. As a result, he was simply asked to notify everyone about the upcoming meeting. This approach can quickly deplete the body and cause psychological fatigue.
Self-Esteem Balance
To train stress resistance, you need to work with self-esteem. If it is increased, it must be lowered, and vice versa. It is quite difficult to find a middle ground, and many go too far.
Signs of stress
Stress hits each of us sooner or later. You need to know what signs to use to determine that the level of bad influence is high enough.
- Increased irritability. You are angry and more nervous than usual.
- Confusion and inattention. Susceptibility results in the inability to collect thoughts and quickly react to changes in situation or circumstances.
- Fatigue. For no apparent reason, you want to close yourself off from the whole world and just go to bed.
- Aggression. You react sharply to every word said to you. Moreover, such a reaction occurs almost unnoticed by you, at the subconscious level.
- Impressionability. Yes, succumbing to the influence of stress, some people become too susceptible to everything that surrounds them.
Tip 2: Stop worrying!
Most people, when faced with a difficult situation in life or work, begin to worry. 95% of their thoughts revolve around problems, often fictitious. And the more often they remember this situation, the worse it becomes for them. Negative thoughts reduce quality of life and productivity.
Psychologists call this negative bias. Very resilient people challenge this bias by living by the principle of “surprised, but not worried” when bad things happen. Yes, they may pause for a moment, take a step back, or even become curious. But they never allow negative thoughts to influence their emotions and behavior!
Types of stress
In general, stress is divided into two types: positive and negative. Positive causes pleasant shocks. Positive emotions prevail here. Such a shock is sometimes beneficial for the body, as it activates the production of beneficial hormones.
Negative stress or distress
- This is an extremely unpleasant phenomenon that destroys the normal state of the psyche. It is divided into two subgroups, manifesting themselves differently:
- Spicy. When a sudden stimulus threatens our usual state. Reactions to any factor are different. Evasion, running away from the cause, or defense. In both cases, the body will need some time to restore its internal balance.
- Chronic. Constantly being in a stressful environment leads to the fact that the daily influence of negativity suppresses all attempts of the subconscious to protect itself from it.
Stages of stress
The study of the nature of stress has shown that it goes through three phases in its development. Each of them poses a certain threat to the body. Therefore, you need to understand how each of the phases occurs in order to determine ways to combat them.
- Anxiety. At this stage, increased production of adrenaline and norepinephrine begins. A person understands that he must somehow react to the current circumstances.
- Resistance. In the second phase, the internal forces of the nervous system are mobilized. This practically does not affect physical health, but the person is constantly on edge, aggressive and excitable.
- Exhaustion. The most dangerous phase occurs after prolonged exposure to the irritant. The body spends all its resources fighting irritants. As a result of such actions, depression, nervous breakdowns and apathy develop.
To take care
It is necessary to pay attention to your feelings and needs, to take part in activities that bring pleasure and relaxation. This affects the development of stress resistance. Exercises such as meditation are also helpful. Physical exercise is also a must.
You need to help yourself keep your mind clear and your body healthy so that you always have the strength to deal with stress.
Impact of stress on health
Frequent or constant exposure to an unpleasant and stressful environment leads to consequences at the physiological level. What will your body have to face due to constant stress?
- Increasing glucose production to increase energy output leads to the development of diabetes.
- Reduction of the thymus gland, which is responsible for the production of leukocytes, significantly weakens overall immunity.
- Constant tension and contraction of muscles gradually leads to their destruction. The same applies to the tissues of internal organs.
- Excessive expansion of capillaries often causes their ruptures. As a result, hematomas form and blood circulation is disrupted.
- Metabolic disorders cause poisoning by toxins that are normally simply eliminated from the body.
Psychosomatic health also suffers, receiving a dose of negative influence:
- Mood swings, outbursts of aggression,
- Loss of interest in the outside world, apathy,
- Sleep disturbance, anxiety,
- Development of neuroses, frequent headaches,
- Loss of energy, increased drowsiness,
- Formation of depression.
Type of stress resistance
The ability to withstand external factors is individual for everyone. Scientists studying the nature of overvoltage conditionally divide people into four main types:
- Stress-resistant.
Such people react sharply to any changes that do not correspond to the basic plan of action or the usual course of life. Critical situations cause them outbursts of emotions that are practically uncontrollable. - Stress trained.
Gradual changes are perceived by such people quite calmly. But sudden changes can cause depression and self-doubt. But over time, they develop a calmer reaction to negativity. - Stress-inhibitory.
Sudden and drastic changes in a negative direction cause increased activity in such people. They easily cope with unexpected problems. The gradual increase and course of stressful conditions can form chronic depression. - Stress-resistant.
This is the calmest and most stable person. Almost any life circumstances are perceived calmly. The ability to adequately think and assess a situation is very highly developed.
Stress-tolerant people
But there are people who quickly recover from the stress they have experienced and adapt to new life circumstances and conditions. Psychological exercises to develop stress resistance often help them with this.
But there is no single algorithm of action for all people (the same). There are certain practices from which each person can choose which method is suitable for him. To be more precise, this is a set of effective exercises. But since the critical threshold of stress is different for each person, the choice of a set must be approached individually.
The article will tell you how to develop stress resistance. Techniques that help you survive difficult situations will also be described. Everyone can choose for themselves a certain complex that will be acceptable to them.
How to test stress resistance
Testing a person's stress resistance is becoming increasingly fashionable in various interviews. To determine your level of preparation for changes, you should take a short test by answering questions. This will show your ability to cope with life's circumstances.
Another way to test your inner strength is to conduct a DNA test. Studying your genetic code will show how susceptible your body is to negative influences. Our center’s specialists will help you decipher the information received and give advice on how to increase your resistance to stress.
How to develop stress resistance
Comprehensive development of stress resistance skills helps not only protect your body, but also significantly increase your own efficiency. There are several effective methods that help to successfully strengthen protective functions.
- Correct assessment of the situation. It is based on three simple questions: “How important is this to me?”, “Does this change my life?” and “Can I change something?” It is important to understand that some circumstances do not depend on ourselves, so they should not be taken too seriously.
- Release of emotions. You can’t keep all the accumulated irritation inside yourself. Choose a method that will help you get rid of negativity and let off steam.
- Attention to health. Any disease undermines the protective functions of the nervous system. It is important to carry out treatment on time, eat right and walk in the fresh air every day.
Ways to develop resistance to stressful situations
The development of stress resistance, like any other improvement in a person’s psychological state, is a gradual process. You need to start by determining your level of resistance to the influence of stressful situations. It is recommended to do this with the help of a specialist. However, there are also special tests for independently determining the level of stress resistance. One of these is the Holmes and Rahe questionnaire.
There are several ways to increase your resistance to stress. These include:
- Assessment of what is happening.
- Release of accumulated negative emotions.
The first method helps develop resistance to stress by analyzing each situation that causes a stress reaction and an emotional outburst.
When faced with such an event, mentally ask yourself a few questions about the importance of this situation and the possibility of changing it and answer them. After this, it will be clear that there are only two types of situations: those that we can change, and those that are beyond people's control. In order not to waste his nerve cells and be exposed to the negative influence of stress, a person begins to act according to two models depending on the type of situation: either he changes circumstances and corrects the situation, or he accepts the situation as it is and looks for alternative ways to solve the problem.
How to relieve stress
Giving vent to negative emotions is equally important in order to develop stress resistance.
The more negativity a person accumulates in himself, the more susceptible he is to the acute experience of any, even the most minor, stress.
To get rid of accumulated negativity, use the following methods:
- Boxing pears (the Japanese especially liked this method).
- A loud scream of everything that had accumulated in a deserted place.
- Recording all statements that were not possible to say to the offender in a special notebook.
To increase your resistance to stress, you need not only to be able to release accumulated anger and aggression, but also to correctly assess the situation. Having previously experienced a certain amount of stress, it is important to develop the ability to get rid of the stress itself as easily as emotional garbage.
Physical exercise increases stress resistance
You can do this using the following methods:
- Games “Brain Ring” or “What? Where? When?". In addition to relieving stress, they can improve the ability to make quick decisions.
- Playing chess, checkers, hockey, football or tennis.
- Maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
It is worth remembering that a person with good health is able to cope with stressful situations more easily. To maintain your health at the proper level, physical activity, proper nutrition, and character with the developed ability to quickly make a clear decision in an unusual and atypical situation are important.
Yoga and meditation against stress
Psychological exercises
Effective methods for developing protection from negativity help you stay collected and calm in any situation. To protect against excess voltage surges, use a few tricks:
- Leave the aggressor when you feel that his excitement has rubbed off on you.
- Alone with yourself, take a few deep breaths.
- Try to make yourself laugh.
- Meditation will help stabilize your inner balance
A psychologist is not scary!
Contrary to popular belief, psychologists are not trying to force you to reveal your most terrible and shameful secrets. They help you find ways to solve problems that are deeply ingrained in your subconscious and give you the right advice. Remember: no one can force you to tell what you yourself do not want to reveal. A psychologist will help you determine why your level of stress resistance does not meet the desired level. Then together you will find a solution to this problem without further traumatizing your psyche.
Good relationships with close circle of people
Good relationships with family and friends play an important role in a person’s life. Because if they are trusting, loved ones will always be able to lend a shoulder and simply listen, as well as lend a helping hand if necessary.
This is how a person becomes more confident in his abilities and reliable rear. Feeling supported and protected is very important. This increases the level of stress resistance. Also, many psychologists are convinced that participation in various associations, such as adequate religious organizations and interest groups, can really help a person cope with difficulties. And also, by helping other people, a person helps himself.
Simple exercises
To strengthen the defense mechanisms of your subconscious, perform simple exercises daily:
- Standing in front of the mirror, smile at yourself. There is no need to study your own reflection. After smiling, say a few compliments for yourself.
- During the working day, give yourself 10 minutes several times to relax. Just sit and look out the window or wall. At the same time, try not to think about anything at all.
- Use proper breathing techniques that are practiced in yoga. Breathe every night before going to bed.
If you feel that a stressful situation is inevitable, imagine yourself in armor or a tank. You need to mentally see yourself in shining armor or hidden in a reliable, impenetrable machine.
