How to de-stress: 7 techniques and keys to drive away stress

Stress it is an inherent reality of life. Many people believe that it is a phenomenon that depends on the particularities of the event we are facing, while others believe that the key lies in the perception of those who experience it.

Society unfolds in front of us a suffocating need for achievement and progression (in the academic, work, family, etc.); stimulating rivalry and discovering ourselves before the rigors of the scarcity of time.

That is why we run the risk of feeling overwhelmed from both a physical and emotional, which can lead to a heightened risk of mental disorders and problems organic.

Given this particular situation, knowing how to de-stress becomes of paramount importance for health and quality of life. In this article we develop a set of strategies, easy to apply, that will help us achieve it successfully.

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What is stress?

Stress is the body's response 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 the 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 sustained can be recovered.

Stress cannot be understood by considering only the objective dimensions of the situation, since the person's view of it also contributes. Every time we are faced with an event of this nature, we submit it to a primary assessment (in which we probe its characteristics concrete and the degree of demand that is associated with it) and a secondary one (in which we compare it with all the emotional and material resources available).

Pathological stress (or distress) arises when there is a dissonance between both types of assessment, way that the individual perceives that the demands of the environment exceed his own ability to solve 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 tend to collapse when a long time elapses without the stressor being resolved or disappear.

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: he hypothalamus and the hypophysis. Sustained stress would weaken the ability to regulate the production of this hormone, causing the body to "flood" it and end up losing its adaptive properties (because under normal conditions it helps us to mobilize the energy).

One of the consequences that is often noticed among people who suffer from chronic stress is the compromise of cognitive functions, and particularly the memory, since the excess of cortisol it generates a deleterious (although reversible) effect on the integrity of hippocampal neurons (bilateral structure that participates in the long-term memory consolidation process). Other symptoms may also be expressed; such as fatigue, diffuse pain, sadness, and unexpected shocks.

The maintenance of stress eventually leads to a physiological response of exhaustion, which is a phase in which the mechanisms adaptive systems collapse under pressure, favoring the appearance of mood and anxiety disorders that require careful attention. independent. To avoid these dramatic health consequences, knowledge of how to de-stress simply and effectively is crucial.

how to de-stress

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 useful activities 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 that we all have: time. There are endless acts through which we can turn time into a cruel predator of health, such as postponing the start of march of what we need to resolve a specific situation or rush towards it (without order or concert) dragged by the impatience.

The use of avoidance strategies, as well as impulsivity, contribute significantly to increasing the experience of stress. Face the demands without taking small breaks, accumulate the least appetizing to solve it on the horn (without interspersing with activities attractive) or carrying out an infinity of simultaneous tasks can overwhelm the resources of anyone, and are related to greater physical stress or psychic.

Making lists of activities that we must carry out and reserving a few minutes between them to rest can be very useful, as well as analyze at what times of the day we are in a better disposition to undertake the most difficult or complex tasks (something that varies from person to person). others). They are simple methods that require greater self-knowledge about our management capacity.

2. Accept the things that cannot be changed

Another source of stress is the stubbornness in changing a situation that, by its very essence, is not capable of being altered. Learning to recognize that there are circumstances in life that do not depend on us, or that are unchangeable despite the efforts that we can invest, it is essential to optimize the use of our resources.

Faced with this type of situation, the most useful thing is to orient ourselves towards the emotional correlates that they cause.

3. Learn relaxation techniques

The relaxation techniques They are effective in reducing tension levels resulting from activation of the sympathetic nervous system, an autonomic branch that accentuates anxiety symptoms. Procedures that use controlled breathing allow to balance the supply of oxygen, which often is altered in those who live permanently stressed (since their breathing tends to be excessively superficial).

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 in which the body remains excessively rigid, in order 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

He physical exercise, especially when it takes place outdoors, has proven to be a very useful tool for improving mood and anxiety symptoms in those with 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 sense of self-esteem. self-efficacy.

The regular practice of 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 say they feel 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 back on itself.

There is a set of brain regions linked to both stress and sleep, so that their balance will preserve the architecture of the latter. The best-known binding sites are the hypothalamus, the locus coeruleus, and the amygdala. On the other hand, it has been verified that stressors that are perceived as unpredictable generate a much more profound impact on sleep, this effect being mediated by the activity of the prefrontal cortex middle.

It is also known that 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 stress, as well as to maintain health throughout life.

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6. Take advantage of your social support network

The damping theory establishes that social support, understood as the efficient use of emotional resources and materials that the environment can provide us with, is a mediating factor between stress and the development of health. Thus, resorting to the help of the people around us can provide us not only moments of pleasure, but also a qualitative and quantitative reduction of the stress that we may be experiencing.

Carry out shared activities, especially those that have recreational components or that require collaboration for its adequate resolution, contribute in a notable way to feel less overwhelmed by the adversity. It is also known that the simple fact of sharing what we feel has a beneficial effect on the internal experience, and at the same time contributes to strengthen ties with others.

7. Take a breath

Some people, especially those in jobs that place excessive demands or who are caring for someone with high levels of dependency, they can suffer from a type of intense stress known in the literature as burnout (syndrome of "being Burned"). This manifests itself in the form of sadness, loss of motivation, irritability, abandonment of oneself 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 relaxation and self-care, in which the overwhelming tasks that are usually assigned to them on a day-to-day basis can be delegated to other individuals at least temporarily. Such procedures are used in sensitive clinical and community settings.

And if the stress is not resolved...

In some cases, despite the deliberate effort to improve stress levels, it continues for too long and ends up affecting our physical and emotional health. In the event that you perceive that you are in this specific circumstance, it is necessary that consult with a healthcare professional so that I can offer you the best possible solution.

At present there are multiple therapeutic programs aimed at reducing the level of stress, from those that make use of mindfulness to those who resort to 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 suited to your needs.

Bibliographic references:

• Geus, E. and Stubbe, J. (2010). Aerobic Exercise and Stress Reduction. Encyclopedia of Stress (Second Edition). Academic Press: New York.
• Sanford, L. and Sucheky, D. (2014). Stress, Arousal and Sleep. Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences, 25, 379-410.