Emotional stress - signs and causes, prevention of severe emotional stress and tension

In modern reality, people often have to experience stress. Sometimes it happens that some unforeseen event ruins all plans and forces you to plunge into anxious thoughts about your future. At the same time, the immediate prospects do not seem rosy, but, on the contrary, fade into a large number of bright negative emotions. Constant worries about certain events create emotional stress. It, in turn, affects both physical well-being and mental state. At the same time, the desire to act, make plans, or do anything at all may disappear.

What is emotional stress and how does it affect your health?

When you are in a constant state of emotional stress, it can be especially painful and challenging, and can have more severe consequences than other forms of stress. Part of the reason is that normal stress management measures, such as thinking carefully about the reasons that led to an uncontrollable emotional reaction, can only make the situation worse, whereas in a “normal” state of stress this may work perfectly. A professional psychologist is best suited to overcome such a period. But in this article we will also talk about what you can do yourself to deal with the consequences and prevention.

Important Stress leaves a heavy toll on our daily lives and creates strong emotional reactions because our relationships with others (which may be triggers for emotional stress) directly affect our lives—for better or for worse. Healthy relationships provide not only joy in good times, but also resources to help in times of need, added stability in times of anxiety, and even longevity and good health in old age.

However, conflictual relationships and “enemies” worsen tension and can even lead to serious physical consequences. However, relationships are not the only stressor. Financial crises, an unpleasant work environment, health conditions or a variety of other stressors can cause such a psychological shock that sometimes we are driven to unhealthy behavior in order to overcome the shock and cope with the consequences, especially when everything seems hopeless.

Perhaps one of the most difficult aspects of coping with stress is the feeling of being unable to control what is happening. The feeling of loss of control is one of the most severe and difficult for a person to accept, and in itself is a source of severe stress. But, if we find it difficult or impossible to change/eliminate the cause of stress, we can always work on our attitude and reaction to it, and get help along the way if necessary.

Here are some strategies you can use to help you overcome negative consequences.

Meditation and psychotherapy, their impact on health

Meditation is a great way to cope with depression and stress without medication.

The effect of meditation on the body is:

Improving brain function. It has been scientifically proven that a course of meditation helps restore brain cells;
Reducing the risk of developing heart disease;
Eliminate feelings of anxiety;
Developing mental resistance to stress;
Increasing immunity and strengthening the body's defenses.

Scientists from Washington conducted an interesting study. 15 colleagues from one enterprise voluntarily took part in it. Before the rehabilitation course, each of the volunteers underwent a stress resistance test. It turned out that 14 out of 15 workers live in constant stress and cannot effectively cope with nerve-wracking situations.

The workers completed an eight-week meditation course under the supervision of a specialist - and a repeat test showed that the workers became much calmer and learned to control their emotions. Psychotherapy also shows good results - it helps solve problems and combat anxiety.

Causes of emotional stress

Stress can be caused by both sudden and ongoing negative events in a person’s life. If a tragedy occurs, or, conversely, a person has been a prisoner of a difficult situation for a long time without the opportunity to rest or switch attention from the traumatic situation, a kind of “mental burnout” may occur.

At the same time, the source of serious emotional stress can be both real traumatic events and a person’s excessively negative perception of various, for most people, events that are not something serious. In this case, the risk group will be people with an easily excitable psyche, suspicious, rigid, and unable to switch.

Specific causes of emotional stress for most people:

death or serious illness of a loved one
disaster
war
job loss
serious illness
divorce
change of residence
loss of source of income
breaking up with a loved one

Mental disorders have become perhaps the most common disease in the fast pace of modern life. The human psyche very often malfunctions due to excessive stress at work, the fast pace of life and the influence of many other stress factors. In the modern world, a person faces many challenges that he tries to overcome, which inevitably leads to stress and mental disorders. Stress itself, as the body’s reaction to a survival situation, is simply an adaptive reaction, even a useful one. Problems begin where stress becomes excessive and leads to damage, distress and dysfunction in the body. This breakdown of defense is called distress . This is the cause of all the problems that arise due to overvoltage.

Examples of causes of stress-related mental disorders:

Incorrect work schedule or too much workload;
Conflict situations with management;
Change of place of work, study or residence;
Lack of sleep and rest to fully restore the body;
Poor nutrition (fast foods and quick snacks instead of full meals);
Lack of vitamins and minerals in the body;
Problems in your personal life.

Symptoms of distress can appear gradually, so many people simply do not pay attention to minor problems in their body, which accumulate and lead to serious problems.

The main symptoms of mental disorders arising from distress:

Increased level of irritability;
Depressed mood or
Anxiety, the emergence of fears and gloomy thoughts;
Poor memory;
State of chronic fatigue, decreased performance;
Distracted attention;
Sleep disorders.

In addition, mental disorders can also be accompanied by physical abnormalities in the functioning of the body, which force many to pay attention to their health and even seek help from specialists.

The main physical symptoms of distress that occur with mental disorders are:

Severe and frequent headaches;
Poor appetite or even disorders in the digestive system;
Pressure surges;
The occurrence of shortness of breath and rapid heartbeat.

If such symptoms occur repeatedly, and even more so if they recur regularly, you should definitely consult a doctor. The correct decision in such a situation would be to call a psychiatrist at home or make an appointment at the clinic.

Treatment options for mental disorders

For a complete and correct treatment of any asthenic or depressive nervous disorder, it is necessary to find its main cause and eliminate it (get out of a difficult and protracted relationship, have a serious conversation with your boss or change jobs altogether, get to know your neighbors if you have just moved to a new place) . However, all this can take a lot of time and is not always feasible, but special therapy can help eliminate the main symptoms of nervous disorders.

There are two main ways to treat mental disorders:

Non-medicinal. Moderate physical activity, the use of special techniques for rest and relaxation (meditation, massages, yoga), psychotherapy sessions, proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle (complete cessation of smoking and drinking alcohol);
Medication. This method includes taking medications that help relax and restore the body - sedatives, products based on plant extracts, vitamin complexes, homeopathic drugs, as well as tranquilizers and antidepressants.

Do not forget that taking any medications must be discussed with your doctor (especially sedatives, tranquilizers and antidepressants), since they may have side effects and contraindications.

Signs of emotional stress

The concept of emotional stress was first introduced by the physiologist Hans Selye in 1936. By this, he meant a reaction unusual for the body in response to any adverse impact as a way of adapting to changed conditions. Due to the influence of stimuli (stressors), the body's adaptation mechanisms are in tension. The adaptation process itself has three main stages of development - anxiety, resistance and exhaustion.

Signs of emotional stress will appear in different people to varying degrees of severity.

Increased irritability
Tearfulness
Increased heart rate
Change in breathing rate
Loss of control over your reactions and behavior
Anxiety
Memory and concentration problems
Sudden jumps in blood pressure
Feeling of fear, feeling of despair
Weakness
Excessive sweating
Muscle tension (clamps)
Feeling short of air
Constantly feeling tired
Headache and muscle pain
Increase or, conversely, decrease in body temperature
Changes in sleep patterns—drowsiness or insomnia
Changes in appetite
Depersonalization - the feeling of being outside the body

The impact of stress on human health

Scientists have proven that the body of people who are constantly exposed to stress wears out 40% faster than those of those people who live in peace. Frequent stressful situations cause the following symptoms:

Redness of the skin, various rashes;
Feeling tired and exhausted even after a full sleep;
Loss or gain of body weight;
Constant feeling of anxiety;
Tremor (shaking) of the limbs;
Stool disorder.

If you do nothing, there is a high chance of developing the following pathological processes:

Panic attacks;
Depression;
Heart failure;
Stomach ulcer;
Hypertension;
Anorexia;
Stress can also cause a decrease in sex drive in both women and men.

Relief and prevention of emotional tension and stress

Fortunately, although you can't always influence the stressor, you can reduce the intense tension you feel and the damage that stress causes. Here are some exercises that you can introduce into your daily life to effectively cope with difficult times. This is also a good prevention of possible stressors:

5 Ways to Cope with Emotional Tension and Emotional Stress

Practice mindfulness
. When we experience emotional stress, it also often feels like physical stress: a heavy feeling in your chest, an unsettled feeling in your stomach, a dull headache, you feel drained, literally empty. While people usually try to distance themselves from these feelings, but this only serves to increase tension, it is actually quite helpful to go deeper into the experience and use mindfulness to help you notice where exactly these emotional reactions are felt physically.
But at the same time, it is very important not to get emotionally involved in the experience, to observe yourself as if from the outside, without judgment, otherwise, immersion in the problem will not bring relief, but will aggravate stress. When you learn to be aware and not emotionally experience the situation, you will notice how stress weakens, the causes of stress cease to take over you entirely, become manageable and solvable, and this is also a good prevention for the future.
Take a break
. This is another way to prevent and relieve severe stress. It is believed, and not unreasonably, that if we do not express all the emotions we experience (or at least the strongest ones), then they manifest themselves in other ways. Yes, it's true: studying and tracking our emotional states is useful in order to learn from what emotions are trying to say, and unhealthy ways of coping with stress, including trying to ignore emotional stress, can lead to other, more serious problems. but in no way to remove it.
Read also: Addiction in psychology. What does it mean to risk, loneliness, fantasizing, suicide
However, it has also been found that distracting oneself from emotional (and, by the way, physical) pain through emotionally healthy practices - such as watching a good movie, fun activities with friends, or solving an interesting, important mental task - can reduce emotional pain and help relieve stress. factors and a feeling of improvement.
Book some time to worry
. If you find that mindfulness and trying to distract yourself in healthy ways are not working, and thoughts about a stressful situation are constantly overwhelming you, schedule some time, such as an hour a day, to fully absorb and think about the current emotional situation. This will help in relieving stress.
Perhaps when you allow yourself to fully think about your situation, and think about all the possible solutions, come up with hypothetical possibilities and ways out of the current situation, reproduce strong reactions, or otherwise allow yourself to become fully immersed in the problem, you will feel an emotional urge to do something something that will help resolve the situation.
This is great self-help. In order not to pricelessly ruminate, simply stressing yourself out, but to actually help, try journaling - it is a great technique to try, especially if you do it as an exploration of the inner emotional world and the potential for solution. You can spend this hour talking with your loved one about this emotional issue if you wish. And after the planned time has passed, be distracted by something else and stop spinning thoughts in your head. This technique for dealing with emotional stress works well for two reasons:
You may feel more relaxed throughout the day because you know there will be time later to focus on your emotional pain point.
Meditation practice
. Meditation greatly helps to be aware, to feel the moment “here and now” and, as a result, not to be influenced by stress factors, and any emotional tension that lasts for any long time definitely falls into the category of stressors that meditation helps with. The practice allows you to take a break from thinking by actively redirecting your thoughts, and provides experience in choosing thoughts that can help relieve stress in the long term. Try some meditation techniques today.
Talk to a therapist
. If you find that your stress levels are interfering with your daily activities or threatening your well-being, you may want to see a therapist for help dealing with your emotional problems. It is best to use one of the online services, such as Helppoint, to find a psychologist or psychotherapist.
Here you can choose a trusted specialist according to your request and solve your problem with his help, completely immersing yourself in yourself, without the risk of getting stuck in a stressful situation even deeper. Whatever the trigger for extreme stress, you can work to reduce it, manage it, prevent future troubles, and feel better in the process without losing the “important messages” that emotions bring.

The information presented in this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace professional advice from a physician. If you find signs of emotional stress, consult a specialist!

Author: Editorial staff of the Help-Point.net portal

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Sleep as the basis for well-being

Adequate rest and healthy sleep are the first rules of a stable psyche. A well-rested person is more resistant to stress. The norm is considered to be 7-8 hours of sleep (and at least 9 hours if a person trains hard or works on his feet).

If there is not enough sleep, the stability of the nervous system decreases. You've probably observed how small children become capricious when they are tired and want to sleep. A similar condition is observed in adults who regularly do not get enough sleep - it becomes difficult for them to control their emotions, they feel irritation and aggression.

To improve the quality of your sleep, be sure to create a comfortable sleeping environment in your bedroom - darken the room, ventilate it before bed, and try to make the room quiet. Maintain a sleep schedule - try to go to bed and wake up at approximately the same time every day and not deviate too much from this schedule, even on weekends. If these measures do not help, contact a neurologist or somnologist. Your doctor will help you improve your sleep and quality of night's rest.

Symptoms of experiencing emotional stress in an adult

Feeling of endless tasks, difficulties in distinguishing between time for work and time for rest.
Loss of interest in other people, a feeling of irritation with them and a simultaneous fear of solitude, fear of loneliness.
Ready to “explode” at any moment.
The feeling that I don’t “trust” anyone, the feeling of hostility in the world around me.
Loss of the ability to laugh, lack of a sense of humor, inability to express positive emotions.
Decreased concentration, memory problems, rigidity of thinking, inability to be creative, create new ideas and images.
Fear of the future, constant expectation of failure, a “rainy day,” a feeling of personal inadequacy.
Fear of showing true emotions, feelings, thoughts, fear of being misunderstood.
A feeling of one’s own unattractiveness, a feeling of shame for one’s appearance.
Fear of getting sick.
Constant feeling of guilt.
Loss of interest in life.

If you find yourself with three or more of the above signs, it’s time to think about your own well-being.

Reflect on the symptoms indicated: are there any typical situations after which such feelings arise. Does your lifestyle meet your expectations and needs? Do you often allow yourself to rest? And is there any increased emotional and intellectual stress in your life?

Or maybe it’s time to take your stress tolerance more seriously?

For those who want to change their emotional life for the better, I wrote the book “How to Allow Yourself to Strong Experiences, Emotions and Feelings Without Destroying Yourself and Others.”