Home page » Phraseologisms » The meaning of the phraseological unit “pull yourself together”
Author: Maria Znobishcheva
Philologist, candidate of philological sciences, poet, member of the Union of Writers of Russia. Publication date:09/15/2021
How can you pull yourself together? Sit hugging your knees? Or grab your own shoulders tightly, folding your arms crosswise on your chest? Try to cope with this task - and, if you are not a yogi, you will have many clarifying questions. Let’s find out who came up with this expression and why right now.
Palette of meanings
“Pull yourself together”: the meaning of the phraseological unit comes down to regaining control over oneself. Moreover, the expression is quite universal.
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For example, some event happens to a person that unsettles him and throws him out of balance. But he can’t lose his head and get upset. And a person close to him (a distant person will not say this) says: “Well, pull yourself together, you shouldn’t become limp now.”
There is another possible meaning. Let's imagine a schoolchild or student who has seriously neglected his studies. And in order to rectify the situation, he should pull himself together (the meaning of the phraseological unit is discussed a little higher), that is, stop wasting time on nonsense, and gather all his strength and will into a fist and, as V.I. bequeathed. Lenin, study, study and study again. The student’s personal sense of self in this case does not play a special role, whether he considers himself a “nerd” or not, such a moment has simply come, such a time.
Morality
There are, of course, cases when a person must disregard caution and go to great lengths. But basically the lesson that phraseology teaches people is universal. The mind should control feelings not because it is better, but because, obeying feelings, a person does all sorts of things that he later greatly regrets. And if you keep your head cool and give yourself the trouble to think, you can avoid trouble, the main thing is not to make decisions rashly.
How to start a new life
Many people want to radically change their lives. Get rid of routine, debts, introduce useful habits, make your desires come true. But the emotional state of impossibility suppresses any attempt to change anything. Let's figure out how to pull yourself together and start taking action:
- Develop willpower. Decide for yourself whether you want change and strengthen your willpower. Otherwise, if you cannot pull yourself together, you will not achieve your goals.
- Set the right goals. The easiest way to pull yourself together is to set a big goal and start moving towards it. If you have chosen the right goal for yourself, then you will definitely find the inner strength to act.
Other phraseological units
Without a hitch
Smooth, perfect, flawless.
Work tirelessly
Work hard, painstakingly, with great dedication.
In full view
It means “clear”, “intelligible”, “visible”.
Two of a Kind
People who are similar to each other in beliefs and tastes, while complementing each other.
All phraseological units
A book from the authors of this article!
Collection: “100 popular phraseological units of the Russian language”
More details
What psychologists say
The inability to abstract from unnerving factors and pull yourself together significantly spoils life. Psychologists recommend “switching.”
How to do it:
- Let go and trust the process if you can't change anything
. Let the Universe determine further events - you will “connect” when you see an opportune moment. Until it comes. Trust what is happening and take your mind off what you have no control over. - Apologize
. Stop self-flagellation. If you feel guilty, ask for forgiveness. Don't live with guilt and regrets. It is important to say “I’m sorry” in time. - Bad events are inevitable - accept the fact
. There are mean people, unfair things happen - there is no insurance against them. Everyone wants to avoid dark streaks, but this is impossible. Focus on the best and don't waste energy on the negative. - Believe in the best
. The end of the world has not come, the situation will level out, you will begin to treat it neutrally. I can’t believe it now, but it’s inevitable. Abstract yourself. Immerse yourself in pleasant moments and rituals. There are no such? Create! - Decide on the goal, discard the rest
. Are you going towards something but giving up due to failure? Don't waste time on these worries? Put aside negative emotions, perceive missteps as experience, without taking your eyes off the goal. - Admit it: life changes
. We grow out of past stories and enter new ones - the past does not guide us. Mentally we return to it, losing the present. Realize that there is no past. There is a present that influences the future. The most unproductive waste of time is to dwell in thoughts in the past, in what no longer exists.
Helpful tips to calm down and come to your senses
Effective ways to pull yourself together and put your thoughts in order.
Breathing practices
Breathing has a huge impact on health and mood. Have you noticed that your breathing changes depending on your emotional state? To calm down, you need to take control of it. Do this - the tension will disappear or weaken. Perform the practices regularly, the nervous system will return to normal.
We practice deep breathing: your back is straight, your shoulders are straightened, you take a deep breath and exhale slowly (it should be longer than your inhalation). After exhaling, there is a short pause.
We use an element from yoga: the “kapalabhati” breathing technique. The emphasis is on exhalation. Study information on this and many other techniques - this will help calm the nervous system. You shouldn’t get carried away with practices if they are new – use them at especially peak moments.
Choose the “right” mood
To pull yourself together, you need the right attitude - without it, all methods are ineffective. Look at life philosophically, calm your nerves with simple but effective attitudes: “This too will pass,” “I’m letting go of the situation, let it be as it should,” “Everything will work out,” “I have a backup plan,” “I’m calm.”
Find in your mind the most suitable phrase that really helps you calm down. This certainly exists! Do you adhere to a certain belief system, philosophical views, religion?
It will be even easier to find the answers you need, here they are:
- Relax
. A good option: taking a bath, shower. Interacting with water will calm your nerves and get rid of negative energy. Put your thoughts in order - a warm shower helps with this (especially before bed). Wash away the hardships of the past day. Forget for a while about dousing and contrast showers - they have a stimulating effect on the nervous system. Accompany the procedure with aromatherapy and pleasant music - disconnect from everything and surrender to relaxation. - Create comfortable sleeping conditions
. It’s difficult to stay positive in an irritating environment. Take care of a comfortable place to sleep: soft twilight, fresh bed linen, comfortable sleepwear, a clean room, tea with herbs. Adequate rest will help keep your nerves in order.
- Don't forget to take care of yourself
. Do you feel a lack of strength, emotional burnout on the way? Forget about disturbing topics for a while, stop thinking about control for a while, focus solely on yourself. This is not about salons, restaurants or discos (although this is not prohibited), but about a psychological trick and a gift to the nervous system: allow yourself to forget about annoying questions for at least a few hours, switch.
Are the stresses on the nervous system too much? Is it increasingly difficult to cope with stress? A complete reboot is required! Find an opportunity to go on vacation or just relax for a week alone at the dacha, in an empty apartment, with your loved one. You need time to rethink life and current problems. It is possible that many difficulties are not worth solving - they can and should simply be excluded from your life.
How to gain confidence and strength
It’s quite easy to pull yourself together; a few simple tips will help you with this:
- Create an environment around yourself that you would like to be a part of. Give up people who drag you down, insult you, and don’t support you in anything. Surround yourself with like-minded people and those who inspire you, who motivate you to pull yourself together and move towards your goal.
- Use relaxation techniques. This will help you to properly rest and relax, which means your body will recover strength faster. This will help you quickly pull yourself together and get down to business.
- Be clear about where you are aiming. Visualize the end result of your actions every day. Understand what you are investing in your aspiration, why you should achieve this. When you are clearly aware of everything, it will be easier for you to pull yourself together.
- Give free rein to your feelings and emotions. But only at a specially designated time. Spend 5-10 minutes whining to free your body of negative energy that prevents you from pulling yourself together. This technique will help give additional strength in gaining confidence.
Dictionaries
GET YOURSELF IN HANDS.
PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER. Razg. Express
1.
Overcoming your feelings, moods, achieve self-control.
2. GET YOURSELF IN HANDS.
Become collected and capable.
Achieve complete self-control, control over your feelings, emotions, mood.
The nominal part is unism.
The order of the component words is not fixed.
⊙ And why did you get so excited, really? You need to pull yourself together
and understand the original reason for my sudden panic.
V. Platov, The Devil's Font. Be that as it may, I had to pull myself together
. To inform Sir Shurf Longley-Lockley that I am afraid of heights... No really... M. Fry, Labyrinth (Stranger).
I urgently needed to pull myself together
, so <…> I turned away from both windows, closed my eyes, yawned and tried to get more comfortable on the hard seat. M. Fry, The Dark Side.
Few men pull themselves together and start taking care of their figure. <…> True, you will have to take yourself into
very stiff
hands
to artificially restrain your weight. MK, 2002.
⊛ Schwartz heard the ringing clap of a palm and shuddered <…>. But then I pulled myself together
and signaled to the [sobbing] secretary to be quiet. F. Neznansky, Siberian octopus.
Budakh's lips began to twitch, but he pulled himself together
. A. and B. Strugatsky, It’s hard to be a god.
But he will have to pull himself together
, restrain yourself, smile gratefully at this fool in love and not show your anger in any way. A. Marinina, When the gods laugh.
Raisky noticed that the general is not as bad as he seems, and if he breaks down, he immediately pulls himself together
. P. Dashkova, Cherub.
Few men pull themselves together
and begins to take care of her figure. <…> True, you will have to take yourself into very tough hands in order to artificially restrain your weight. MK, 2002.
- Tanya, you’re out of shape today! Your best scene on the balcony was played poorly! Come on, take it
- Pull
yourself together
. T. Okunevskaya, Tatiana's day.
- Well, take it into your hands
-
take yourself
! Is it really possible to freak out like that over some nonsense?! (Speech)
I cried, laughed and twitched at the same time. I tried to pull myself together
, tensed up, and suddenly something happened to me. My body lost weight, I soared to the ceiling and slowly floated above their heads. V. Voinovich, Moscow 2042.
The image underlying this phraseology is associated with the images reflected in the phraseology. IN HANDS 2. (see comment) and OWN YOURSELF (see comment).
pull yourself together
1. Restraining your feelings, exercise self-control, calm down. Go out/lose your temper. With noun with value faces: student, girl... pulls herself together; How? quickly, immediately... pull yourself together.
I’ll get down to business, gritting my teeth... fortunately, this is not the first time for me to pull myself together. (I. Turgenev.)
If you are angry about things, then know that everything is in you and you need to pull yourself together. (L. Tolstoy.)
She didn’t answer, trying to pull herself together and stop the trembling in her voice. (K. Simonov.)
I'm in a terrible state. You need to pull yourself together. (V. Nabokov.)
2. Become more focused, purposeful, and show willpower. With noun with value faces: student, teacher, boy... pulled himself together; should, must, must... pull yourself together.
If she had not been lazy and pulled herself together, she would have made a wonderful singer. (A. Chekhov.)
For example, I also didn’t study well, but then I pulled myself together and achieved what I wanted. (N. Nosov.)
(!) Do not mix with phraseological units, take into your hands, take into your own hands.
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