How to recover mentally and physically after severe stress

The consequences of stress: is it necessary to fight?

The consequences of acute experiences also affect health. It can be difficult to relieve symptoms after stress, since a person turns to specialized specialists, but does not treat the main cause - anxiety. The main signs of the effects of stress on the body:

1. Increased blood pressure, headache, tachycardia.
2. After experiencing a shock, the functioning of the immune system is disrupted and the body’s protective functions are reduced.
3. The consequences of stress manifest themselves in the form of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Heartburn, gastritis, stool disorders, constipation - this is an incomplete list of stomach diseases due to severe anxiety.
4. Women experience symptoms of thrush, dryness and burning during sexual intercourse. Some women experience menstrual irregularities.
5. The skin suffers. Eczema, itching, rash of unknown origin are consequences after experiencing stress.

Symptoms may indicate deep trauma, such as pain during intercourse after abuse. In most cases, people who have experienced tragedy need psychotherapeutic treatment.

After a person is faced with severe stress, he begins to be tormented by obsessive thoughts, fear appears, sleep deteriorates, and the like. In addition, after a stressful situation the body encounters the following deviations:

• insomnia;
• apathy;
• depression;
• increased excitability;
• headaches due to spasms of blood vessels in the circulatory system and brain;
• stomach cramps;
• endocrine disorders;
• various pains;
• low or high blood pressure, etc.

Even the ancient Greeks tried to find the secrets of stress resistance.

You must know how to deal with sudden stress. Follow these rules:

• everything needs to be done very quickly, namely: compensate for stress immediately after its impact by making simple body movements. Intense physical activity is created (you can go for a run, lift something heavy; if you are in the office, then run up a couple of floors, you can move a closet, start doing intense exercises);
• try to restore the destruction of target organs during the first weeks after a stressful situation.

During the rehabilitation period after prolonged stress, it is necessary not only to return to the usual way of life, but also to compensate for the lack of positive emotions in the body.

Therefore, you should definitely please yourself with various things.

We have selected short instructions that will help you feel much better.

Point one

Spend time in nature to replenish your natural energy balance.

Walking barefoot on sand, earth or grass will calm the nervous system and improve blood circulation.

You can start learning the practice of anuloma-viloma pranayama, it is also done in the fresh air.

Point two

Do nice things for others.

It is very important to bring as much goodness into your life as possible. This is why experts recommend doing some good deed every day.

If, due to certain circumstances, you do not have the opportunity to perform a positive action, simply concentrate on what you did before or remember the pleasant things that once brought you joy.

For example, you can treat yourself to a cup of tea with buckwheat honey or any other healthy delicacy.

Point three

Sleep.

Healthy, sound sleep is the most important factor in restoring the nervous system after stress.

Go to bed before 11 pm and sleep for at least 10 hours.

This way you maximize the effect of hormones that repair and heal your body.

To fall asleep as quickly as possible, take a bath with a few drops of bitter orange oil.

It will perfectly relax your muscles.

Point four

Exercise.

Physical activity promotes the release of negative emotions and substances. Yoga classes will be no less useful.

Unlike simple training, it helps you find harmony with yourself.

Point five

Minimize exposure to chemicals.

Proper healthy eating, drinking exclusively purified water and using dishes made from organic ingredients will help you recover from severe stress.

In its properties and mode of action, stress is practically no different from any serious illness.

It contributes to the creation of such living conditions in which a person gradually begins to perceive everything negative that happens to him as something natural and familiar.

An anxious state holds us back, preventing us from looking around and forcing us to focus only on negative emotions.

Among other things, while in this state we lose precious time that could be spent on joyful moments, on fully enjoying life.

Stress isolates us from others, reduces our ability to make rational decisions, and contributes to the further deterioration of not only our overall well-being, but also our lives in general.

To restore your nerves after severe stress, you should understand that this feeling is irrational.

And in order to avoid further negative consequences described above, you need to learn to manage this feeling.

Each of the methods below requires additional support.

Do not forget to strengthen your body during the recovery period by consuming vitamins from natural products.

Three ways to recover from stress:

1. Fun
2. Meditation
3. Yoga

The effect of stress on the body

Stress directly affects the central nervous system and the healthy physical performance of the human body. If you remain in this state for a long time, the functioning of internal organs, systems and the psyche suffers, sleep is disturbed, weakness, depression, and irritability occur.

The person becomes overly irritable

The impact of stress on health is manifested in:

• Headaches that do not have a characteristic localization,
• Chronic lack of sleep and insomnia,
• Cardiovascular disorders, such as bradycardia,
• Arterial hypertension and myocardial infarction,
• Poor concentration, increased fatigue, decreased performance,
• Disorders of the gastrointestinal tract: gastritis, ulcers,
• Exacerbation of oncological diseases,
• Decreased immunity, which can result in various viral diseases,
• Violation of neuroendocrine regulation, irregular production of hormones, which may result in osteoporosis, diabetes mellitus,
• Dystrophy of brain tissue, muscle rigidity or atony.
• Alcohol and drug addiction may also occur.

Important! Recovery from stress is a particularly important stage that must be approached responsibly. It is necessary not only to recover physically and mentally, but also to establish a comfortable daily routine, strengthen the nervous system, and find conditions for positive emotions to accompany the way of life.

A person's hormonal background affects his mood. The anti-stress hormone, cortisol, simultaneously helps to move towards goals, gives strength to action, and can also have a detrimental effect on the psyche. From a psychology course we know that when under stress for a long time, a person may begin to react to what is happening inappropriately due to the excessive release of cortisol into the blood.

The consequences of mental disorders from stress are:

• Depletion of mental strength and nervous system, resulting in neuroses, depression and other acute diseases,
• Lost interest in life, no new desires,
• Increased internal anxiety - a person feels as if “caged in a cage”
• Stress can arise spontaneously on a mental level, and then turn into pathologies on a physical level, for example, stuttering occurs as a result of fear,
• Sleep and wakefulness patterns are disrupted,
• Emotional instability: aggression gives way to anger or hysterical laughter.

How to restore nerves after severe stress: physical activity

Stress not only takes away internal strength, but also creates severe tension in the body. This often leads to physical ailments and poor health.

Thus, the body requires additional rest. How to restore health? We need to try to move as much as possible during this difficult period.

Physical activity has a beneficial effect on your general condition, promotes good mood and self-confidence.

Diet against stress

There are a number of products that help normalize mood and quickly restore the nervous system after stressful situations. These include:

• low-fat dairy products;
• fatty fish;
• nuts;
• buckwheat and oatmeal porridge;
• chocolate (the most effective is the one that contains over 70% cocoa);
• natural honey;
• seaweed;
• meat products;
• fresh vegetables and fruits.

Thus, even the most severe stress can be overcome and forgotten. If you can’t do it yourself, do not hesitate to contact a qualified specialist - he will definitely help

React in a timely manner to unfavorable changes in your condition, follow your doctor’s recommendations and be healthy!

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Types of stress

But do not exclude the fact that there are different types of stress and different types.

• Chronic stress is constant stress caused by factors of long-term influence (we can talk about excessive busyness, the threat of layoffs, information overload, long-term conflict at home or at work, a catastrophic lack of time to solve current tasks and projects, loss of meaning).
• Sudden stress occurs due to unexpected events (if it concerns a threat to the life of loved ones or oneself: illness, attack, accident; sudden material loss or its threat: dismissal, loss of funds, theft; a reprimand from superiors at work, a special public or family scandal and so on).

The physiology of the effects of these two types is completely different, but their compensation differs slightly. If you know how to protect yourself, you can maintain your health and even save yourself from death.

Fatigue after stress, what is associated with it?

Fatigue is different - being tired of life or feeling sleepy. We usually feel tired or sleepy at the end of the day when our body needs sleep to recuperate.

Although you may feel tired or sleepy all the time, it is a chronic feeling of lack of motivation or energy.

Understanding the difference between physical fatigue and stress-related fatigue can help resolve the problem.

As we said above, physical exhaustion is the result of what we did and exhaustion goes away after we rest or get a good night's sleep.

If you feel tired and sleep or rest does not relieve this feeling, you may have stress fatigue.

Symptoms of fatigue after stress associated with exhaustion.

Stress-related fatigue is usually accompanied by symptoms:

- sore or sore muscles or a feeling of muscle weakness;

- headache;

- moodiness, irritability or agitation;

- dizziness and blurred vision;

- loss of appetite;

- difficulties with short-term memory;

- inability to concentrate or focus on tasks;

- slow reflexes or difficulty making decisions;

- feeling as if your actions are useless or that you cannot change the situation;

- lack of motivation.

Often, after your stress brings you to a level of fatigue, you feel lonely and isolated.

You may want to hide or have an overwhelming urge to crawl into bed and not get out. Chronic stress often affects relationships and work, leaving feelings of loneliness and inadequacy.

Meditation

This method works flawlessly, although it does require some extra time to fully immerse yourself in the process. When thinking about how to recover from stress, you should definitely take into account the fact that meditation is an incredibly powerful tool for completely changing your life.

A person who constantly practices meditation improves his mood, gains self-confidence, and a special taste for life. It seems as if someone has lit his inner sun.

A lot of additional energy appears, which can be used for a wide variety of activities.

Physical fatigue and fatigue after stress.

When we are physically exhausted, it is the result of what we have done. You may be doing strenuous physical work or following a rigorous workout regimen.

Physical exhaustion is usually a choice we make ourselves. With rest, proper nutrition and time to relax, you can easily recover from physical exhaustion.

In some cases this may take a few days, such as when you've overdone it and now have muscle pain, but within a day or two the body will take care of itself, the physical aspects of your exhaustion will go away and you'll feel refreshed again.

When exhaustion from stress sets in, something completely different happens. Stress fatigue is mental exhaustion caused by anxiety or difficulty coping with situations in your life.

This is the result of thoughts and feelings, not physical activity. You may have lived with stress for so long that you don't even see the negative effects.

You believe that this is “normal.” You may not know what's wrong with you and accept the constant feeling of fatigue as if it were part of your life.

Origin of different types of stress

Here it is worth talking about the psychology of stress. Namely, what is the nature of the emergence of chronic stress and stress from unexpected events?

Severe stress from sudden events is very common. And when it comes to a threat to life, then this factor is characteristic of both animals and people.

It turns out that this factor is provided by nature, studied by medicine, and they know about effective methods of compensating for it. Similarly, any stress factor that relates to a sudden event and requires immediate action causes the same biochemical process, compensated by the same means and actions.

Chronic stress was created by civilization; it applies only to people. What kind of loss of meaning can we talk about if we talk about a hare or a primitive man? Therefore, nature has not provided anything for us to somehow compensate for this.

Under such stress, adrenaline is not produced, but destruction nevertheless occurs. Not as quickly as with sudden stress, but gradually your health is undermined.

Chronic stress causes gradual depletion of the nervous system; in addition, gradual degradation of the vascular system occurs.

Recommendations for dealing with stress at home

To minimize the harmful effects of stress, do the following:

• be a physically active person. You can engage in absolutely any sport that brings you pleasure and that you like. If you don’t have time for full-fledged training, at least do exercises at home and walk more;
• watch more comedy films and TV shows rather than melodramas and crime chronicles;
• get a pet;
• eat foods that improve the functioning of the nervous system and brain;
• change the situation. In any way: meet friends and relatives, go somewhere, etc.;
• find a hobby you like and devote more time to it;
• try yoga;
• listen to encouraging music;
• Get enough sleep and stick to a sleep and rest schedule.

But the first thing you must do is get rid of the reasons that led to stress. If these factors are beyond your control, try to adjust yourself to a less critical attitude towards them, do not overload your nervous system and be more positive.

What are the symptoms that indicate a person is stressed?

Cardioneurosis, alopecia, exhaustion and insomnia are common consequences of prolonged stress that can occur at any time. Diseases of internal organs, mental disorders and poor health require proper treatment. Eliminating the effects of stress begins with identifying the main symptoms of the neglected condition:

• increased irritability;
• sudden mood swings - a person either laughs or suddenly falls into hysterics;
• fatigue and sleep disturbances;
• decreased concentration;
• overeating or starvation;
• apathy and lack of initiative;
• pessimistic outlook on life;
• depressive state.

Feeling unwell is an alarm signal sent by the body. Emotional burnout contributes to personal alienation. When a person is stressed, relationships at work and in the family are destroyed.

Determine symptoms, treatment and prevention. Disturbances in the functioning of internal organs are treated with medications, and the blues are fought with psychological exercises - the person makes new acquaintances, finds a hobby and clears his head of disturbing thoughts.

This is a kind of stress test, after reading which you can determine for yourself whether you have stress or not.

This body reaction leads to some common signs of burnout. They concern not only the physical, but also the psychological sphere of a person. The number of symptoms of severe stress is directly proportional to its expression.

Cognitive signs include problems with concentration and memory, constant worry, the presence of anxious thoughts, and focusing only on unpleasant, bad events.

Causes and signs of severe stress

Severe emotional distress can affect anyone. Psychologists have developed a stress scale that includes the main traumatic categories. The first places on the scale are the death of a relative or friend, divorce and loneliness. In last place are family quarrels, promotions and weddings. Even positive life events can cause increased stress.

The main symptoms of severe stress:

1. A person becomes fixated on negative events. His thoughts are occupied with disturbing experiences; the shock he has experienced cannot be removed by simple means, for example, physical activity.
2. The expression of emotions is impaired. A person is irritated, prone to outbursts of anger and rage, symptoms of stress indicate a weakened nervous system. Some symptoms indicate dulling of feelings, the inability to experience joy, orgasm, or enjoy life.
3. Interpersonal communication is destroyed. After suffering a trauma, an individual breaks off friendships, avoids communication, and strives for loneliness.
4. Severe intensity of stress provokes the development of mental illness. People at risk include survivors of childhood violence, victims of violent crimes and others. In this case, the symptoms are associated with adaptation disorders. A severe shock is reflected in dreams and becomes a deep inner experience.
5. Abuse of alcohol, toxic and narcotic substances.
6. Suicidal thoughts.

Symptoms of severe stress are more acute in women and older people. In childhood, on the contrary, boys experience emotional trauma more painfully than girls.

Proper nutrition

During times of stress, the quality of food absorption inevitably suffers. Some people gain a lot of weight, while others, on the contrary, lose weight. The fact is that the shock experienced at this moment completely fills the person’s consciousness, and he loses the ability to control himself.

Most often, at such moments a person eats chaotically and not the best foods. Such behavior can aggravate the negative effects of stress, making it a long and unpleasant experience. When everything in life is not going well, you must try to restore your peace of mind as soon as possible.

Proper nutrition will undoubtedly help with this. How to regain your appetite if you don’t feel like eating anything? You need to start eating little by little, with the intention not to gain weight, but to maintain your body in proper shape.

Healthy, nutritious food affects all organs and systems no worse than a calming pill. You just need to try to avoid overeating and choose light foods so as not to gain weight, that is, to avoid gaining excess weight.

When we need full recovery

The following signs will indicate that you and your loved ones will have to work on your recovery.

You feel emotionally and physically exhausted

Extreme fatigue, emotional burnout, reluctance to somehow improve one’s condition and a vague intention to simply continue to exist in the current conditions.

Your fatigue is felt physically

You sleep poorly and little, you under-eat or overeat, physical activity has decreased, and you no longer feel full of energy as before. Most likely, you haven’t been to training for a long time and have little idea when this will happen next time.

Things that once brought you joy no longer bring you joy.

You no longer like your favorite foods, your favorite books and TV series no longer please you as much as they did before, and you’re going to work like you’re going to an execution (if you’re going to death at all). Even gatherings with loved ones make you want to bury yourself in a blanket and come out only when absolutely necessary.

You are irritable

The shoelaces of the person walking next to you are tied somehow strangely, those around you are breathing too loudly, the weather, whatever it is, leaves much to be desired. And in general, you should have stayed at home / it would be better if no one touched you / all in vain.

You are constantly upset

You don't remember the last time you really laughed heartily. Your favorite public pages on social networks don’t make you laugh, and life seems gray and joyless.

The mood is constantly changing

Just 5 minutes ago you seemed to want to have fun, but now this desire has disappeared somewhere. You want to sleep, hang out, or cry.

This doesn't sound like you at all

You don't behave like this in everyday life. The points listed above are for anyone, but not for you. But for some reason now you began to recognize yourself in them.

Perhaps now you hate the author for his “smart” advice

It will pass when you are released.

How to quickly relieve tension?

What to do in a situation of strong emotion?

What methods can be used to relieve severe tension? Let's look at a few techniques.

• As already mentioned, doing physical exercise helps. Go for a bike ride, jog, swim in the pool, dance, play tennis.
• Breathe deeply. By concentrating on your breathing, you can at least temporarily forget about stress factors and look at the problem from the outside.
• Relax.
• Break away from everyday life (go on vacation, visit a cinema, theater, read a book, artificially create images of a forest, river, beach in your head).
• Meditate.
• Go for a massage.
• Slow down the pace of life.
• Reconsider your life positions. Sometimes unrealistic goals lead to a nervous breakdown and stress, and a series of inevitable failures only aggravates this condition.

2: I plan my vacation as carefully as I plan my work.

Recovering from stress takes time, one night of good sleep is already something, but it does not compensate for difficult weeks and months. So I usually gather my thoughts and plan for recovery in the same way that I previously planned for working on a difficult project.

Meetings with friends, sports, self-care and just relaxing with a book on the sofa - where, when, on what day and what is needed for everything to work out without unpleasant surprises. If you think about everything in advance, then you will be able to relax properly.

Pets

Scientists have proven that animals have a beneficial effect on the mental organization of a person. Having a dog or cat in the house can ease a person’s emotional state.

In difficult moments, you can always call your pet, take him in your arms, and stroke him. Animals sense very subtly what is happening to their owners.

For this reason, moral turmoil becomes easier to cope with if such a furry friend is nearby. The devotion of a four-legged pet to a person is sometimes simply amazing.

Our work is very often associated with stress. These can be either open conflicts or simply exhausting communication with so-called “difficult clients.” We have already discussed ways to behave in conflict , and now it is important for us to understand how to regain calm after the situation is over.

4 ways to quickly relieve stress

Water!

First of all, drink a glass of cold water. And preferably slowly. As long as you drink water, your breathing will return to normal, and this is the first step to calm. Also, many feel hot in stressful situations, and water will have a cooling effect and help you feel more comfortable. It will also remove dry throat and help you feel refreshed and energized.

Now breathe

If after drinking water your breathing does not return to normal, you need to pay special attention to it. Listen to your breathing, try to make it slower. Take a deep breath and slowly exit. Take literally 2-3 minutes to breathe and feel that you have become much calmer.

Physical actions

If you have the opportunity to warm up physically, be sure to take advantage of it. You can simply walk up the stairs, clean your desk, or go to the gym or go for a run. Whatever one may say, physical activity forces you to switch from internal experiences to bodily sensations. During this time, you will be able to regain your calm and, if necessary, return to resolving the issue with a clear head.

Exercise “Here and Now”

This exercise will help in a situation where you cannot change the environment or use the above methods. Its goal is to make you stop worrying about what happened and return to reality. To do this, you need to focus on what is happening at the moment.

Begin to mentally describe objects around you, sounds, people nearby. Descriptions should be as non-judgmental and objective as possible. Example: “I see a beige table in front of me, with a blue mug on it...” At first it will be difficult for you to keep yourself in the “here and now” state, but in this way you will learn to control your consciousness and train of thoughts.

How to help someone come to their senses

There are also situations when our colleagues come under attack. In this case, we, of course, want to help them, cheer them up and restore their working spirit. The following methods can help with this:

Let me speak and support

This is the first thing a person usually needs after suffering stress or resentment. Your task is to actively listen, not interrupt, and express maximum understanding and support. It is important not to argue or give advice.

Distract

Some people tend to get stuck in negative emotional states. This means that after stress they are depressed or irritated for a long time, discuss what happened many times and cannot cope with the feeling of resentment.

In this case, you should not support repeated discussion of the problematic situation; react as restrainedly and calmly as possible, try to divert the conversation in a different direction. Try to switch your interlocutor to other events and preferably so that they have a positive connotation.

Reduce to absurdity

If your colleague is vulnerable and takes all troubles very seriously, then use this method in conversation with him. Start discussing with him all the possible consequences of the conflict and bringing them to the point of absurdity. Come up with the most unexpected and ridiculous consequences of the conflict, make your colleague smile and realize that in fact nothing special happened.

Ask, will this matter in a year?

This is a useful question to end a conversation. Ask him whether this issue will be important to him in a month or a year. As a rule, an ordinary conflict is not worth remembering about after a long time. And if it’s not important, then there’s no need to waste time on it now.

Treat yourself with care and attention. If you have an unpleasant situation, try to take steps to improve your condition. With the right attitude and well-developed communication skills, you can always remain in an even and calm working mood.

Important

If you constantly experience anxiety, stress, worry, we can help resolve this issue. The “We Need Changes” consultation was created to provide assistance in solving difficult life situations or psychological problems.

How to increase stress resistance?

Make social connections. It is much easier to avoid stress when there is support from a loved one.

Don't lose your sense of control. Confident people can influence events and overcome difficulties; they calmly and easily accept any stressful situations.

Look at everything with optimism. Thanks to this worldview, the result of even severe stress is leveled out.

Manage your emotions. If you don't know how to calm down, you are very vulnerable. The ability to bring any strong emotion into a state of balance helps to fight misfortunes.

Understanding what will happen to a person after exposure to severe stress leads to acceptance of stressful situations. For example, the recovery process after surgery will not be so traumatic if you know all the consequences in advance, and not wait for a miraculous healing.

Traditional recipes against stress

You can use any kind of medication to combat stress only as prescribed by a doctor - if used incorrectly, medications can cause serious harm. But there are many folk recipes that allow you to calm down and get rid of unnecessary worries. There is only one contraindication to their use: individual intolerance to any component present in the composition.

1. An effective soothing collection. To prepare this remedy, valerian, fennel, as well as cumin and motherwort are taken in equal parts. Fill a large spoonful of the mixture with a glass of boiling water, let it brew for a couple of hours, then divide into 3 parts and take throughout the day. The recommended duration of such folk treatment is a month. In spring and autumn, preventive courses should be carried out.
2. Tea against depression. Pour a small spoon of St. John's wort into a glass of boiling water, let it cool a little and drink. Take twice daily as with plain tea. You can add honey to improve the taste.
3. Coriander against stress. Take a small spoon of seeds, pour a glass of boiling water over them and place them in a water bath. After keeping the broth there for 15 minutes, remove and let cool. Take 4 times a day, 25-40 ml. Coriander is great for relieving irritability - once you feel better, you can stop treatment.
4. Mint tea. The simplest drink has been known for its calming properties since ancient times. Wild mint tea has the best taste. Additionally, it is recommended to add honey (preferably linden honey) and lemon. After drinking the tea, eat the lemon, not forgetting the skin. Tea made from calendula, lemon balm and other medicinal herbs has a similar effect.
5. Motherwort. Fill a portion of the dry herb with 5 parts of medical alcohol. Use 20 drops three times a day. You can stir it in water. Motherwort helps normalize heart rate and relieve anxiety.
6. Aromatherapy. For maximum effect, purchase an aroma lamp. Orange, lavender and pine oils are effective against stress. When adding oil to the lamp, adhere to the following proportion: no more than 1 drop for every 5 sq.m. space around. If you don't have a lamp, you can add a couple of drops of oil to the bath.
7. Pine baths. Add pine needle extract (sold at the pharmacy) to the bath, following the instructions. Find a comfortable position in the bath and stay in it for 15 minutes. Maintain a 10-day course of treatment.

Hobby

Having hobbies makes a person's life interesting and unpredictable. After all, people get most tired of the constant repetition of the same events. You definitely need to rest and try to fill yourself with something. We must not allow each new day to be similar to the previous one. This is incredibly depressing, deprives one of moral strength and interferes with high aspirations.

Thus, there are many ways to calm down after stress. They are all good in their own way. Each person decides for himself what to fill himself with in a certain period of time.

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recover

For the first time in my life, I experienced serious stress during graduation from university - exams, a diploma, plus work, which even then took up most of my time. At some point, my boss simply sent me home to rest, because she realized that I was on the verge, and when the next day I appeared in approximately the same condition, she had a serious conversation with me, explaining that you also need to be able to rest .

Today I have my own routine, which helps me recover after an exhausting stressful period, and which periodically helps me out a lot.

How to normalize sleep

To restore healthy sleep and get rid of chronic stress, you need to try the following methods:

• eliminate all sources of noise;
• don't watch TV;
• take a walk before bed;
• take a warm bath with foam;
• do not overeat at night;
• open the window to make the room cooler.

To normalize sleep after stress, you need to try all methods. If you focus on one of them, you will not achieve results.

It is advisable to sleep separately from your wife or husband for some time. Psychologists say that this will help restore sleep after stress, since the patient will be as comfortable as possible in such conditions.