How to relax and relieve tension: methods and techniques

Everyone experiences stress at one time or another; a considerable number of adult residents of megacities are chronically in this state. Despite the many external factors that contribute to getting stuck in negativity, it is necessary to study effective ways to relieve nervous tension, otherwise psychological discomfort will soon be complemented by serious problems with the health of the body.

Symptoms

The first signals of the onset of overstrain are rapid fatigue and decreased performance. Nervous overstrain determines behavior: men become hot-tempered, give out excessively aggressive reactions, women are more whiny and irritable. The phrases are heard: “I’m tired, I need emotional relief.” In hopeless situations with unrelenting pressure from negative factors, a nervous breakdown and eating disorders are possible: bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa. Even the immune system begins to fail during nervous overstrain: the risk of contracting a viral infection increases.

Common symptoms that indicate a problem are rapid heartbeat, increased sweating, tremors in the limbs, and anxiety. In addition, if you don’t know how to relax and fall asleep, it’s probably time to relieve nervous tension.

How to relieve stress without alcohol

If alcoholic drinks in large quantities are so harmful, and not very effective against difficult situations, the question arises - how to relieve stress other than alcohol. There are many methods and techniques, the most popular and effective of them are presented here.

Meditation

Regular meditation has a very good effect on the human nervous system, thanks to them it seems to “grow with armor” against stressful situations. Always calm, a healthy assessment of what is happening.

Read – Yoga anti-stress

Sports activities

To prevent stressful situations, you should choose a sport you like, be it swimming, table tennis or, for example, football. Physical activity helps you re-adjust. Gymnastics should become regular and bring pleasure - without desire nothing will come of it. During the entire exercise, your thoughts will be occupied with something abstract. It is extremely important to choose your sport, the one that you want to practice constantly.

Your favorite sport will help you take your mind off unpleasant thoughts

Choose a day and relax

Take a day off from work or choose a free day, have an anti-stress massage , take a bath with aromatic oils, eat a delicious dish without rushing, watch a movie or read a book - what could be better? This will definitely beat any evening spent with a bottle of alcohol and quick unhealthy snacks like chemical chips, crackers or seafood.

There is no “magic pill” for stress - all methods require willpower and a simple desire to change something in your life. Deciding to improve is already half the battle, and the remaining half is strength of character.

Danger of nervous tension

Modern people are affected by many aggressive factors that cannot be controlled. For example, many have to endure unnaturally close contact with strangers in transport, do not get enough sleep, get tired from an overabundance of unnecessary information, but do not take timely measures to protect their psyche. It is almost impossible for working people to eliminate negative factors; they do not know how to relieve nervous tension. For some time, a strong body adapts to difficult conditions, but it is important to take timely advice on how to quickly relieve stress or nervous tension. If the conditions become chronic, they will cause serious consequences in the form of problems with physical health. According to doctors, somatic diseases are getting worse: stomach ulcers, psoriasis, some types of tumors.

IMPORTANT: It is dangerous to underestimate the harm of a negative mental state. It is important to know how to relieve severe nervous tension and prevent possible consequences.

Removing muscle blocks through extreme tension

The method of removing muscle blocks and clamps through super-strong tension is described in Andrei Kurpatov’s book “Happy of my own free will. 12 steps to mental health." Andrey Kurpatov, a psychotherapist, TV presenter and well-known popularizer of psychology, describes in this book other techniques that help achieve inner harmony and happiness.

Read an excerpt or buy the book

Human muscles are designed in such a way that they are not able to withstand prolonged and heavy loads. If you strain them in a certain way for ten seconds, maintaining and even increasing the pressure, they will reflexively “give up.” In other words, in this exercise we strive for maximum muscle tension precisely in order to completely relax them. Each point of the algorithm below should first be performed separately. Then, once you have it done correctly, you can add the next steps to it.

How to relieve muscle tension: technique

1. First, sit on a hard surface and clench your fingers very tightly into fists on both hands. Do this in such a way that your thumbs cover the rest underneath. Create maximum tension for ten seconds. Try to increase the pressure with each of them. The task is to force the muscles to give up and reflexively relax.
2. Then you need to add to this the load on the muscles of the forearms. To do this, bend your wrists as much as possible. Again 10 seconds of tension and subsequent relaxation.
3. Now we connect the shoulders and chest. We spread our arms to the sides, bending at the elbows. The position is reminiscent of classic bodybuilder poses on advertising posters. We count the same time again and rest.
4. The next stage is to move the shoulder blades back, bringing them together as much as possible. From this position, try to lower them as far as possible. Try this step alone first, and then you can add other steps to it.
5. Then you will need to strain your neck. To maximize the use of all muscle groups, first tilt your chin towards your chest, and then try to tilt your head back. The sensation should be similar to someone pressing on your forehead, and you are holding back this pressure by tensing all the muscles in your neck.
6. Once you've mastered the previous techniques, try adding tension to your abdominal muscles. Slightly drawing in your stomach, as if preparing for a blow, feel how tense your whole body is: arms, back, abs, shoulders. Engage your butt muscles as well. When sitting only on them, do not touch your feet to the chair. Each time you add a new muscle group, repeat the exercise as many times as necessary to master the correct execution. The main thing in this exercise is the intense increasing load on the whole body.
7. We connect the legs. To do this, in a sitting position, bend your fingers strongly and strain the muscles of your legs, pulling your socks towards you. Toes need to be brought together and heels apart. This pose will allow maximum load on the legs.

Facial muscles

All that remains is to connect the facial muscles. This is the most technically difficult part, so it is also worth practicing separately. First of all, close your eyes tightly. To also use the eye muscles, direct your gaze to the center, to the nose. Frown your eyebrows and wrinkle your nose, as if from an unpleasant smell. Well, then add the widest possible smile with your jaw clenched tightly. This is really not an easy task, but if you practice, you will succeed!

Having mastered each exercise separately, try to combine them all into one. This will take some practice, so be prepared that you may not succeed the first time. Sit on a hard surface, take the desired position, trying not to miss anything, and then tense all these muscles at once. Increase the pressure every second, do it to the max, literally forcing your muscles to relax. Your main task is to wear them down and force them to give up.

How many times to do

This exercise should be repeated 7-10 times a day for several weeks. The main task of its implementation is to learn to relax your body voluntarily. It will also help you develop the habit of noticing and being able to quickly remove muscle tension that arises. By learning to work with your muscle blocks, you will break the vicious circle of anxiety and be able to fully begin working on your thinking. Also, of course, we should not forget about the need to develop the correct motor stereotype. Move more, try to avoid prolonged static loads and do not forget about regular warm-up, especially if you work in an office. All this, together with the exercises, will allow you to forget about the pain caused by spasms of the muscles of the back, neck or back of the head.

Identification of the problem and necessary measures

Symptoms such as headaches and fever can both indicate nervous tension and indicate the onset of colds, so it is better to entrust differential diagnosis to a specialist. In addition, psychological reactions are individual: a situation that makes one person exhausted and overwhelmed, another will be agitated and overcome with obsessive thoughts. Today there are effective ways to relieve stress and nervous tension. It is better to fight comprehensively.

How to relieve nervous tension: medications

Worried about how to relieve stress and nervous tension? Medicine is the fastest, surest way to help. The nervous system, under the influence of classical antidepressants and antipsychotics, slows down, and anxiety symptoms are relieved.

IMPORTANT: The disadvantage of serious medications is that they can only be prescribed by a doctor.

The second group of medicines - pharmaceutical ones - are available for purchase independently. Drugs that relieve nervous tension in the adult type “Afobazole” eliminate negative aspects by activating the functioning of the nervous system. In an untreated state, it is more prudent to choose a similar drug without side effects in order to relieve nervous tension and anxiety.

To relieve nervous tension and anxiety, it is important to choose medications rationally. Many sufferers buy Corvalol, sold without a prescription, which quickly provides a sedative effect. People do not take into account an important nuance: when taken for a long time, Corvalol causes serious addiction.

Folk advice on how to relieve nervous and mental stress

It is important to understand how to relieve nervous tension without drugs? Traditional medicine will help out. Tincture of evasive peony and valerian will help you calm down and improve sleep. These are the simplest, most effective means to relieve internal nervous tension.

Other methods of traditional medicine, alas, work only due to the placebo effect.

How to relieve nervous tension at home

Having chosen medications that relieve nervous tension, you should additionally work on the problem at home. Master special breathing programs. A physical pause will be useful if you are interested in how to quickly relieve nervous tension. And the most pleasant way to calm down and relieve nervous tension is to give each other touches and hug each other tightly.

Interested in how to relieve nervous tension in a child? Occupy your child's hands with an anti-stress pillow. Stimulating the nerve endings of your fingertips is the best way to relieve severe nervous tension on your own.

IMPORTANT: If you note that independent methods have a temporary effect, contact a specialist.

How to relieve muscle tension: why it occurs

First, let's look at the causes of excess muscle tension: when it appears and why it does not disappear on its own. It’s worth starting with the fact that all human activity is regulated by the autonomic nervous system, consisting of the sympathetic and parasympathetic departments. The first of them is responsible for activating the body, and the second is for its relaxation. That is, the sympathetic department is able to influence muscle tone, increase heart rate, increase blood pressure and much more, and the parasympathetic department can influence calm digestion, restoration of the body and good sleep.

"Flight or Fight"

“Flight or fight” is one of the most ancient instincts that helped our ancestors survive and leave offspring. Its essence lies in the fact that when danger appears, the autonomic nervous system engages the sympathetic department, giving a person the opportunity to attack the offender or save his life by running away. Muscles tense, breathing quickens, and the heart begins to beat faster - these are symptoms of the body's readiness for fight or flight.

Despite the fact that in our modern society there is virtually no serious threat to life, the instinct to “flight or fight” is still in full force. You can constantly observe the results of his activities in everyday life. For example, if you find yourself in a conflict situation on the road, you may notice the following body reactions:

• increased sweating;
• visible paint on the face;
• tense muscles of the neck, shoulders, arms and legs;
• rapid intermittent breathing, etc.

Instincts require you to immediately attack the offender or run away, but is this usually what happens in the end? No, in a civilized society such reactions are not acceptable, so all irritation, like the resulting muscle tension, usually remains deep inside. Thus, it accumulates day after day, without having a way out, as a result of which we have chronic muscle blocks.

Neurotic conditions

In addition, it is impossible to escape from most of our fears and anxieties purely physically, since they are present only in our head, for example:

• fear of death, illness or madness;
• phobias associated with the inability to fly on airplanes, ride in elevators, etc.;
• fears for the life and health of loved ones;
• fear of being insolvent financially, career, family or sexually.

All these and similar fears do not give us the opportunity to escape or attack them. Instead, they are able to haunt a person for years, undermining physical and emotional health day after day. Many people wake up with anxiety for years, live with it throughout the day, and even fall asleep in the same state. Of course, in such conditions it is impossible to do without the appearance of chronic clamps and blocks. They appear especially often in the collar area: constantly raised shoulders, the head pressed into them, a tense neck.

Moreover, our nervous system, sensing muscle tension in the body, tries to justify it by using the “flight or fight” instinct in the opposite direction. She comes up with reasons and fears, helpfully throwing them into the furnace of our anxiety. Accordingly, we may become overly irritable, nervous, or begin to fear everything that our consciousness throws at us. Therefore, we can safely say that getting rid of chronic muscle blocks is a necessary condition for returning peace of mind, along with working on distortions in thinking.

The impact of stress on sex life

Prolonged stressful situations can affect the quality of sex life. Previously, it was believed that weak potency occurs after 40 years. Today, strong experiences can result in erectile dysfunction after 30 years. In addition, the influence of stress provokes a vicious circle. Nervous experiences reduced potency, the man received a new portion of stress, testosterone decreased, which in no way contributes to solving sexual problems. This is how constant tension is born with thoughts of inferiority and impotence.

Read also…. What happens to a woman if she hasn't had sex for a long time?

How do most men try to resolve the situation? In one case, they give up trying to establish good potency, and in the other they try special stimulants for a good erection. Neither method brings satisfaction. How to restore potency and relieve tension?

1. Sexual problems may lie hidden in your relationship with your partner. Conflicts, personal stress, and insults about sexual abilities do not help resolve problems. Sometimes just a simple improvement in relationships or new love causes an influx of sexual energy.
2. The burden of unresolved difficulties in the workplace reduces potency and testosterone. Some men carry the psychological stress accumulated during the day home. As a result, negative experiences are replayed in bed, which affects sexual performance. It is necessary to learn ways to recover from nervous experiences; breathing practices and muscle relaxation help relieve stress.
3. Psychological impotence due to stress is treated with rest, strengthening the body, and creating a rational regimen. In addition, testosterone and potency increase when the source of anxiety is found and eliminated.

Irritated Man Syndrome

New medical research shows that men have a period during which they become irritable and aggressive. Experts associate this behavior with a sharp decrease in a hormone called testosterone.

Low testosterone affects the mental state of men, as well as potency. One of the reasons for the decrease in the hormone is stress and prolonged emotional stress.

Testosterone is called the male hormone, it is responsible for confidence, energy, and an active sex life. It is associated with hair growth, voice timbre, and general appearance. With chronic stress, testosterone is at a low level, which provokes isolation, nervousness, and most importantly, poor potency.

Testosterone is the conquering hormone and is associated with victory and confidence. With any success, its level increases. In case of regular failures, testosterone decreases, the person becomes vulnerable.

Internal tension: what is it?

The main thing to understand is that this condition is not a direct consequence of external circumstances. Internal tension is a habit, and it is acquired. Often this state is activated in a person when he is learning something new. Then additional efforts are required for the head to finally begin to work intensively, which is simply unusual for many. When a person comprehends something new, he naturally makes mistakes that he does not want to make. This is where internal tension arises. It also appears when a person needs to complete a planned task, and not what he wants at one time or another. How to relieve internal tension and is it necessary to relieve it? This will be discussed below.

Ways to cope with stress

• Exercise regularly . Exercising has been proven to reduce stress levels by helping you burn off pent-up energy and tension. Exercise also improves overall health.
• Eat and sleep well . A good diet and getting 6 to 8 hours of sleep each night can help your body recover from past stresses and be better equipped to cope with new stresses. Avoid caffeine and other stimulants, which can contribute to insomnia and stress. Avoid drinking alcohol, which can worsen any depression.
• Meditate . Spend at least 15 to 20 minutes a day in quiet contemplation. Depending on your preferences, you can devote time to meditation or prayer, or yoga if you want a more physical component. Breathe deeply and clear your mind.
• Solve the cause of stress . Solving the problems that cause tension can relieve you of stress. Inaction allows it to grow. If your neighbor's dog barks constantly, talk to him about it. Talk to your boss to figure out solutions to problems at work. Seek help if you cannot meet all the requirements placed on you.
• Avoid stressful situations . Recent studies show that men's stress levels have skyrocketed to 60 percent - 7 times higher than women's. If possible, avoid rush hour. Go to the store if you know the store won't be crowded. And reduce your time with people who get on your nerves.
• Accept what you cannot change . There will be things in your life that you cannot control, no matter how hard you try. For example, there is no point in letting snow or rain bother you. Instead, look for ways to enjoy uncontrollable circumstances. Play in the snow like you did when you were a child; Spend a rainy day reading, another way to relieve stress.
• Don't take on more than you can handle . We often create our own stress by over-planning and failing to say “no” when too much is asked of us, whether by a spouse, boss or friend. Don't promise too much and give yourself time to complete the things you actually agree to do.
• Enjoy your victories . When you reach a personal goal or complete a big project, do something nice for yourself. This could be something as simple as getting a massage or as extravagant as a weekend getaway. Celebrate your accomplishments before moving on to the next project.

Read also…. How to have sex for 20 minutes or longer

Men's reactions to stress differ significantly from women's. This is due to the physiology and characteristics of the emotional-volitional sphere. Men tend to recover differently from experiences of excitement or fright. How to act in a stressful situation to relieve tension? To develop recommendations, it is worth understanding the characteristics of the impact of a traumatic factor on male representatives.