The consequences of the body’s stress response can include psychosomatic disorders and exacerbation of chronic illnesses. So how can we take control of stress?
Finding Your Calm
An uncontrolled response from the nervous system can trigger conditions like rhinitis and cystitis, migraines and toothaches, strokes and heart attacks. To avoid these outcomes, it’s essential to interrupt the stress response. Stimulating a biologically active point on your body can help curb the increased appetite often linked to emotional instability and stress.
Sit up straight and use your middle finger to locate the area just below your chest where the sternum meets the ribs (it may feel slightly tender when pressed). Perform 100 circular massage movements in that area. The goal is to achieve normal blood pressure, which should not exceed 140/90 mmHg.
Seek Magnesium
While emotional eating is generally frowned upon by nutritionists, there are foods that can act as remedies in stressful situations. Taking magnesium supplements or consuming magnesium-rich foods can strengthen your nervous system and improve circulation. Incorporate buckwheat, millet, and oatmeal into your diet, along with cocoa and nuts, as these are heart-healthy options. Foods rich in magnesium include milk, fresh lean meats (like chicken, rabbit, and veal), green vegetables, herbs, legumes, grains, seeds, and nuts. Carrots, potatoes, spinach, bananas, peaches, apricots, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, sesame, and almonds also have anti-stress effects. Specifically, for therapeutic purposes, you can eat 10 almonds twice a day for a month. Due to their high phosphorus content, almonds have a calming effect and can help alleviate insomnia, migraines, and cramps—common companions of stress.
Herbal Relaxation
Natural sedatives serve as universal calming agents, antidepressants, and sleep aids.
* Brew a teaspoon of St. John’s Wort in a cup of boiling water and drink three sips three times a day before meals. Just be sure to stick to the recommended dosage, as this herb can be toxic in large amounts.
* Steep dried leaves and flowers of fireweed in boiling water (one teaspoon of the herb per cup of water) and drink it like tea.
* Mix and steep in a thermos 2 parts valerian root and 3 parts chamomile. Take half a cup before bedtime.
* Combine equal parts of rhodiola rosea root and eleutherococcus, infuse in alcohol (10 parts alcohol for every 1 part of the mixture), and take 20 drops before breakfast and lunch.
* Brew raspberry leaves and branches and drink them like tea.
* Mix 4 parts heather, 3 parts stinging nettle, 3 parts dried herb, and 1 part valerian. Pour 4 tablespoons of the mixture with a liter of boiling water, let it steep, and take a quarter cup every hour throughout the day. This infusion will help alleviate fears and allow you to sleep despite your worries.
Distraction Techniques
A tried-and-true defense against emotional stress is maintaining good physical fitness. Aim for at least half an hour of movement each day. To help organize your nervous system, consider going for a walk or finding a hobby you enjoy. Distractions from problems can include spending time with pets, shopping, watching a feel-good movie, or simply relaxing. A soothing sleep can be achieved on a pillow stuffed with fresh dry hay. Some experts even recommend placing valerian root under a regular pillow.
If you find yourself constantly rushing and suffering from a lack of time, it may be time to reassess your lifestyle and eliminate its stressful aspects. Often, the source of nervous breakdowns is unnecessary, endless busyness. To avoid dwelling on heavy thoughts, get used to asking for help. After all, there are those lucky individuals who don’t need to unwind because they don’t stress themselves out.