Work is not always a boring commitment. If you managed to turn a hobby into a profession or are now doing what you dreamed of since childhood, it can be a lot of fun. However, even in the most beautiful of jobs it is rarely possible to avoid irritating factors: colleagues who imagine themselves to be the kings of the world, a boss with mood swings “every five minutes,” or depressingly yellow office walls that reek of Dostoevsky and a psychiatric hospital at the same time.
So that the work process does not turn you into a person who, and on weekends only dreams of being, you need to learn to relax. We’ll talk about how to do this without the help of food and alcohol right now.
Walk more
Instead of taking the bus or subway during rush hour, just walk. Moreover, choose a path where it will be as possible less people and how can more trees. Obviously, you won’t get home so quickly, but you will no longer be annoyed by people (who have already done this at work). Plus, and easy physical exercise(yes, walking is also a sport) will give you strength for Friday’s achievements.
Drink tea
You might be craving aromatic coffee right now, but trust us (and the experts) and opt for tea. It is better if it is one that contains enough antioxidants. According to research, the latter, in addition to fighting inflammation in the body, improves emotional regulation and reduce psychosocial stress. Worth a try.
Go swimming
Regular exercise works better than antidepressants. The main thing is to find a sport that will bring you genuine pleasure. Psychologists say that swimming is the most universal in this sense. Perhaps because unity with water is a return to the mother's womb on a deeply subconscious level. In addition, swimming allows you to keep your body in good shape and works out all muscle groups, despite the fact that during the lesson you hardly notice it.
Get a massage
Long-term stress means that the levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) in your body are higher than normal. One of the ways to combat the problem is muscle relaxation, including self-relaxation. Research shows that self-massage increases oxytocin and serotonin levels in the body, which in turn reduces blood pressure and noticeable. Not to mention the massage your loved one gives you.
Talk to loved ones
Often we don’t want to burden our family and friends with problems at work, and the logic of this behavior is understandable. But sometimes it is necessary to do this, since it is better to release emotions gradually, and not when you have reached the peak point and you can no longer hold on. will not help you get rid of the problem, on the contrary, it will give it additional weight in your thoughts. Remember this when, when asked how things are at work, you Once again answer: “I don’t want to tell.”
Create and get creative
Write poetry, draw pictures, knit scarves or compose music - any creativity, no matter what you choose, will be beneficial. Despite the fact that the coin has two sides ( creative people know that the process of creating anything can be extremely stressful), revealing your creative potential outside the office is mainly good for your mood. There are also scientific evidence that creativity effectively copes with symptoms of stress and reduces the likelihood of depression. We are sure that Creative skills Are you completely missing? Children's coloring books are also suitable.
Stop thinking
Do you give yourself a chance to relax? Think about this carefully before you answer. Many people, when in a stressful situation, plunge into a continuous cycle negative thinking, from which it turns out not very easy to get out. A large-scale study conducted at the Karolinska Institutet with , showed that the brain responds to chronic professional stress by changing the way you work. How to redirect it? Stop thinking negatively and at least sometimes allow yourself not to think about anything. At all.
Do the cleaning
Yes, at first glance this point. But just think: returning to a clean, cozy and joyful home is much more pleasant than returning to an apartment littered with garbage and dirty things. Psychology Today reports on a 2010 study that found that women who described their apartments as “cluttered” or “full of unfinished tasks” were more tired and depressed than those who described their homes as “calming.” and an “inspiring” place.
Contact a professional
If you feel the effects of stress not only emotionally but also physically, you may want to consider visiting a specialist. The fact is that it greatly influences a person’s life, his relationships with others, professional activity, physical and mental health. At the same time in the hands modern psychologists- a lot of techniques, where there is plenty to choose from. Tired of being tired all the time? , without thinking that now you are somehow “wrong.”
Leave your job
If you are convinced that the reason for your mood, condition and well-being is not work in general, but concrete work, then the solution is obvious. Go to the accounting department and write a letter of resignation. Surely you have been thinking about this for a long time, but something always prevented you from taking action. So, think again, perhaps discuss the situation with people you truly trust - and make an informed decision, which, quite possibly, will completely change your life very soon.
Our world is dynamic, and sometimes it changes too often. Stress becomes a common part of everyday life. It is so familiar that we stop noticing it. But to save your own peace of mind you need to give yourself the opportunity to relax and relieve tension. Below will be given effective ways that will help you do this. Many of them are quite ordinary, but some will seem a little unconventional to you. But use them, because you deserve a rest.
1. Keep moving
It will seem strange to you, but it works. Perhaps the only thing you want is to just lie down on the sofa and relax, but believe me, movement will energize you and give you good mood. Take a leisurely walk after a hard day at work and you will feel your fatigue go away.
2. Love tea
Especially green. It is rich in L-theanine, and this substance has been scientifically proven to help fight anger.
3. Use mental visualizations
This method helps you calm down. Just imagine yourself in your favorite place, such as the beach or a quiet cafe, and you will feel a sense of peace.
4. Turn to nature
The green color of leaves and grass is calming, in contrast to the similar shade of pixels on the screen.
5. Keep a diary
Well, or a blog, if this option suits you better. By throwing out your feelings and emotions on paper, you can analyze your actions and understand what to do next.
6. Don't run away from boredom
The next time you feel bored, don't go online to find a new movie or TV series. Think about real world, their immediate material environment. What would you like to change about it? Take action! As you can see, boredom can spark creativity.
7. Make time for your interests
Do you like cross stitch? So do it. Do you like to cook? So bake a pie. Spend time on activities that bring you joy.
8. Take a nap
Sometimes, to calm down, you just need to sleep for an hour during the day. And then you begin to look at all the problems and troubles differently, and they no longer seem so daunting.
9. Get off the Internet
This will help you focus on what is happening here and now. Yes, and with constantly pop-up notifications about messages in in social networks peace is unlikely to be achieved.
10. Meditate
This method of achieving harmony with oneself has been known for a long time. And it just works.
11. Do yoga
Yoga is the same meditation, but only supplemented with an important physical component. And it works too.
12. Clean up
Cleanliness and order around will bring harmony and peace to your inner world. It is hardly possible to achieve peace while in chaos.
13. Take a walk
A walk will give you a sunny mood, and at the same time stress will subside. Admire the city, the people around you and recharge yourself with positivity.
14. Read
Imagine an evening, a soft blanket, interesting book... Calms you down? Then make it a reality this evening. By the way, you have now used the visualization technique described in point 3. Are you convinced that it works?
15. Dance when no one can see you
Sounds stupid? It is so indeed. But dancing helps to cope with stress, not only mental, but also physical.
16. Talk to yourself
Before you doubt the adequacy of the author of the article, just try this. You can talk to your reflection in the mirror about yourself, about the people around you, and even about how your day went. When we verbalize our own experiences and thoughts, the way out difficult situations it becomes easier to find.
17. Hug your pet
This method will not suit you if only people living in your home aquarium fish. And for owners of cats and dogs, such hugs with their pets help them cope with stress. In addition, it reduces arterial pressure and calms.
18. Listen to music
You just have to like the melody. In this case, the emotions from listening to it will be extremely positive.
19. Chat with friends
Man is a social being. He can't be alone and still be happy. So invite your friends over and just chat.
20. Learn something new
Have you always wanted to learn how to shoot a bow or weave macrame? So why not do it today?
21. Say no
Helping people is okay. Moreover, it is noble and truly humane. But know how to refuse help if this altruism brings negative results primarily to you personally. And don't do anything that is beyond your strength.
22. Stretch!
Stretching will not only help relieve tension, but also gain flexibility. In addition, it has a beneficial effect on the health of the circulatory and lymphatic systems body.
23. Take a bubble bath
Warm water will help you relieve stress after a long day have a hard day. And the bubbles are soothing.
24. Buy a special ball
A simple small ball is an excellent exercise machine for the muscles of the hands. It also helps relieve stress.
25. Look out the window
This great way let go of worries and calm down in a short period of time for those who cannot get up and leave work right now.
Popcorn, warm blanket and good film- one of the best ways relax.
28. Eat chocolate
Scientists have proven that dark chocolate actually helps reduce stress levels. But remember to have a sense of proportion when relaxing in this sweet way.
29. Smile
Try to smile more often. Look for reasons for this in everything. Stress goes away if you look at the world with a smile.
30. Walk barefoot
You might be mistaken for a hippie. But this method really works, because by feeling the soil, grass or even warm asphalt on your skin, you strengthen your own unity with nature. And this is calming.
31. Sing to yourself
Channel your inner Beyoncé and sing along. This method is ideal when used with option 15 (“Dance when no one is watching”).
32. Treat yourself
It doesn’t matter what it is, a chocolate bar or a ticket to a concert of a famous rock band. Just allow yourself something that you really want for a long time.
33. Try aromatherapy
Some scents, such as jasmine or lavender, are soothing and romantic.
34. Find the reason
Knowing how to relax is very important. But sometimes you just need to find the cause of stress in order to cope with it. Do this, but remember: what escapes the gaze may actually be hiding in plain sight.
35. Chew gum
Yes Yes exactly. Chewing gum really helps cope with stress. Just put it in your mouth, what could be easier?
36. Find your relaxation mentor
This could be your colleague who endures all the difficulties of the work process and personal life, or another hero from an American film who remains calm no matter what happens around him.
37. Be spontaneous!
No, this does not mean at all that you should quit your job, home and go to live in Tibet right now. Just add a little surprise to something quite ordinary. For example, take a different route to work or go to a store on the other side of town for something tasty.
38. Forgive yourself
You are again tormented by the incomprehensible emotional stress? Let go of the situation, forgive others and yourself. By staying in the past, we become “missing” in the future.
39. Breathe
This is perhaps the easiest way. No matter where you are, you can always just take a few deep breaths. And this will definitely calm you down.
40. Remember: everything is fine
We all make mistakes. Whatever it is, everything changes, and usually for the better.
Turns out, mental activity cannot tire a person. Our brains can work just as actively and quickly at the end of an 8, 10, or even 12-hour workday. Our brain doesn't get tired at all...
But many will say: “At the end of the day I feel tired!”
How to relax Imagine yourself as an old sock
Research conducted by scientists in this area suggests that
“One hundred percent worker fatigue mental work caused by psychological factors or emotional factors."
And what are the factors that lead to a person feeling like a “squeezed lemon” or a car without a battery?
The main causes of fatigue during mental activities are anxiety, tension, and emotional discomfort. Even when it seems that the cause of fatigue is mental or physical labor, these three factors are the basis.
It is important to remember that a tense muscle cannot rest.
And we strain ourselves when we write articles, answer calls, balance sheets, at planning meetings, when discussing tasks with colleagues, with partners, when presenting products to clients.
Relax!
Take a break.
Now.
Pay attention to your condition.
Are the eyebrows drawn together during readings? Or are you frowning?
Is there tension in the eyes? In the facial muscles?
Do you feel the muscles of your neck and back becoming stiff?
With absence relaxation, in a state of “compressed spring” a person creates a nervous and muscle tension. So he forms in himself nervous tension and nervous fatigue.
For what reason do we ourselves cause these extra stresses during mental work?
It seems to me that this is laid down in childhood. When a child is taught to do something, they create in him the understanding that any action requires tension or nothing will work out.
That's why we knit our eyebrows, frown, strain our necks, and hunch over when we perform important work, we concentrate our attention. Subconsciously believing that these muscle efforts will lead to the desired result, will help the brain be more efficient.
But the opposite happens muscle clamps waste energy and cause fatigue. Or in short, our “fuel heats the street.”
How to stop heating the street? How to use energy for your own purposes?
How to avoid nervous fatigue?
The answer is obvious - and relax. Relax your muscles while doing intellectual work.
How to do it?
Change. This is not easy because we have been doing this all our previous lives. Now the habit of straining needs to be replaced with a new habit. Habit relax.
Relaxation starts with the muscles. Let's start with the eyes, they are the most stressed while reading. Sit back in your chair, close your eyes and mentally say, focusing on your eyes: “Rest calmly, rest calmly.” Repeat this for a minute. Each time your eyes will learn to relax faster and get rid of tension.
Do the same with the muscles of the face, neck, shoulders, limbs and the whole body.
An example that will help:
Acclaimed novelist Vicki Baum tells how, as a child, she met an old man who taught her one of life's most important lessons.
One day she fell, scraped her knees and bruised her wrists. The old man picked her up. He was once a clown in the circus, and, brushing off her dress, he said: “You suffered because you don’t know how to relax. Imagine that your body is as pliable as a sock, like an old crumpled sock. Come on, I’ll show you how it’s done.”
The old man showed Vicki Baum and the other children how to fall, do somersaults and somersaults. And all the time he repeated: “Imagine that you are an old crumpled sock. Then you will definitely relax!”
The good thing about the relaxation method is that you don’t have to wait for the work day to end when you get home to your own chair or sofa.
You can relax almost anywhere, anywhere: at work, at the cinema, in line, in a store, or like this: 
For example, at work in the middle of the day I already feel this need and devote a few minutes to relaxation. I feel like new.))
Relaxation- absence of any tension and effort. If it is still difficult to learn to relax a muscle, use the “paradoxical method” - mentally give the command to tense it very much and do it, and then relax: “Rest quietly.”
Think about pleasant things. Imagine that with each exhalation, tension, everything unnecessary and negative leaves your body, with each inhalation pure, fresh, healthy energy penetrates.
1. Relax whenever possible.
2.Work fruitfully and 100%, but at the same time take a comfortable position, relax the muscles that are not involved in the process.
3. Monitor your body's condition throughout the day. 5-6 times a day ask yourself questions: “Am I putting in too much physical effort while doing the work? Am I straining muscles that are not involved in my actions? This will help youpurchase new habit relax.
4. Summarize the day: “Am I tired today? If so, how much? If I’m tired, it’s not because of hard mental work, but because of the way it’s done.”
Relax, and life will become more pleasant, joyful and effective.
Today for you video Dance of the Soul.
If spontaneous muscle relaxation does not occur, a significant part of the residual stress can be removed using voluntary relaxation. There are several groups of relaxation techniques.
1. Relaxation “by contrast”
Why can't we relax? Without feeling the usual tensions, we cannot work with them. And even having felt it, they are often unable to sufficiently control their own muscles. The essence of the technique is to voluntarily tense the muscles and then relax them. In this way, we learn to purposefully relax the muscles, and at the same time develop a sense of the body.
Parts of the body relax one by one. It is better to start exercises with those muscle groups that we feel well: the hands and face.
You can work in any position, but it is better to start lying on your back.
Make a fist with your dominant hand as hard as you can. After a few seconds, relax, trying to “release” the tension as much as possible. Try to feel the muscles. Don't try too hard, let your body relax on its own. Squeeze and relax again, most likely the relaxation will deepen. Then - the second hand. On initial stage Focus on the sensations in your hands; as you master the exercise, apply tension and relaxation to your forearm, and then your shoulder.
We do the same with the facial muscles. First with the upper segment (muscles around the eyes), then with the lower (jaw). Let's move on to the neck.
We strain and relax our feet (when the exercise is mastered, engage the muscles of the calves and thighs), buttocks, abdominals, and back. Finally, run your mind's eye over your entire body, try to feel where the tension remains. They can be removed in the same way: strain very hard and “release” after a few seconds.
After completing the exercise, do not jump up immediately, this will general requirement to relaxation exercises. And try to rise using minimal effort. If you were lying down, turn on your side, tuck your leg under you, get on all fours, then on one knee, then on your feet. If you worked while sitting, lean forward, transferring your body weight to your legs and slowly get up. If necessary, lean on the armrests of the chair.
2. Relaxation through focusing on the muscles
We walk through the body with an “inner gaze”, trying to feel the muscles, temperature environment and the surface with which the limb is in contact, blood pulsation... in general, everything that can be felt in the body. Take your time, start, for example, with the same right hand and try to feel all parts of the hand from the fingertips to the armpit. Your task is not to try to relax, try to just feel.
3. Relaxation through distraction
More precisely, through focusing - but this time not on the muscles. And, for example, on breathing. Try to become aware of your own breathing. Or how your body contacts the support. Whether we lie or sit does not matter. We rarely feel the surface with which our body comes into contact; we are not used to paying attention to the touch of our own clothes. This is what we will focus on: the quality, degree of contact, temperature of what we are in contact with... Try to visit every point of contact! Watch what is happening and do not interfere with anything; if possible, try to enjoy the sensations! Most likely, after some time (don’t wait for this on purpose - we are distracting attention from tension!), muscle tension will begin to go away on its own.
4. Relaxation through movement
It’s not for nothing that we say: “relieve tension.” You can really “reset” it, “shake it off”. Let's start with the brushes. Bend your elbows and shake your hands. Don't invest great effort, just let the brushes dangle freely. Lowering your hands, spread the vibration higher, throughout your entire hand. Raise your shoulders towards your ears several times and simply release, allowing them to “fall” down. Relax your neck and allow your chin to fall toward your chest. Slowly roll your head in a circle: left, back, right and back. Do not pull your neck to the sides, but simply “release” the muscles. At the same time, note where tensions arise that limit neck mobility. In the future, it will be possible to relax and stretch these muscles purposefully.
Lean forward, backward, to the sides. The peculiarity is to bend over not by muscle effort, but by relaxing the antagonist muscles. Therefore, the bending is done slowly, without violence; monitor the holding tensions and try to “release” them.
Leaning your hand on the wall, make several relaxed swings of your leg: forward, backward, sideways. The leg moves freely, do not try to lift it higher. Your goal is not stretching, but relaxation!
Raise one leg and “release” the tension several times, as if shaking off water. Do the same with your hands.
Stand up straight and relax and turn left and right. The movement is performed by the muscles of the legs and pelvis, top part body is as relaxed as possible. The arms dangle freely from side to side, like ropes. The head turns slightly in time with the movements of the body, breathing is free. Allow your arms to “fly”, sweeping behind your back, and your body to twist freely.
After any relaxation exercise, take a short break. If you were sitting or lying down, stand up smoothly. Wait, walk around, trying to catch new sensations in your body. Try to maintain the feeling of relaxation for as long as possible. Individual elements of exercises aimed at relaxing one or another part of the body can be used as needed throughout the day to relax tired muscles. And gradually learn to relax in different situations.
The lying position is only a basic position, convenient for mastering the exercise, but of little use in everyday life. And you can perform the exercise while sitting both in transport and at work. The relaxation through movement complex can be performed during your lunch break.
The acquired skills simply need to be transferred to real life- only then will they turn out to be truly useful.