A person's behavior is largely influenced by his emotions, and different emotions have different effects on behavior. There are so-called sthenic emotions, which increase the activity of all processes in the body, and asthenic emotions, which inhibit them. As a rule, positive emotions are sthenic: satisfaction (pleasure), joy, happiness, and asthenic are negative: displeasure, grief, sadness. Let's look at each type of emotion in more detail, including mood, affect, feeling, passion and stress, in their impact on human behavior.
Mood creates a certain tone of the body, i.e. its general mood (hence the name “mood”) for activity. The productivity and quality of work of a person in a good, optimistic mood is always higher than that of a person in a pessimistic mood. A person who is optimistic is always and outwardly more attractive to others than one who is constantly in a bad mood. People around you are more willing to communicate with a person who smiles kindly than with a person who has an unkind face.
Affects play a different role in people's lives. They are able to instantly mobilize the body’s energy and resources to solve a sudden problem or overcome an unexpected obstacle. This is the main vital role of affects. In an appropriate emotional state, a person sometimes does something that he is usually not capable of. A mother, saving a child, does not feel pain, does not think about the danger to her own life. She is in a state of passion. At such a moment, a lot of energy is spent, and very uneconomically, and therefore, in order to continue normal activities, the body definitely needs rest. Affects often play a negative role, making a person’s behavior uncontrollable and even dangerous to others.
Even more significant than that of moods and affects is the vital role of feelings. They characterize a person as an individual, are quite stable and have independent motivating power. Feelings determine a person’s attitude to the world around him, and they also become moral regulators of people’s actions and relationships. The upbringing of a person from a psychological point of view is, to a large extent, the process of forming his noble feelings, which include sympathy, kindness and others. A person’s feelings, unfortunately, can also be base, for example, feelings of envy, anger, hatred. A special class includes aesthetic feelings that determine a person’s attitude to the world of beauty. The richness and variety of human feelings is a good indicator of the level of his psychological development.
Passions and stress, unlike moods, affects and feelings, play a mainly negative role in life. Strong passion suppresses other feelings, needs and interests of a person, makes him one-sidedly limited in his aspirations, and stress generally has a destructive effect on psychology, behavior, and health. Over the past few decades, much convincing evidence of this has been obtained. The famous American practical psychologist D. Carnegie in his very popular book “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living” writes that according to modern medical statistics, more than half of all hospital beds are occupied by people suffering from emotional disorders, that three quarters of patients with cardiovascular, gastric and endocrine diseases could well cure themselves if they learned to manage their emotions.
Emotions accompany us from birth until death, but few people realize how important emotions are. What are emotions? Emotions are a person’s attitude towards various events occurring in his life. It should be noted that emotions have been studied very poorly by scientists. Therefore, the opinions of the authors regarding such a concept as human emotions differ greatly.
In order to understand what emotions are, it is necessary to draw a general conclusion based on all opinions. Emotions are a person’s reaction to current events. They have a great influence on human activity, and in most cases are responsible for his actions.
This means that thanks to emotions, a person is able to experience feelings such as fear, joy, anger, pleasure, hatred and others.
Emotions are not the cause of experiences. They only regulate human activity.
Emotions have accompanied humanity since ancient times. They have gone through a long period of evolution and have changed a lot since the beginning of life. At first, emotions could be called the primitive instincts of man, for example, movement and other actions inherent in man by nature. In the process of evolution, they developed, acquiring an emotional character and lost their instinctive character. Thus, instincts acquired individuality and allowed a person to evaluate the current situation, as well as take part in it at his own discretion.
The role of emotions in life
The role of emotions is very great. They are the basis of human existence. For example, thanks to various emotions, such as joy, hatred or fear, people are able to convey their feelings and experiences to each other. Emotional outbursts are usually accompanied by active gestures, changes in intonation or even skin color, for example, redness.
It is difficult to imagine a person without emotion. In some situations, people are able to restrain their impulses, but in most cases it is very difficult for them. A person who looks at life with an empty gaze ceases to see any interest in it and completely loses his further goal. Any actions do not bring him the desired satisfaction. An apathetic state can cause deep depression. However, often a person finds a way to return to his old life.
Emotions can be perceived as signals sent to a person by the body. For example, if a person’s emotions are positive, this means that he is happy with everything and is in harmony with the world around him. If a person shows negative emotions, then something is seriously bothering him.
Emotions have a significant impact on a person's life. A person’s perception of the world around them directly depends on them. A person who experiences positive emotions, such as joy and happiness, views the world and people around him in a positive way. And those suffering from difficult experiences and negative emotions evaluate the environment only in dark colors.
It is also worth noting that emotions have a strong influence on a person’s mental processes and performance. Being in a negative state, a person can almost never do hard work. His brain cannot concentrate on a specific task.
In some cases, the reasons for poor performance may depend on personal perception, for which emotions are responsible. If a person absolutely does not like the work he is forced to do, then in most cases he will not be able to complete the work quickly and efficiently.
Strong emotional impulses can lead to unexpected consequences. For example, being a person is capable of a terrible act, for which he will later not be able to answer if he is in a state of severe emotional shock. When in a state of passion, people often commit monstrous acts.
Classification
People can be very different from each other. They may live in different countries, be brought up according to different customs, but in most cases their emotions are similar. Animals have a unique ability to understand human emotions. For example, a cat or dog perfectly senses the owner’s mood. If a person is in a good mood, the animal will definitely approach him. Feeling the slightest sign of anger and aggression, the pet will try to stay away from the person.
Scientists cannot yet fully formulate a definition of this phenomenon. It is not clear exactly how animals feel hatred or joy coming from a person. However, almost every person can confirm this phenomenon.
Emotions are different and are divided into several types. They have the ability to quickly replace each other. A person can be depressed and suddenly regain vitality. An unusual surge of strength can also be replaced by apathy and a desire to hide from the world. Being sad and sorrowful, a person can suddenly become cheerful and joyful.
People have a hard time hiding their emotions. Often they are immediately reflected on a person’s face, and in order to avoid this, you need to have incredible control over yourself.
Trying to hide their true feelings, they can give themselves away with gestures, facial expressions, or even their voice.
In general, emotions can be divided into three main groups.
- Positive;
- Negative;
- Neutral;
Positive emotions include joy, laughter, happiness, pleasure, love, sympathy, admiration, bliss and others. They bring only positive feelings to a person and make his life much better.
Negative emotions usually include envy, anger, hatred, resentment, fear, disgust, regret and others. Such emotions drive a person into a depressed state and significantly worsen his life.
Neutral emotions include surprise, curiosity and indifference. Often such emotions do not carry any special subtext and are not of significant interest to a person.
Influence
As mentioned above, emotions have a great influence on a person’s life. Some people don't tend to give in to emotions. They experience them, but cannot fully feel them. Such people can be called dispassionate and cold. They are unable to correctly assess their own feelings.
Human emotions really have not only a moral, but also a physical impact on a person. For example, if a person experiences severe fear, he is unable to think or make sudden movements. The body of a person experiencing fear may become numb, and in some cases he wants to run away without looking back.
Being sad, a person is unable to take an active part in the life of society. He wants to quickly hide from the world around him, does not want to carry on a conversation and prefers loneliness.
Joy also changes a person's life. Positive emotions contribute to the production of the happiness hormone. A person feels an unexpected surge of strength, and readily begins new achievements.
Long-term stress can have a serious impact on human health. Negative emotions contribute to the deterioration of the cardiovascular system. Impaired heart function can lead to serious consequences. Continuous negative emotions have a detrimental effect on the human body.
It is also worth noting a separate group of human emotions. Affects are very strong human emotions. In such a state, a person can commit an unexpected, unusual act. In some cases it is hatred, fear or a desire to protect oneself.
Human feelings
A person's emotions and feelings are closely related to his personality. They indicate a person’s inner experiences, his desires and secret fears. Most people cannot fully express their emotions, they are afraid of it and try to hide their true feelings. In this case, you should seriously think about the reason for this behavior. People who are unable to express their feelings can face serious problems. In the future, they will not be able to correctly assess the life situation and cope with difficulties. Many people never find the strength to admit their true feelings and experiences.
If a person is absolutely healthy, he definitely experiences feelings and emotions. The world around him has a constant impact on him. Emotions and feelings are a direct response to such influences. Alexithymia is a disease in which a person is unable to experience feelings.
Such people really do not know what feelings and emotions are. Often their problems come from early childhood. This behavior is to blame for adults who failed to give children the attention they deserve. Alexithymics prefer to seek the meaning of life, develop as a person, and consider emotions a waste of time. They claim they don't feel anything. In reality, such people are simply unable to cope with their feelings. It is easier for them not to pay attention to them than to acknowledge their presence.
There is a type of people who are capable of consciously erasing emotions from life. They prefer not to feel anything and not burden themselves with unnecessary worries. Having experienced many life shocks, they come to the conclusion that feelings and emotions do not lead to good things. However, it should be remembered that living without emotions is very difficult. Such an existence will not bring joy to a person. It is important to understand that even negative emotions can teach a person a certain lesson in life. You shouldn’t turn off your emotions and become bitter against the whole world.
Emotions and spiritual interaction between people
Have you noticed that we feel and behave differently around other people? “The mood has changed,” we say. In fact, not only our mental mood changes, but also the physiology of our body, which instantly reacts to what is happening around us. People unconsciously perceive each other’s body language and facial expressions with all their senses. Empathy, imitation, copying are inherent in us at the genetic level. It is not in our power to control these abilities at will: to empathize or imitate only when we want it and as much as we need it. We, like communicating and overflowing vessels, transmit their moods, experiences, nervous relationships - to each other, “infecting and becoming infected.” Agree that feelings such as anger, fear, indignation are very contagious? Just like laughing and smiling.
The influence of emotions on health
Emotions (from lat. emoveo- shock, excite) are the subjective reactions of humans and higher animals to any external and internal stimuli. Emotions accompany all human life processes and can be caused by situations or events that exist only in our imagination.
In other words, this is a personal attitude, a person’s reaction to the events that happen to him. Today, scientists argue a lot about how harmful negative emotional manifestations are to people's health. And there is an opinion that in reasonable amounts, stress is even beneficial, as it helps the body stay in good shape, not become limp, and pushes it to action. However, prolonged exposure to strong emotions, both positive and negative, on the body causes stress and is fraught with health problems.
Humanity has long known that emotions have a direct impact on health. This is evidenced by popular sayings: “All diseases come from nerves”, “You can’t buy health - the mind gives it”, “Joy makes you young, grief makes you old”, “Rust eats iron, and sadness eats the heart.” Even in ancient times, doctors determined the connection between the soul (the emotional component) and the physical component - the human body. The ancients knew that everything that affects the brain equally affects the body.
However, already in the 17th century, during the time of Descartes, this was forgotten. And man was successfully “divided” into two components: mind and body. And diseases were defined as either purely physical or mental, which were treated in completely different ways.
Only now have we begun to look at human nature, as Hippocrates once did - in its integrity, that is, realizing that it is impossible to separate soul and body. Modern medicine has accumulated enough data that confirms that the nature of most diseases is psychosomatic, that the health of the body and spirit are interconnected and interdependent. Scientists from various countries studying the influence of emotions on human health have come to very interesting conclusions. Thus, the famous English neurophysiologist Charles Sherrington, Nobel Prize laureate, established the following pattern: emotional experience occurs first, followed by vegetative and somatic changes in the body.
German scientists have established a connection between each individual human organ and a certain part of the brain through nerve pathways. American scientists are developing a theory for diagnosing diseases based on a person’s mood and express the possibility of preventing a disease before its development begins. This is facilitated by preventive therapy to improve mood and accumulate positive emotions.
It is important to understand here that it is not a one-time upset that provokes a somatic illness, but long-term negative experiences caused by stress. It is these experiences that weaken the immune system and make us defenseless. A chronic feeling of causeless anxiety, depressive states and depressed mood are good soil for the development of many diseases. Such negative mental manifestations include anger, envy, fear, despondency, panic, anger, irritability, that is, emotions that you should try to avoid. Even Orthodoxy classifies emotions such as anger, envy and despondency as mortal sins, and not by chance. After all, every such mood can lead to serious diseases of the body with a very sad outcome.
The meaning of emotions in Eastern medicine
Eastern medicine also claims that mood and certain emotions can cause diseases of certain organs. According to representatives of Eastern medicine, physical health and emotions are quite closely related. Our feelings, both bad and good, significantly affect our body.
Moreover, representatives of Eastern medicine find a connection between emotions and various organs.
For example, kidney problems can be caused by feelings of fear, weak will and lack of self-confidence. Since the kidneys are responsible for growth and development, their proper functioning is especially important in childhood. Chinese medicine calls for instilling courage and self-confidence in children. Such a child will always correspond to his age.
The main respiratory organ is the lungs. Abnormalities in lung function can be caused by sadness and sadness. Respiratory dysfunction, in turn, can cause many concomitant diseases. Treatment of atopic dermatitis in adults, from the point of view of Eastern medicine, should begin with an examination of all organs, including the lungs.
Lack of vitality and enthusiasm can negatively affect the functioning of the heart. Also, for good functioning of the main organ, following Chinese medicine, poor sleep, depression and despair are contraindicated. The heart regulates the function of blood vessels. His work can be easily determined by the color of his face and tongue. Arrhythmia and rapid heartbeat are the main symptoms of cardiac dysfunction. This, in turn, can lead to mental disorders and long-term memory disorders.
Irritation, anger and resentment affect the functioning of the liver. The consequences of liver imbalance can be very severe. These are breast cancer in women, headaches and dizziness.
Chinese medicine encourages you to experience only positive emotions. This is the only way to maintain good health for many years. However, it is unlikely that a modern person will be able to get rid of negative emotions, as if by magic. Do we have a way out of this situation?
First of all, we should remember that we need emotions, since the internal environment of the body must exchange energy with the external environment. And such an energy exchange will not cause harm if natural emotional programs inherent in nature are involved in it: sadness or joy, surprise or disgust, a feeling of shame or anger, interest, laughter, crying, anger, etc. The main thing is that there are emotionsa reaction to what is happening, and not the result of “twisting” oneself, so that they manifest themselves naturally, without anyone’s coercion, and are not exaggerated.
Natural emotional reactions should not be restrained; it is only important to learn how to express them correctly. Moreover, you should learn to respect the expression of emotions by other people and perceive them adequately. And under no circumstances should you suppress emotions, no matter what color they may be.
Ayurveda on suppressing emotions
Suppressed emotions do not dissolve in the body without a trace, but form toxins in it, which accumulate in the tissues, poisoning the body. What are these emotions, and what is their effect on the human body? Let's take a closer look.
Suppressed anger - completely changes the flora in the gall bladder, bile duct, small intestine, worsens pitta dosha, causes inflammation of the surface of the mucous membrane of the stomach and small intestine.
Fear and anxiety - change the flora in the colon. As a result, the stomach becomes distended with gas, which accumulates in the folds of the colon, causing pain. Often this pain is mistakenly attributed to heart or liver problems.
Suppressed emotions cause imbalancetridoshas , which in turn affects agni, which is responsible for immunityin organism. A reaction to such a violation may be the occurrence of an allergy to such completely harmless phenomena as pollen, dust and flower smell.
Suppressed fear will cause violationsassociated with products that increasevata dosha. Suppression of emotionspitta dosha(anger and hatred) may cause hypersensitivity to foods that aggravate pitta in people with a pitta constitution from birth. Such a person will be sensitive to hot and spicy foods.
People with a kapha constitution who are suppressive emotions kapha dosha(attachment, greed), will have an allergic reaction to kapha food, i.e. will be sensitive to foods that aggravate kapha (dairy products). This may result in constipation and wheezing in the lungs.
Sometimes the imbalance that gives rise to a disease process may first arise in the body, and then manifest itself in the mind and consciousness - and, as a result, lead to a certain emotional background. Thus the circle is closed. The imbalance that appears first on the physical level later affects the mind through disturbances in the tridosha. As we showed above, Vata disorder provokes fear, depression and nervousness. Excess pitta in the body will cause anger, hatred and jealousy. Worsening kapha will create an exaggerated sense of possessiveness, pride and affection. Thus, there is a direct relationship between diet, habits, environment and emotional disturbances. These disorders can also be judged by indirect signs that appear in the body in the form of muscle tension.
How to detect the problem
The physical expression of emotional stress and emotional toxins accumulated in the body are muscle tension, the causes of which can be both strong feelings and excessive strictness of upbringing, ill will of employees, lack of self-confidence, the presence of complexes, etc. If a person has not learned to get rid of negative emotions and is constantly tormented by some difficult experiences, then sooner or later they manifest themselves in muscle tension in the facial area (forehead, eyes, mouth, back of the head), neck, chest area (shoulders and arms), lumbar, as well as in the pelvis and lower extremities.
If such conditions are temporary and you manage to get rid of the negative emotions that provoke them, then there is no reason to worry. However, chronic muscle tightness, in turn, can lead to the development of various somatic diseases.
Let's consider some emotional states that, being in a chronic form, can cause certain diseases.
Depression - sluggish mood, independent of circumstances, for a long time. This emotion can cause quite serious throat problems, namely frequent sore throats and even loss of voice.
Self-criticism - feeling guilty about everything you do. The result can be chronic headaches.
Irritation - a feeling when literally everything irritates you. In this case, do not be surprised by frequent attacks of nausea, for which medications do not help.
Resentment - feeling humiliated and insulted. Be prepared for gastrointestinal disorders, chronic gastritis, ulcers, constipation and diarrhea.
Anger - causes a surge of energy that rapidly increases and suddenly splashes out. An angry person is easily upset by failures and is unable to control his feelings. His behavior is incorrect and impulsive. As a result, the liver suffers.
Excessive joy - dissipates energy, it is dispersed and lost. When the main thing in a person’s life is to receive pleasure, he is unable to retain energy and is always looking for satisfaction and increasingly stronger stimulation. As a result, such a person is prone to uncontrollable anxiety, insomnia and despair. In this case, the heart is often affected.
Sadness - stops the energy. A person who is lost in the experience of sadness is disconnected from the world, his feelings dry up, and his motivation fades. Protecting himself from the joys of attachment and the pain of loss, he arranges his life in such a way as to avoid risk and the vagaries of passion, becoming inaccessible to true intimacy. Such people have asthma, constipation and frigidity.
Fear
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reveals itself when survival is in question. From fear, energy drops, a person turns to stone and loses control over himself. In the life of a person overwhelmed by fear, the expectation of danger prevails, he becomes suspicious, withdraws from the world and prefers loneliness. He is critical, cynical, confident in the hostility of the world.
Isolation can cut him off from life, making him cold, hard and unspiritual. In the body this manifests itself as arthritis, deafness and senile dementia.
Thus , along with dietary and lifestyle corrections selected by an Ayurvedic doctor in accordance with your constitutional type, It is very important to learn to manage your emotions and take control of them.
How to work with emotions?
To this question, Ayurveda advises that emotions should be observed with detachment, with full awareness watching them unfold, comprehending their nature, and then allowing them to dissipate. When emotions are suppressed, it can cause disturbances in the mind and ultimately , in body functions.
Here are some tips that, if followed consistently, will help you improve your emotional situation.
A proven method, but one that requires constant effort from you, is to be kind to others. Try to think positively and treat others kindly, so that a positive emotional attitude will help improve your health.
Practice so-called spiritual gymnastics. In ordinary life, we perform it every day, scrolling through the usual thoughts in our heads, empathizing with everything around us - the sounds from the TV,tape recorder, radio, beautiful views of nature, etc. However, you need to do this purposefully, understanding which experiences are harmful to your emotional health and which ones help maintain the desired emotional background.Correct spiritual gymnastics causes corresponding physiological changes in the body. By remembering this or that event in our life, we evoke and consolidate in the body the physiology and neural connections corresponding to that event.If the recalled event was joyful and accompanied by pleasant sensations, this is beneficial. And if we turn to unpleasant memories and re-experience negative emotions, then the stress reaction is consolidated in the body on the physical and spiritual planes. Therefore, it is very important to learn to recognize and practice positive reactions.
An effective way to “remove” stress from the body is proper (not excessive) physical activity, which requires fairly high energy costs, for example, swimming, working out in the gym, running, etc. Yoga, meditation and breathing exercises are very helpful in returning to normal.
A way to get rid of mental anxiety as a consequence of stress is a confidential conversation with a loved one (good friend, relative).
Create the right thought forms. First of all, go to the mirror and look at yourself. Pay attention to the corners of your lips. Where are they directed: down or up? If the lip pattern has a downward slant, it means that something is constantly bothering you and making you sad. You have a very developed sense of escalating the situation. As soon as the unpleasant event happened, you already painted a terrible picture for yourself.This is wrong and even dangerous to health. You simply must pull yourself together right here and now, looking in the mirror. Tell yourself it's over! From now on - only positive emotions. Any situation is a test of Fate for endurance, health, and life extension. There are no hopeless situations - this must always be remembered. No wonder people say that time is our best healer, that the morning is wiser than the evening. Don’t make hasty decisions, let the situation go for a while, and the solution will come, and with it a good mood and positive emotions.
Wake up every day with a smile, listen to good pleasant music more often, communicate only with cheerful people who add a good mood and do not take away your energy.
Thus, each person himself is responsible for both the diseases from which he suffers and for recovery from them. Remember that our health, like emotions and thoughts, is in our hands.
Ragozin Boris Vladimirovich, inAyurveda doctor
Loneliness or difficult family relationships negatively affect a person’s emotional state and health. Neuroses, depression and psychosomatic diseases develop, and suicide attempts are possible.
Children are especially dependent on family relationships. Normal mental and physical health depends on how much children are loved and cared for and provided with everything they need.
The well-being of a child largely depends on the love and mutual respect between parents. Quarrels of older members, violence in the family form a chronic psychotraumatic situation in the child, which is manifested by neurological diseases and developmental disorders (enuresis, stuttering, nervous tics, hyperactivity, decreased academic performance), as well as a significant decrease in immunity, frequent viral and bacterial diseases.
How effective are meditation and psychotraining in overcoming stress?
Psychotraining or psychotherapeutic training– a short course of training, the exercises of which are aimed at changes in consciousness. Psychotraining gives a person skills that allow him to meet people, build relationships, communicate, resolve conflicts constructively, develop as a person, manage emotions, and think positively. Helps get rid of alcohol, sexual, nicotine addiction. Depending on the number of people in the group, psychotraining can be individual or group.
The essence of the method: A training psychologist selects exercises that simulate a situation that worries a person. These may not be direct analogies, but situations that evoke associations with the problem, presenting it in a comic form. Next, the person is asked to play out the situation - how, in his opinion, he should behave in this case. Then the psychologist analyzes the client’s behavior and points out victories and mistakes. Ideally, psychotraining should be complemented by psychological counseling and psychotherapy.
In practice, a small percentage of people turn to a psychologist and psychotherapist. Therefore, it is necessary to master various self-help techniques and use them as needed.
1. Autotraining(autogenic training) – increases the ability to self-regulate emotions. It includes sequential exercises:
- Breathing exercises– deep, slow breathing with pauses after inhalation and exhalation.
- Muscle relaxation– you need to feel the tension of the muscles as you inhale and sharply relax them as you exhale;
- Creating Positive Mental Images– imagine yourself in a safe place - on the seashore, at the edge of the forest. Imagine an image of the “Ideal Self”, possessing all the qualities that you would like to have;
- Self-hypnosis in the form of self-orders- “Calm down!”, “Relax!”, “Don’t give in to provocation!”;
- Self-programming– “Today I will be happy!”, “I am healthy!”, “I am confident in myself!”, “I am beautiful and successful!”, “I am relaxed and calm!”.
- Self-encouragement- “I’m great!”, “I’m the best!”, “I’m doing great!”.
The result of autotraining is the activation of the parasympathetic part of the autonomic nervous system and the weakening of excitation in the limbic system of the brain. Negative emotions are weakened or blocked, a positive attitude appears, and self-esteem increases.
Contraindications to the use of psychotraining: acute psychosis, disturbances of consciousness, hysteria.
- Meditation- an effective technique that allows you to develop concentration by focusing on one subject: breathing, mental images, heartbeat, muscle sensations. During meditation, a person completely disconnects from the outside world, immerses himself so much that the surrounding reality with its problems seems to cease to exist. Its components are breathing exercises and muscle relaxation.
By practicing meditative techniques, it is possible to reduce the level of excitation in the limbic system and the cerebral cortex. This is manifested by the absence of emotions and unwanted, intrusive thoughts. Meditation changes your attitude towards the problem that caused stress, makes it less significant, and helps you intuitively find a way out of the current situation or accept it.
Meditation technique:
- Comfortable position– the back is straight, you can sit in the lotus position or on a chair in the coachman position. Helps relax muscle blocks and ease tension in the body.
- Slow diaphragmatic breathing. As you inhale, the stomach inflates, and as you exhale, it retracts. Inhalation is shorter than exhalation. After inhaling and exhaling, hold your breath for 2-4 seconds.
- Focusing on one object. This could be a candle flame, a heartbeat, sensations in the body, a luminous point, etc.
- Feeling of warmth and relaxation, which extends to the entire body. With it comes peace and self-confidence.
Attention! Excessive and uncontrolled meditation can be dangerous for a person with an unstable psyche. He is transferred to the realm of fantasy, becomes withdrawn, intolerant of his own and others’ shortcomings. Meditation is contraindicated for people with delirium, hysteria, and disturbances of consciousness.
What are psychosomatic diseases?
Psychosomatic diseases are disorders in the functioning of organs caused by mental and emotional factors. These are diseases associated with negative emotions (anxiety, fear, anger, sadness) and stress.Most often, the cardiovascular, digestive and endocrine systems become victims of stress.
Mechanism of development of psychosomatic diseases:
- Strong experiences activate the endocrine system, disrupting hormonal balance;
- The work of the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for the functioning of internal organs, is disrupted;
- The functioning of blood vessels is disrupted and the blood circulation of these organs deteriorates;
- Deterioration of nervous regulation, lack of oxygen and nutrients leads to dysfunction of the organ;
- Repetition of such situations causes illness.
There is a theory that each disease is based on a separate negative emotion. For example, bronchial asthma occurs due to grievances, diabetes mellitus due to anxiety and restlessness, etc. And the more persistently a person suppresses an emotion, the higher the likelihood of developing the disease. This hypothesis is based on the property of various emotions to provoke muscle blocks and vascular spasms in various parts of the body.
The main method of treating psychosomatic diseases is psychotherapy, hypnosis, and the prescription of tranquilizers and sedatives. At the same time, the symptoms of the disease are treated.
How to eat properly when stressed?
You can reduce the risk of developing diseases during stress with proper nutrition. Be sure to consume:- Protein products - to strengthen the immune system;
- Sources of vitamin B – to protect the nervous system;
- Carbohydrates – to improve brain functioning;
- Products containing magnesium and serotonin - to combat stress.
B vitamins found in green vegetables, different types of cabbage and lettuce, beans and spinach, nuts, dairy and seafood. They improve mood and increase resistance to stress.
Carbohydrates necessary to cover increased energy expenditure caused by stress. The brain especially needs carbohydrates. In this regard, under nervous stress, the craving for sweets increases. A little dark chocolate, honey, marshmallows or kozinaki will urgently replenish glucose reserves, but it is advisable to cover the need for carbohydrates with complex carbohydrates - cereals and grains.
Magnesium provides protection against stress, improves the transmission of nerve signals and increases the performance of the nervous system. Sources of magnesium are cocoa, wheat bran, buckwheat, soy, almonds and cashew nuts, chicken eggs, spinach.
Serotonin or the happiness hormone improves your mood. For its synthesis in the body, an amino acid is needed - tryptophan, which is abundant in fatty fish, nuts, oatmeal, bananas and cheese.
Herbal medicine for stress
To improve the functioning of the nervous system during periods of high stress, infusions of medicinal herbs are recommended. Some of them have a calming effect and are recommended for nervous agitation. Others increase the tone of the nervous system and are prescribed for depression, apathy and asthenia.Conclusion: Repetitive stress and negative emotions worsen health. By displacing negative emotions and ignoring them, a person aggravates the situation and creates the ground for the development of diseases. Therefore, it is necessary to express your emotions, constructively solve problems that cause stress, and take measures to reduce emotional stress.