How to manage stress and deal with its consequences – the expert advises

In the modern world, where professional activity requires maximum return, and information noise does not subside for a minute, stress has become a familiar background of life. How to manage anxiety and deal with its consequences, the journalist sb.by told the hygienist of the Minsk regional center of hygiene, epidemiology and public health Elena Loiko.

She added:

- In general, anxiety is impossible to avoid, because any significant event, whether it is the birth of a child, admission to a university or buying a home, is already stressful. However, not every such condition is a threat - it is distress that requires conscious resistance, and lifestyle plays a key role here. Eustress, on the other hand, mobilizes the body, enhances its adaptive capacity and even helps to achieve goals. This, for example, anticipation of an important trip, holiday or wedding, speaking to an audience or defending a project when excitement helps to speak brighter. Or intense training in the gym.

The real danger lies in distress - a prolonged reaction to negative factors that destroys health, undermines immunity and leads to cardiovascular disease and burnout. We are talking, for example, about a toxic atmosphere at work, protracted conflicts in the family, the loss of a loved one or a difficult separation, financial problems. Also in this cohort - chronic lack of sleep (when a person sleeps for months for 4-5 hours a day), prolonged illness or constant physical pain, starvation or rigid, unbalanced diets.

Let's start with prevention - this is the foundation, without which all emergency techniques will be only temporary crutches. Daily physical activity is a basic necessity, Elena Loyko advises:

- Taking at least 8-10 thousand steps a day, giving 10-15 minutes of morning gymnastics, doing yoga or Pilates, and giving the body aerobic exercise of moderate intensity at least 150 minutes a week – all this reduces cortisol levels, strengthens the heart and improves mood. At the same time, it is not necessary to exhaust yourself in the gym: walking, swimming, cycling and just half-hour walks in the fresh air, especially in parks or outside the city, have a powerful health effect.

It is equally important to review your diet. Nutrition should be balanced, with an emphasis on plant foods: at least 400-500 grams of vegetables and fruits daily. Pay special attention to foods rich in magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins, but caffeine, sugar and alcohol are best minimized - they only provoke anxiety. Compliance with a drinking regime (one and a half to two liters of water per day) and regular meals help maintain a stable level of energy and avoid sudden mood swings.

- Quality rest is the foundation of productivity, Elena Loyko emphasizes. It is necessary to sleep 7-8 hours, and it is recommended to go to bed no later than 23:00. And so that work tasks do not turn into a source of chronic stress, it is worth mastering simple methods of time management: prioritizing and planning the day significantly reduce anxiety from lack of time. However, life should not be reduced to business and duties. Find time for hobbies – reading, music, creativity or socializing with loved ones. Such classes support a positive attitude and strengthen inner harmony. Social connections are critical for emotional health: the support of family and friends not only reduces stress levels, but also has a positive effect on immunity.

Do not forget about information detox, unsubscribe from sources that cause envy or fear, and an hour before bedtime, turn off all screens. Personal boundaries are also critical—learn to say no without feeling guilty, and divide your responsibilities: you don’t have to control everything around you, and admitting this fact immediately removes a huge layer of tension.

Get in the habit of mentally losing the day ahead every morning with options like “what’s going to go wrong and how I’m going to react,” which reduces the fear of surprise. In the evening, write down three pleasant things that happened during the day, so that the brain stops fixating on the negative. And, finally, do micropause every hour and a half - stand up, stretch, look into the distance, breathe several cycles with the so-called square breathing (inhalation, delay, exhalation, delay - four counts) - this reboots the nervous system and prevents tension from accumulating.

- Of course, it is necessary to abandon bad habits - alcohol, nicotine and drugs only suppress the body's defenses and increase stress, and even small steps to abandon them give a tangible result, Elena Loyko draws attention. Finally, in an era of overabundance of negative news, it is necessary to consciously limit the information flow: choose reliable sources, reduce time on social networks and arrange “information pauses” to give the brain a breather.

The expert is convinced that stress resistance is the result of daily conscious choices. The introduction of these simple rules in everyday practice will not only minimize the destructive effects of stress, but also significantly improve the quality of life in general.