How to overcome stress in 96 seconds

Stress: we all have situations when circumstances force us to panic. And while the reasons for panic are different for everyone (someone is afraid of public speaking, someone is shaking on an airplane, someone starts to panic from the news they receive, etc.), physiologically we all react the same way: adrenaline is released, blood pressure jumps, heartbeat increases sharply, palms sweat…

What is the physiology of stress?

These reactions are caused by the activity of our autonomic nervous system, which we are able to control consciously.

Experts explain that in the process of evolution, this reaction of the body allowed us to survive: the release of adrenaline helped to use all the body’s resources in a situation when something threatened life.

Sweaty palms or red spots that appear on the skin are not so scary, what is much more unpleasant is that in a state of stress we act not entirely adequately and do not fully realize our potential.

Most of the stressful situations we deal with today are not life-threatening, but our bodies still react to them in the way they were designed to do hundreds of thousands of years ago.

We also cannot order our body to immediately stop getting spots or slow down our rapid heartbeat (at least most ordinary people are unable to control these processes), the only thing we can do is try to calm ourselves down so that our body returns to normal.

How to overcome stress: the 4-7-8 breathing technique

Unfortunately, calming yourself down is not easy: stress prevents you from thinking rationally, and attempts to force yourself to calm down often only make things worse – panic from circumstances is compounded by the stress of not only not being in control of the situation, but also of yourself.

The fact is, psychologists and doctors explain, that logical arguments do not affect the autonomic system; it does not understand words.

There are not many ways to bring it from the phase of active sympathetic system activity (part of the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for mobilizing all the body’s resources during stress) to the phase of activation of the parasympathetic system (part of the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for restoring resources).

One of these methods is deep, measured breathing.

There are many deep breathing techniques, you can just take a paper bag and take a few breaths in and out, it will help.

Another effective technique is “4-7-8 breathing” — it is most often used by psychologists who work with disaster victims. When it is necessary to quickly bring a person out of a state of panic, a specialist asks him to perform 4 breathing cycles according to this technique — the patient comes to his senses and becomes able to perceive information and act adequately.

This technique is also convenient because, unlike a paper bag, it can be used anywhere and at any time: after stressful negotiations, a minute before a public speech, on an airplane, etc.

All you need to regain control of yourself is 96 seconds and a simple sequence of actions:

– Straighten up

— press your tongue to the roof of your mouth and hold it there during the breathing cycle

– On the count of 1-2-3-4, slowly inhale through your nose – on the count of 5-6-7, hold your breath

– on the count of 8, exhale through your mouth (if circumstances allow, you can do it with a slight hissing sound)

– repeat three more times (the entire cycle consists of four breaths)

Does this really work?

In addition to spiritual practices that have used breath control for millennia, there is a lot of scientific evidence of the effectiveness of consistent deep breathing: researchers have recorded a slowing of the pulse, a decrease in blood pressure, and even a slight increase in temperature (a result of improved blood circulation).

How to overcome stress: with insomnia

By the way, this technique not only helps to quickly overcome stress, but also works as a means of combating insomnia – it is the parasympathetic nervous system, which is activated by breathing practices, that is responsible for relaxation and falling asleep.

So you can practice breathing 4-7-8 every night before going to bed so that you don’t get confused in a stressful situation and quickly get back to normal.

Follow the link and you will find out:

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