In recent days, the epidemic has been on the rise and negative news related to the epidemic has emerged one after another:
- Some people are angry and harsh because the medical staff supported by other provinces are unfamiliar with the situation and the nucleic acid is delayed;
- Some people get up at 6 o'clock in the morning to grab vegetables, but they are notified at the moment of payment and their emotions are broken;
- A woman gives 200 yuan to the errand delivery guy, but is attacked by many Internet trolls and "reward too little" and is suspected It's like jumping off a building and committing suicide...
As the epidemic goes on, even if I am not a confirmed case or a close contact, I just stay at home safely, and it seems that I have become "not like myself"...
Understanding chronic stress
For more than two years, the new crown epidemic has deeply affected and changed our lives, and also has changed our psychological state and adaptation strategies. We seem to be accustomed to wearing masks when we go out, try to keep a distance of one meter from others in public places, actively get vaccinated, and consciously do nucleic acids - all kinds of "restricted" and "inconvenient", we seem to be able to accept it calmly.
Postgraduate entrance examination candidates participated in the online re-examination in the temporary cabin and were admitted/People's Daily
, but a lot of unaware pressure has accumulated, spread and grown in our hearts. I am uncertain when the epidemic will be counterattacked, and it is possible that one day I will face closed quarantine. In addition, since the outbreak of the epidemic, many people's work, career, life, and study have been affected to varying degrees. Everyone is facing pressures such as reduced income, financial crisis, interpersonal tension, concerns about stability, confusion about the future, etc.
This is a long-term mental and physical stress state formed by due to needs, oppression and life worries. Psychology calls it "chronic stress" (chronicstress).
Chronic stress will not cause severe symptoms at once, but it will cause many adverse effects on our physical and mental health.
First of all, psychologically, it will cause tension and anxiety, irritability, sensitivity and irritability, and insomnia. At the same time, it will cause psychological problems such as depression, depression, decreased attention, and loss of vitality.
Secondly, it is easy to physiologically lead to increased secretion of three stress hormones, namely norepinephrine, adrenaline, and cortisol, causing the heart rate of to accelerate, blood sugar and blood pressure to increase, and immunity to reduce , making it easier for diseases such as hypertension, gastrointestinal disorders, obesity, chronic ulcers, tumors, etc.
In addition to taking good physical protection, psychological adjustment is indispensable.
So how should we understand "chronic stress", relieve psychological stress, and preserve sufficient psychological energy to deal with real problems? The following suggestions are helpful.
01 Learn to coexist with stress and not escape
When our brain is in a state of alertness and anxiety, it is also the time when negative thoughts are most frequently generated.
If we keep focusing on all kinds of bad results, it will only make us more anxious and feel that everything is not going well, and the whole person is in a state of anxiety and disorder. In this state, people cannot think carefully, make correct decisions, and do things without being efficient. The final result is often "What are you afraid of in and ", forming a vicious cycle.
We need to clarify a fact: Changes and stress are inevitable parts of our lives . No matter who it is, you will encounter one or another pressure in your life. This is something everyone needs to face, we have nowhere to escape.
Of course, we humans have the nature of "seeking profit and avoiding harm", and many people also lack successful experience in dealing with stress. I believe many people have experienced avoiding trouble by escaping, such as trying to numb themselves by diverting their attention by shopping, drinking to drown their sorrows, etc., but they found that the problem will not disappear automatically, and it may only increase exponentially like a snowball, becoming more and more difficult.
So, we must first learn to view and deal with stress correctly, and do not blindly reject and escape.Stress has a positive side and a negative side; many times, the problem may be serious, but it is not as terrible as we imagined. It is just that under the influence of negative emotions and negative cognition, we personally subjectively put it bigger.
Sea people's hydroponic vegetables ©weibo Yuzi smoked
For example, when some people cannot order takeout due to home isolation and sigh every day, some people are happy in pain, and they produce bean sprouts, plant onions in flower pots, and cook by themselves. While enriching their home life, they also solve the problem of eating to a certain extent.
02 Feel the body and the surrounding environment
If you have been anxious and insomnia for a while recently, and feel that many things are messy and make you anxious, open the phone and feel that the world is about to end, put down the phone and feel that you are almost finished - please put down the phone, take off your headphones, and take a moment to think about how long has it been since you seriously felt your body and surrounding environment?
Many people do not have the concept of " body needs to relax " and have been overusing their own body. As we all know, fatigue driving may lead to car accidents and require regular rest. In fact, no matter what activities we engage in, our bodies need to relax and rest in time. In our value ranking, "physical and mental health" must be ranked first. The so-called "body is the capital of revolution". Without a healthy body, what conditions do you have to realize your dreams and pursuits?
With this concept, I hope you can learn to feel your body and the surrounding environment from now on, following the guide. From the "brain thinking mode" to the "body feeling mode", the storm in the mind gradually subsided, and the body can slowly relax.
Learn to feel the changes and experience of the body in different postures such as sitting, lying, walking, etc., and feel in different environments. Learn to open up all sensory organs such as vision, hearing, taste, smell, touch, etc., and deeply connect with the outside world.
03 Mindfulness Meditation
This is a reinforcement exercise and practice method to relax the body and mind. There are no basic requirements, and everyone can apply what they have learned. We recommend that you use mindfulness and mindfulness and body scanning to help yourself relax.
In a relaxed state, the stress hormones in the body will gradually stop secreting. As the cortisol level drops, our heart rate and blood pressure will gradually decrease, and the body will return to calm from the tense state of "fighting and fleeing".
04 Enjoy flow , do one thing every day
Do something you are interested in and willing to devote yourself to focus and enthusiasm, such as painting, singing, reciting, making food, shooting videos, etc.
The process of focusing, dedication and enjoying it can bring you into a state of "flow". An immersive experience brings physical pleasure, stimulates your creativity and reduces stress levels.
Take some time every day to expand your interests and hobbies, so that you can gain more self-affirmation and a sense of accomplishment.
05 strive for more social support
In the Internet era, even if we don’t leave our home, we can establish communication with the outside world. I hope that when you face pressure, you will not explode like a hedgehog, block, cut off links with the outside world, and resist alone.
Now, the development of the network has made it convenient for each other to connect. We can find videos of relatives and friends in , take fitness classes with live broadcasts, interact with thousands of netizens through barrage, share and communicate with various people with the same experience through online meeting software, and call the psychological assistance hotline if necessary, or ask professional psychiatrists, psychological counselors and therapists for help.
A report from a few days ago may give us some inspiration -
A middle-level manager of an Internet company suddenly received a notice of being laid off by the company. His wife just gave birth to her second child. She has been taking care of her children at home for several years and has not gone to work. The whole family relies on his own salary to support her.This sudden unemployment made him feel overwhelmed. He pretends to go to work every day and pretends to be normal in front of his wife and children, but in fact he is on the verge of collapse in his heart.
A week later, my wife discovered the clue and asked him directly: Are you unemployed? Please tell me truthfully that I cannot let you resist this pressure alone. Looking into his wife's eyes, the husband had to tell the truth.
Then the couple discussed frankly all night. Finally, the husband decided to follow his wife's advice: sell the house in Beijing, go back to their hometown Chengdu, and then buy a house from Chengdu; there is probably a surplus, so that they will have some savings; parents can help take care of their children when they return to their hometown, and both husband and wife can go to work, which can better protect the family's income.
Perhaps many people think that this is the "second best" choice, but for this family, it is the best choice to solve the current stress difficulties. The wife's support and understanding avoided a tragedy of her husband's desperate suicide due to unemployment.
No matter when, don’t forget that we still have family, friends, teachers, classmates, and even neighbors, police, country, and strangers.
Under the "black swan" of the epidemic, pressure coexists with us all the time. I hope we can look at it with a reasonable attitude and deal with it in a scientific way.
People under pressure need more care, tolerance and support. I hope we can care for ourselves and others, and express our kindness, tolerance, enthusiasm and concern.
Life carrying a burden still has beauty and hope.
