Get off the fast lane – stress, its consequences and possible solutions

Stress is always present in our everyday life. Due to the great pressure that comes from outside or that we put on ourselves, or certain life situations that keep putting us to the test. Healthy stress management is particularly important for our mental and physical health. Precisely because stress is part of all situations in life, good stress management can actually also be called life management.

When we are under stress, this triggers reactions in the body that can have a negative effect on long-term stress levels.

What happens in the body when there is stress?

The human body reacts physically to stress, regardless of whether it is external or internal. Palpitations and even sweats are direct physical responses that can be triggered by stress. But how is it all related?

We have a sympathetic nervous system and a parasympathetic nervous system that act as opponents. The sympathetic nervous system works intensively in stressful situations, the parasympathetic nervous system steps in and then ensures relaxation. With constant stress, the parasympathetic nervous system is blocked and the sympathetic gets out of balance. In order to restore order here, it is important to take targeted action with skillful stress management.

How do we react to stress?

Everyone reacts differently to stress, but it can be established that many people react to great stress or drastic experiences by withdrawing. Distraction is often the best way to escape stress. Contact is avoided here and an emotional retreat takes place. Instead, distractions such as alcohol or video games are becoming more and more common. A great danger arises here, because a coping strategy of this kind can lead to considerable problems up to addiction and does not offer an escape from the cycle that arises in this way. Repression strategies are also often the reaction to stress, especially in everyday professional life, blasphemies distract and cover up one’s own situation.

But the body also reacts to permanent stress or extreme stress. The spectrum of symptoms and illnesses is wide here. Some people suffer from insomnia or headaches, but the symptoms can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

This is precisely why timely and healthy stress management is so important and has an impact on life as a whole and, above all, on a positive life path that makes you happy and satisfied.

In order to maintain a healthy stress level in the long term, it is important to reduce the existing stressors and at the same time ensure that acute, current stressful situations are quickly brought under control. This is the only way to keep a good balance.

There are various strategies that can be used here. It is also important to distinguish between acute stress and chronic stress. In this way, the respective strategy can be perfectly adapted to the stressful situation.

Acute Stress Management Strategies

Numerous small strategies are suitable here to free yourself and reduce stress:

• getting enough sleep is extremely important
• Create rest for yourself
• nature and fresh air are important and offer freedom
• Stay active and don’t get caught up in the situation
• Asking for help and using it, handing over responsibility
• sticking to plans makes it easier to handle unforeseen situations
• Having a trusted person with whom you can speak is important
• Looking for like-minded people, people who have been in similar situations and who can support you here
• Isolation is not a solution. Staying socially active is important
• do not judge yourself negatively but rather
• create positive experiences and appreciate them
• Micronutrient support

Strategies for Coping with Chronic Stress:

The airport strategy, derived from the situations here, offers numerous tools to help you get out of these situations:

• Distance yourself from stress and take time out.
• Don’t lose yourself, take care of yourself with meditation or breathing techniques.
• Here it can be enough to close your eyes for a moment and relax.
• Staying active and moving, this stimulates the vagus nerve, helps balance the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system.
• Staying positive means doing things that make you happy and enjoying them. Go shopping, get a massage, or go out to eat.
• Get positive emotional support. Meet or give someone close to you a call. The conversation should last at least half an hour.

In order to lead a healthy lifestyle and maintain a healthy stress management, meditation and mindfulness-based training play an important role. Unfortunately not yet recognized in our society, but a holistic approach to a fulfilled and happy life. Two basic strategies are particularly important:

• Seek emotional support

Due to the isolation that our society is so easy with all passive media, the Internet and also video games, adaptation is inevitable. But emotional closeness cannot be replaced. Studies show that happy people have contact with loved ones at least once a day, whether in person or over the phone.

• Remove yourself from stressful situations

That is precisely what is difficult, but particularly important, because relaxation can only be ensured in the long term if acute or chronic stressful situations are eliminated. Quitting a job that makes you sick or ending a relationship that is not doing you makes sense. Getting off the hamster wheel is sometimes the best thing you can do.

Micronutrient support

Chronic stress and excessive exertion result in an increased need for micronutrients. Natural support from high-quality ginseng root extract, magnesium and B vitamins makes sense here. The mineral magnesium and the vitamins of the B complex are important components for the normal functioning of the nervous system.