The pace of life of a modern person leads to a significant increase in the physical, mental, emotional load on a person due to everyday problems, interpersonal relationships, the content of the professional activity, information overload. All areas require a high degree of concentration and a large amount of time, so the life of a modern person is inseparably linked with stress. Various techniques are currently available to help manage stress, in Julia’s case several practices will be relevant to help improve the situation.
In a case study, which refers to a 42-year-old woman with headaches and sleep problems, chronic stress can be diagnosed. There are enough factors in Julia’s life that influenced her health. According to research, stress has three stages: anxiety, resistance, and exhaustion. In the analyzed case, the person does not have strength and energy since the resources have come to an end. The drop in immunity, and the consequence, viral diseases, are evidence that the body is exhausted and unable to defend itself against pathogenic microbes. In terms of physical, emotional, and behavioral signs, Julia is experiencing severe stress, which requires the help of specialists and the introduction of various techniques that contribute to the normalization of all aspects of life.
Coping with stress can be difficult, but possible to get out of a stressful state on your own. “Each person has the ability to self-regulate,” the human being can independently influence the processes that occur with him (Stächele, 2020, p. 213). That is, one can learn to manage emotional reactions in a stressful situation. It is effective to use exercises with deep breathing, exercises for progressive muscle relaxation, and exercises for changing unrealistic beliefs.
Concentration, self-control, conscious choice of actions, and cognitive reappraisal are indispensable helpers in dealing with stress. The meditation will help Julia train and develop the necessary qualities, and in the future will teach her to tame negative emotions, for example, in everyday situations with her husband and children. During meditation, one needs to focus on a specific object and not allow any extraneous thoughts. By practicing this technique, gradually, the desired effect will be achieved, and it will become much easier to keep track of emotional outbursts, which are observed in behavior as a result of prolonged stress.
However, an effective way of coping with stress is introducing physical activity into life. Nothing can be better and more useful for the body than movement, especially in a world where people mostly have sedentary work. It can be light physical activity, walking or running, it is even better to introduce sports into a habit. Systematic training has a positive effect on the psychological state, it “reduces the response to stress and increases the ability to recover from a stressful episode” (Raper, 2021, p. 191). In Julia’s case, the sport will help solve sleep problems, give energy for work and household chores, and strengthen the immune system, which will reduce frequent illnesses.
What is more, the breathing technique engages the physical state and helps to bring thoughts into conditional order. By adjusting breathing rate and depth, Julia can soften stress response and recover faster. It is necessary to gradually slow down the breathing rate over 15 minutes to about 6-7 breaths per minute. Using the practice of breathing, in the long term, the woman will be able to reduce the level of arousal of the central system, preventing the body from using the somatic reactions that lead to serious diseases.
To conclude, dealing with stress begins with acknowledging its existence. If a person is in a stressful situation for quite a long time, it is better to contact a specialist who will help restore the arisen disorders of the body. Different techniques can be effective for Julia from Case Study 1. With regular practice, they will positively influence the emotional and subsequently physical state, teach to overcome stressful situations, and manage emotions.
References
Stächele, T., Domes, G., Wekenborg, M., Penz, M., Kirschbaum, C., & Heinrichs, M. (2020). Effects of a 6-week internet-based stress management program on perceived stress, subjective coping skills, and sleep quality. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11, 463.
Raper, M. J., & Brough, P. (2021). Seeing into the future: The role of future‐oriented coping and daily stress appraisal in relation to a future stressor. Stress and Health, 37(1), 186-197.