What to choose to reduce the nervousness caused by a normal, stressful day? A glass of wine in the evening, a long walk or some sedative? Everyone has their own favorite technique in such a situation. The president of the Latvian Psychiatrists’ Association, Māris Taube, explains what kind of help is the most effective in such cases and what, on the other hand, leads to an even bigger problem over time.
What role does daily stress management play today?
– Stress management plays a very important role in everyday life, because unfortunately the intensity of life is increasing. We have to take in a lot of information, we try to do everything very quickly, to catch up with everything – and life becomes faster, faster and more intense. Undoubtedly, the stress level is also increasing, especially in urban areas, maybe a little less in rural areas. And if we include various activities within our own power in stress management, we can influence a lot of things positively.
What are the consequences of not doing anything to reduce stress?
– The consequences can be quite sad. This can lead to more serious health problems – so serious that they must be dealt with in a specialist’s office, such as panic attacks, agoraphobia, generalized anxiety, and even depression. It is necessary to pay attention, especially if loved ones have had such cases, which show that the nervous system is not so stable that we can react very emotionally. Then, probably, at some point we have to slow down, think about whether we will burn out and reach some more serious health problems.
Do all people have the same stress threshold?
– There is no equal stress threshold. It depends on very different aspects, just as there are different moments in the origin of these anxiety cases, they can even be genetic moments, also anatomical changes, psychological factors. We always think that the cause is only psychological – this is not the case at all. There are many biochemical moments and they can be different for each person. Therefore, I would recommend looking at what our loved ones are like, whether there have been people who have had episodes or who react more easily to stress. There will be people who can handle more stress, and there will be those who will be very sensitive to every symptom – and maybe even annoying to those around them. However, that person is built in such a way that he cannot handle stress, just like others have a low pain threshold.
Do people tend to choose inappropriate means to solve stressful situations?
– Yes. People try to deal with their stress problem in some way, but often it is inappropriate. The biggest mistake and problem is alcohol consumption, also various eating habits, for example, people eat too much, then feel a lot of discomfort, because they achieve this well-being only for a while – then they want to eat again, and in the end they are unhappy about your appearance. Alcohol, however, is the most common problem. A lot of people try to overcome stress with it, say: “Yes, I relax like that, I drink a glass of wine in the evening” – or later more. But the question is: why? Do we drink wine because we feel good in some company, or do we start using it on a daily basis already, in fact, as a remedy. Unfortunately, after that there are consequences, for example, all the receptor systems no longer work, and when a person already has severe depression, it is very difficult to treat it. I would recommend not to use such easy and ineffective options – which only help for a given moment. Don’t start it at all and understand it in time, when stress is already causing problems.
What do experts recommend for reducing stress on a daily basis?
– These are basic things. You need to balance your life rhythm: we need certain hours for work, certain hours for rest, certain hours for sleep. I would invite you to pay a lot of attention to sleep, do not think that I will work longer today, then I will rest. The next day, you will have to work longer again – it will all accumulate, and unfortunately, there will be negative consequences. I would highly recommend finding time to spend in the fresh air, preferably in physical activities – either walking or just counting your steps. These are simple things, they don’t require a huge amount of sports activity from a person, but if you set aside thirty minutes for this elementary activity only three times a week, it will be minimal, but good, physical exercise. This will already be the beginning, and a person will be able to tell himself that he is dealing with his physical form.
Of course, nutrition is also important, for example, following the Mediterranean diet, which doctors always recommend, trying to eat more fish products, balancing the diet so that it is less based on buns, bread and other light carbohydrates, which supposedly give us that momentary well-being, but then further incites an unhealthy appetite.
Socialization is also important. From the point of view of psychiatry, we emphasize as a very good circumstance that a person has friends, relatives, family, in whose circle he can disconnect from everyday work affairs. You also need to learn to disconnect from them on Saturday and Sunday, to spend time with loved ones, to withdraw a little from those everyday problems. In this regard, you should also be careful with the use of media, instead it is better to find a hobby. These are very simple things that will be very useful as prevention.
Can natural sedatives reduce the negative effects of stress on health?
– Certainly it can, and they are also widely used, especially as a preventive measure. This may not apply to a serious panic attack, when a person already needs medication or other approaches, but in case of everyday stress, natural sedatives can definitely help. Of course, this is also related to a healthy diet – with sufficient intake of minerals and other nutrients, so that, for example, vitamin D and other important substances, which we can or cannot always take in and which can affect mental health, are sufficient.
What are the advantages of choosing a fast-acting sedative?
– It has advantages unlike pseudo-drugs like alcohol or smoking (nicotine is also calming – it has its own mechanism), which are irrational things and should not be used. You should definitely not immediately resort to benzodiazepine medications, which are used in situations that meet certain criteria. But until then, we can do a lot on our own – with our lifestyle, breathing exercises or natural remedies, trying to reduce stressful situations. The fastest and easiest way is not the best, because after that it is very difficult to get rid of, for example, these medications or habits. There are often long conversations with patients to convince them to stop taking the medicine, because, well, for that moment, this “miracle pill” helped a lot. However, what will happen to the patient’s memory in ten years – a person cannot imagine that at that moment.