How to stop stressing and adapt to season of change: Psychologist's advice
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Nightly and early morning news browsing, intrusive thoughts, inability to concentrate on work, feeling helpless, and losing control over the situation - these are feelings many people in Ukraine are experiencing right now. The desire to stop worrying and start acting is strong.
Nataliia Harina, a psychologist and psychotherapist, shared practical advice on how to reduce stress and adapt to change.
According to the psychologist, she often employs Dale Carnegie's advice on how to stop worrying and start living. She has used these tips in her work and personal life – and they work!
Iron doors
Again and again, the importance of living in the moment: set iron doors between the future and the past and focus on the here and now. What can you control right now?
Magic formula
It works like this:
1. Ask yourself: "What is the worst that can happen to me?"
2. Accept this "worst" and make peace with it in advance.
3. Now calmly think about how you can change the situation.
Memento mori
Stress and worry are extremely harmful to health and do not boost immunity and the body's resistance! Additionally, you can imagine symptoms and diseases that do not actually exist. Just stop the flow of negative thoughts, do not constantly watch the news, and do not communicate with people who support your anxiety.
Stay busy
One reason for anxiety is a lack of activity. If we don't engage our minds and hands with work, negative thoughts will thrive in the void, and our consciousness will generate them. Distract your mind with new, interesting information or try something you've never done before.
Law of large numbers
Heard of this law? No? Well, here’s your chance to put the previous point into practice by learning something new. According to the law of large numbers, the likelihood of your worries coming true is very insignificant.
Accept inevitable
We suffer and continue to worry even after an unpleasant event has occurred. This again violates the golden rule of living in the moment.
Learn to submit to circumstances that can no longer be changed. Experience and accept that "this is exactly how it was meant to be." You can even thank fate for this lesson! Gratitude and acceptance - there is no other way.
Anxiety limiter
There is such a concept as the "circle of influence and the circle of concern." Write down all the events that occupy your attention. Now, next to those within your sphere of influence, put a "+", and next to those you cannot influence, mark with a "-".
If you are honest with yourself, you will see that not much is outside your control - the weather, politics, religion… these are the things you should stop thinking about. And do not browse the news more than 1-2 times a day! Anxiety will increase, but your influence on events will not.
Be interested in others
Yes, exactly. Do not envy or compare, just take an interest:
- in the experiences of others
- in those who need your help. And provide it if you can!
