Author
Korobkova Irina Grigorievna
Head of the Department of Post-Stress Conditions and Sleep Disorders
Chief Network Specialist
Candidate of Medical Sciences
Psychotherapist
Publication date: 04/07/2021
until December 31
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Regular exercise isn't just good for your body. They can help us cope with stressful situations.
Connected by one goal, bound by one chain...
Body and psyche are connected like lovebirds. Every change inside is reflected outside. And, conversely, everything external turns into an internal state. It is not for nothing that there is such a direction in medicine as psychosomatics, which tries to establish a clear connection between the course of mental processes and their influence on the physiological state of a person.
In response to any stressful stimulus, the body responds with a defensive reaction - muscle tension. The body tenses, the soul relaxes. If these situations are in the nature of rare outbreaks, then everything goes well for the body.
The degeneration of random psychotraumas into prolonged stress causes psychosomatic diseases that are so difficult to diagnose. Physical ailments rise in full force, and their psychological roots are so skillfully disguised that doctors spend years treating the effects, and not the cause, which cannot be easily reached.
Processes in the body proceed smoothly, rhythmically, and are clearly regulated by the central nervous system. But in the presence of a chronic focus of excitation in the brain, which is caused by negative emotions, the nervous system, as it were, relieves itself of the functions of commander-in-chief.
The internal brake is activated, and the body, left without the main coordinator (nervous system), begins to slowly fall apart and decompose, like an army abandoned by its commander.
All systems and organs stop working in the correct mode. The program malfunctions, and the person suddenly discovers that he has cardiac, endocrine, gastrointestinal, etc. disease.
While medicine finds out the causes of the breakdown, the patient loses appetite, sleep, vigor, energy, and performance. The ability and desire to enjoy life disappears; minor inconveniences over time develop into big problems.
The suffering of the body is accompanied by the suffering of the psyche. A person exists against a background of chronic fatigue, irritation, vague anxiety and anxiety.
All this in the near future may result in serious neurotic disorders, which will radically affect the quality of life. It will change and, as is clear, not for the better.
The question “why strengthen your nerves” is clear as day. Mental nerves need the same care and training as the body. Then the person will be harmoniously healthy (physically and mentally). And health is a guarantee of a full, active and productive life.
There are a great many methods for strengthening the nervous system and psyche, and they can be roughly divided into 2 groups: training for the body and training for the psyche. Let's focus on the first group.
Rebooting the nervous system - breathing exercises to calm the psyche and nerves:
Focus your attention
Constantly replaying unpleasant situations in your head, especially those that have not yet happened, is a real test for the psyche. You can’t escape negativity in real life, it’s impossible to escape from it, but you can live the situation once instead of a hundred. Here is a Buddhist parable:
“One day, two monks, who were strictly forbidden to touch women, met a young girl near the river. The girl needed to cross to the other side, but the current was too strong, and she turned to the monks for help. One of the monks put her on his back and carried her across the river, after which the girl, thanking her, went on her way. For the rest of the day the second monk did not say a word, but in the evening he could not stand it and said:
- You know that we are not allowed to touch women! Why did you break the ban and carry her across the river?
The first monk replied:
“I carried her on my back for only 10 minutes.” You carry it for the rest of the day.”
Don't concentrate on the past, no matter how important it may be, disperse your attention. What is happening around you at the moment is more important than what has already happened.
Strengthen the body to calm the nerves and psyche
You can strengthen your body, nerves and psyche if you follow these recommendations:
- You need to train your body by increasing your level of physical activity
. Movement is life. This is easy to see using the example of the deceased. As Vysotsky sang: “Everyone ran away from the noise and scream, only the dead man did not run away.” All living things must move, and as actively as possible. During running or vigorous walking, all the stress hormones we have accumulated are intensively consumed by the body. They are stress hormones to help run away from fear and danger, and not lie in their way (or on the sofa). - Nutrition is a matter of principle
. Correct! Food is a responsible matter and should not be approached in a hurry. The principle of nutrition for the glory of health is to provide the body with all the necessary substances, vitamins, minerals, amino acids. Just filling your stomach with whatever you have to on the go is wrong. And the echo of spells: “don’t overeat”, “don’t eat at night”, “don’t overuse” never stops in the air. - Be gone, unhealthy addictions
. Instead of breakfast - coffee with a cigarette... This ritual makes you wake up in the morning, serving as a light tonic. You can stop there. And it’s best to completely quit smoking, drinking, using stimulants and other destructive habits. The short exciting effect of nicotine is replaced by a phase of sharp inhibition. To get a new portion of vigor and tone the brain, one cigarette is followed by another, a third... But the excitation phase is becoming shorter and shorter, and the inhibition phase is longer. At a certain stage, the body no longer reacts with a flash of excitement. Instead of a short tonic charge, the smoker begins to experience fatigue, irritation, weakness and drowsiness. It's the same with coffee. After the next portion, it no longer gives a boost of energy, but takes away the last one. - Hardening and winter swimming
. Water is an indispensable condition for existence. The aquatic environment offers dozens of ways to strengthen the nervous system. Hardening creates an “impenetrable” immunity, invigorates, forces the body to “wake up” and withdraw its reserves. Winter swimming is an extreme form of hardening. It seems strange, but “walruses” are surprisingly healthy and balanced people. Such a powerful physiological stress, which the body receives when immersed in an ice hole, will launch all your armored trains standing on the sidings. - Baths and saunas
are a recognized method for cleansing the body and soul. High temperatures, hot steam in combination with a birch broom very quickly cure any blues, and the grateful body responds with pleasant languor, relaxation and a cleared consciousness. - In water
you need not only to swim, harden and steam. You also need to drink it correctly and in sufficient quantities. The 8 glasses method is widely known. If you believe the primary sources, then exactly this volume of water should pass through the channels of our body per day, washing it, clearing mucus from the intestinal walls, removing decay products and organizing the correct water balance. - Massage, self-massage
is the strongest remedy against all sorts of ailments. The trouble is that the body gradually loses flexibility and joint mobility. Metabolic processes go poorly, stagnation and tension appear in the muscles. Powerful self-massage until you break a sweat will perfectly disperse stagnant blood, enhance metabolic processes, and give vivacity and a sea of energy. - Sleeping and rest area
. Deep, healthy sleep will help strengthen the nervous system. During sleep, the body is restored, cells are renewed, and the brain rests. Lack of sleep, shallow sleep, frequent awakenings, early awakenings quickly weaken the nervous system. A person becomes lethargic, apathetic, dull, has difficulty thinking and concentrating. In communication, lack of sleep manifests itself in outbreaks of irritation and aggression. You need to sleep with all sources of noise turned off: TV, telephone, radio, computer. The sleeping room should be well ventilated. Coffee and smoking breaks before bed will destroy your good intentions, because... have the ability to overexcite the nervous system. Sleep in the dark. Darkness is a condition for the production of melatonin (the hormone of calm and sleep). If you are already used to falling asleep to the sound and light of the TV, get out of the habit. Screen flickering and flashes of light interfere with the production of the sleepy hormone. - Nature
is another natural helper in creating a strong psyche and a healthy nervous system. The calmest and most harmonious people are tourists of all stripes. Hiking, water tourism, and cycling are a wonderful and natural way to relax the nervous system. Nature heals itself. All you have to do is get out of the city, sit by the river and watch the sun reflect in the water. You will return home peaceful and spiritualized. Communication with nature can not only easily recreate the psyche, but also treat severe physical ailments.
Don't hold back your emotions
We are taught to restrain ourselves from childhood: we cannot scream, run, laugh loudly or cry. Everyone around is just “shushing” and looking reproachfully. The child gets used to keeping desires, feelings within himself, fighting with himself, and constantly limiting himself in self-expression. This habit goes into adulthood, a person becomes the bearer of hundreds of different masks. Hiding your true face seems normal and right.
And everything would be fine, but emotions do not disappear because they are kept inside. Containment is the path leading to psychosis. This does not mean that you can allow yourself everything that comes into your head, since extremes are always destructive, but the potential of the emerging emotion must be realized. Contrary to stereotypes, this can be done politely, correctly, and ethically. Just be honest, find ways to express what you feel, and not hide the real you behind a fictitious image.
Healthy food for nerves - eat and relax!
Nutritionists have created a special diet for those who want to stop worrying and start living. Without the substances and microelements necessary for a person, which he receives at the dinner table, nerve cells cannot cope with their tasks fully.
Lack of magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, iodine weakens the nervous system and its interaction with internal organs.
Magnesium is a necessary element responsible for muscle relaxation, transmission and receipt of nerve impulses. His sources:
- mineral water;
- eggs;
- nuts;
- beans;
- wheat bran.
Eat oatmeal, pearl barley, millet, and buckwheat more often. These cereals contain large reserves of magnesium.
Phosphorus is a trace element that reduces muscle tension and tones the nervous system. It is found in organ meats, milk, beans and cereals.
Calcium is a regulator of neuromuscular impulses. Despite all its importance for the strength of bones and teeth, the nerves need it no less. And sometimes even more. In such cases, the body “removes” it from the bones, directing it to where it is most needed. Sources of calcium:
- dairy products;
- cabbage of all varieties and spinach;
- nuts;
- poppy and sesame seeds;
- soybeans and wheat.
Potassium – promotes the coordinated functioning of muscles and nerves, serves as a prevention of depression and nervous breakdowns. The lack of potassium is compensated for by enriching your table with plant and dairy products, as well as lean varieties of meat and fish.
- vegetables and fruits (cucumbers, tomatoes, pumpkin, cabbage, melons, watermelons, bananas);
- dried fruits (figs, raisins, prunes);
- cereals (wheat flour and bran, rye bread, oatmeal and buckwheat);
- nuts (walnuts, pine, peanuts, almonds);
- meat and fish (beef, rabbit, tuna, flounder, cod).
Iron – ensures proper functioning of the thyroid gland, is responsible for normal metabolism and the formation of nerve fibers. There is a lot of iron in meat and liver. Any meat is suitable, and the darker it is, the more iron it contains.
The following products are rich in this element:
- river fish, sea fish, seafood;
- eggs (chicken, duck, quail);
- fruits, dried fruits;
- green vegetables;
- bread and cereals.
Iodine is responsible for the production of thyroid hormones. Lack of the hormone thyroxine causes severe metabolic diseases. Hormonal imbalance means apathy, lethargy, depression, chronic fatigue and irritable weakness. The lack of iodine is compensated by adding seaweed, sea fish and seafood to the diet.
Reputable psychologists believe that various “sour” foods are very beneficial for the nervous system: lemons, apple cider vinegar, sour fruits. Sourness in the mouth is sweet for the nerves.
Foods for the nervous system that make us happy:
Strengthen your self-esteem
Confident people are the least nervous; we know this, for example, from the expression “the cap on a thief is on fire.” This means that the person who feels guilty will betray himself by his behavior. But complexes are a very tricky subject, as a famous cartoon character would put it. They make a person feel guilty even where there is none and never was. A complex person feels that everyone around him is evaluating him, that something is expected of him, that there is a standard of compliance that he constantly falls short of. Such a person is afraid that he will be despised, that they will laugh at him. This fear is no less than the thief’s fear of exposure. Nervous tension is a natural companion for such people.
Vitamins and sedatives for nerves
To strengthen the nervous system and psyche, certain vitamins and medications are needed.
Nerves react very favorably to vitamin B and very poorly to its deficiency.
The most convenient way is to purchase an inexpensive package of Pentovit. This is a blister of 50 tablets that contain the entire group of this vitamin.
B vitamins reduce anxiety, relieve nervous tension, normalize mood and even restore nerve cells. They improve thought processes, strengthen memory, give vigor and efficiency.
Vitamin C copes well with stress and improves mood. Vitamin E calms the nervous system. Vitamin A slows down the aging of nerve cells, improves sleep; its deficiency will lead to lethargy, fatigue and some general lethargy.
Tinctures, herbal mixtures, syrups, drops and tablets are the main forms of sedatives. Their purpose:
- slow down the excitation processes raging in the subcortex (anger, tearfulness, agitation);
- remove vegetative-vascular manifestations (tremor, sweating, rapid heartbeat);
- reduce the reaction to external and internal stimuli, which in turn gives a good, restful sleep.
Typically, sedatives are prescribed for neuroses, neurasthenia, sleep disorders, severe stress and anxiety.
The most proven pharmaceutical products are alcohol tinctures of motherwort, valerian, peony, and lily of the valley. They have a powerful calming effect, relieving muscle tension and are effective in falling asleep.
Novo-Passit syrup is more appropriate for mild forms of neurosis, it makes it easier to fall asleep and soothes.
Valocordin, Valoserdin drops, Zelenin drops reduce central nervous system excitation and have a sedative and hypnotic effect. Also, these remedies remove vegetative-vascular symptoms.
The best tablets that restore the balance between inhibition and excitation of the nervous system are:
- Glycine;
- Afobazole;
- Persen;
- Donormil.
Exercise stress
Physical activity has a positive effect on the nervous system. Sports activities contribute to the development of the central nervous system, help relieve stress and improve well-being. Therefore, it is recommended to move more, attend sports clubs, or at least do simple exercises in the morning.
You can add a contrast shower, walking, running to physical activity - everything that has an impact on the physical body. Particular attention should be paid to periodization - alternating rest and work, mental and physical labor. Then the nervous system will not experience overload from the same type of activity.
Do nerve cells recover?
For the first time, the authoritative Spanish scientist Santiago Ramon y Cahalem stated that nerve cells do not regenerate in 1928. And the opinion that neurons are formed exclusively in the embryonic period of human development, and after birth they are only consumed, existed until the 60s of the last century. The phrase “Nerve cells do not recover” was very popular until recently. Many people continue to say this in the old fashion today.
The belief that neurons were being destroyed, and the fear that their supply might run out, also served a good purpose: people tried not to get nervous again, because no one wanted to become a neurasthenic in the near future.
And in 1962, it was experimentally proven that neurogenesis - the formation of new nerve cells - successfully occurs in the brain of adult animals. And in 1998, scientists found that nerve cells in the human brain also have the ability to recover.
Another good news: modern German neuroscientist G. Hüter claims that neuronal restoration occurs at any age, both young and old. The rate at which new nerve cells appear can reach 700 neurons per day. Only in a 70-year-old person this happens 4 times slower than in a 20-year-old person.
Among the main enemies that destroy nerve cells is stress. Stress not only destroys existing cells - it suppresses the ability to regenerate. Some chemicals and high doses of radiation have the same negative effect on neurons.
Canadian colleagues of G. Hueter examined long-lived nuns on a magnetic resonance imaging scanner and found that their brains worked perfectly, and they did not have any manifestations of senile dementia. Scientists came to the conclusion that the formation of new nerve cells and improved conduction of nerve impulses were facilitated by the lifestyle and positive thinking of the nuns: their active position and desire to change the world for the better.
G. Hüter himself concluded that a favorable attitude towards people, an understanding of the meaning of life - at least one’s own, the ability to organize one’s life, the ability to compare dreams with reality, a taste for life, an enduring desire to learn and experience new things - have a beneficial effect on neurogenesis. And, in his opinion, nothing stimulates the formation of neurons more than finding a solution to a problem.
Surround yourself with positive communication
One person can evoke in another the whole range of emotions: from love to hatred. At the same time, a person is not a sign on a pole that always irritates you in the same way, he is different, and much will depend on what emotions you share with him. Not everyone views negativity in communication as a problem. For many, this is something like work fatigue - a necessary evil. But is it so inevitable for you? What if there were ways to reduce stress by eliminating unwanted contact? If so, then by doing this, you will stop wasting precious psychic energy into emptiness, you will stop depleting yourself.
Meditate
Meditation is not an esoteric practice, there is nothing magical or religious about it, treat it as an exercise to strengthen your nerves. The essence and complexity of meditation lies in “calming” the activity of the mind. If you listen to what is happening in your head, you will quickly realize that thoughts create real chaos in it. Meditation masters compare attention to a monkey jumping from branch to branch, where the branch is a new object of attention. By meditating, a person trains this “monkey” in such a way that it concentrates on one thing or nothing at all. The last option is a kind of mirror: everything that happens around you is reflected in your consciousness, but does not interact with it, does not cause thoughts, does not steal attention.
