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If people did not have feelings, if they were indifferent, they would not know either excitement and anxiety, or joy and happiness. A person who wants to get an answer to the question of how to calm down wants to get rid of negative experiences, filling life with positive and harmony.
Steps to Serenity
A person is most nervous in a situation of uncertainty. In any exciting situation, you need to deal with it. How to quickly calm down if you do not understand what is happening? Knowledge gives a person confidence in what is happening.
- Clarifying the situation is the first step to peace of mind in a particular setting.
- The second step is to use self-regulation techniques to calm down enough to think quickly and clearly in a difficult situation.
- The third step is to analyze what is happening and decide on a course of action.
If the threat is real or potentially dangerous, you need to be able to easily and quickly put thoughts and emotions in order in order to take measures to eliminate the danger or avoid it.
For example, if a person gets lost in the forest, one should not succumb to panic and excitement, but by maintaining a sober mind, be able to quickly find the way home.
If anxieties, worries and fears are excessive and unreasonable, self-regulation methods are needed to balance mental processes.
Most people worry about trifles. For overly anxious individuals, worries and negative experiences are a habitual occupation and way of life.
For example, people are worried and cannot calm themselves down at a job interview. The reason for such excitement is the exaggerated value of the event. The interview is not a life-threatening situation, the person simply doubts himself and is afraid of making a negative impression. Excitement plays with it bad joke, does not allow to think soberly, slows down reactions, makes speech intermittent and incoherent. As a result, excitement and anxiety justify themselves.
A person needs to use methods of self-regulation in such and other similar situations when the significance of an event is exaggerated.
Methods and techniques of self-regulation
How to calm down and without resorting to taking medication? It is necessary to use methods of self-regulation of the mental state.
Self-regulation is the management of the psycho-emotional state by influencing the mind with words, mental images, proper breathing, toning and relaxing muscles.
Self-regulation is designed to quickly calm down, eliminate emotional stress and normalize the emotional background.
How to calm down, not knowing the special techniques of self-regulation? The body and consciousness usually themselves suggest how to do this.
Natural methods of self-regulation:
- smile, laugh;
- switching attention to a pleasant object;
- support of a loved one;
- physical workout;
- observation of nature;
- fresh air, sunlight;
- clean water (wash, take a shower, drink water);
- listening to music;
- singing, screaming;
- reading;
- drawing and others.
Methods that form the ability to manage the psychological state:
- Proper breathing. You need to take a slow and deep breath, hold your breath and slowly, completely exhale, imagining how the tension goes away.
- Autotraining. Self-hypnosis is at the heart of autogenic training. A person meaningfully repeats positive phrases many times until he believes what he is saying. For example: "I remain calm, I am calm."
- Relaxation. Special relaxation exercises, massage, yoga. By relaxing the muscles, you can balance the psyche. The effect is achieved through the alternation of muscle tension and relaxation.
- Visualization. The technique involves recreating in the imagination a pleasant memory or picture that evokes positive emotions. This state is called resource. Having plunged into it, a person feels positive feelings.
Exercises for self-regulation
Help to find peace special exercises aimed at regulating the mental state in a particular situation. There are many such exercises developed, you can choose the most convenient to use, fast and effective.
Some special exercises and ways to calm down quickly:
- Exercise "Swinging"
In a standing or sitting position, you need to relax and tilt your head back so that it is comfortable, as if lying on a pillow. Close your eyes and begin to sway slightly, with a small amplitude from side to side, back and forth or in a circle. You need to find the most pleasant rhythm and pace.
- Exercise "Disclosure"
In a standing position, you need to make several swings with your hands in front of your chest to the sides, in a circle, up and down (classic warm-up exercises). Stretch straight arms forward and relax, start slowly spreading to the sides.
If the arms are relaxed enough, they will begin to diverge, as if by themselves. The exercise should be repeated until there is a feeling of lightness. Spreading your arms, imagine how the perception of life expands, open arms towards the positive.
- Exercise "Point of relaxation"
In a standing or sitting position, you need to relax your shoulders, lower your arms freely. Start slowly rotating your head in a circle. When you find the most comfortable position and want to stop, you need to do it.
After resting in this position, continue rotational movements. By rotating the head, represent movement towards harmony, and at the point of relaxation, feel the achievement of this goal.
A positive effect can be achieved just well and quickly by shaking the hands several times, as if shaking off water. Imagine that stress and nervousness flies off your fingertips.
In order to relax the muscles, you need to jump on the spot, as if shaking off the snow.
- Exercise "Sunny Bunny"
The exercise is suitable for both adults and children. It is pleasant, playful, fun.
Take a comfortable position, sitting or reclining, relax all the muscles. Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a sunny meadow, a beach, a river bank, or some other pleasant place where the sun is shining. Imagine how the gentle sun warms the body and, together with sunlight the body is saturated with peace and happiness.
A sunbeam ran over her lips and drew a smile, across her forehead, relaxing her eyebrows and forehead, slipped onto her chin and relaxed her jaw. Sunshine runs through the body and relaxes all its parts in turn, gives calmness, removes excitement. You can add the sounds of nature: the splashing of waves, the singing of birds, the sound of leaves.
Duration of exercises: from one to fifteen minutes. You can perform them in a complex, several times a day.
With simple exercises, you can return a sense of joy in life, self-confidence, calm down and come to peace of mind.
Feelings are an integral part of life
Is it possible to avoid worries and worries all the time, or is it better to learn self-regulation?
- Not everyone can manage to find peace in a difficult situation, but everyone can try to do it.
- Both positive and negative emotions and feelings, unrest people need in order to survive. They are always natural. Some of them are congenital, others are acquired.
- The problem and difficulties are negative emotions, feelings, thoughts, worries and anxieties that are excessive, unreasonable, pathological.
- Modern life is perceived by the body as a continuous stream of threats, dangers, unrest and stressful situations. To maintain peace of mind and health, you need to know the answer to the question of how to quickly calm down.
- The depth of experiences is determined by the characteristics of the individual. The child learns to be nervous by looking at others. Anxious parents have children who grow up to be anxious individuals.
- Excessive experiences are caused by self-doubt, fatigue, negative past experiences, excess of the significance of events and other reasons.
Development of assertiveness (internal balance)
A person is nervous when he feels an existential threat. Physiological reactions during strong excitement are designed to activate the hidden reserves of the body to deal with troubles. The heart begins to beat faster so that the muscles come into tone, and the blood circulates better, supplying the brain with oxygen.
When a person is very worried and does not know how to calm himself, he either behaves passively, confused and frightened, or aggressive and unrestrained.
These strategies are ineffective. The most profitable strategy for survival in society is the ability to maintain an internal balance, in which a person has his own opinion, an independent view of the situation, a calm perception of reality.
The ability of a person to independently regulate their own behavior and be responsible for it is called assertiveness.
- A person in an assertive state looks at life calmly, analyzes and makes informed decisions, does not succumb to manipulation, uses self-regulation techniques. The internal position of a person is stable, he is self-confident, balanced, a difficult situation perceived as being under their control.
- Assertiveness implies the ability to quickly move away from the problem, ease of perception and a small degree of indifference. You need to become an outside observer of the ongoing event, interested, but not involved.
- Such behavior can be perceived by others as soulless and indifferent, but it allows a person to maintain inner peace and harmony. Advice to look at life easier and not take everything to heart implies the development of assertiveness.
- Self-regulation methods are aimed at developing assertiveness as the ability to quickly stop unrest, look at oneself from the outside, give an objective assessment of what is happening and make a reasonable decision.
Mental self-regulation is a conscious purposeful dynamic change in individual psychophysiological functions and the mental state as a whole through specially organized mental activity.
Methods of psychological self-regulation is a set of methods and training programs aimed at the formation of adequate human actions to manage their own state.
Complex of methods:
neuromuscular relaxation;
breathing techniques;
· concentration;
· auto-training;
· meditation;
kinesiology gymnastics;
Individual skills training
group psychological trainings and etc.
Main Effects mental self-regulation:
The effect of calming (elimination of emotional tension);
the effect of recovery (weakening of manifestations of fatigue);
Activation effect (increased psychophysiological reactivity).
Relaxation. Relaxation exercises
Most of us are already so accustomed to mental and muscular tension that we perceive it as a natural state, without even realizing how harmful it is. It should be clearly understood that, having mastered relaxation, one can learn to regulate this tension, suspend and relax at will, at will.
So, it is desirable to perform relaxation exercises in a separate room, without prying eyes. The purpose of the exercises is to completely relax the muscles. Complete muscle relaxation has a positive effect on the psyche and reduces mental balance. Mental autorelaxation can cause a state of “ideological emptiness”. This means a momentary disruption of mental and mental connections with the outside world, which gives the necessary rest to the brain. Here we must be careful not to overdo it with renunciation of the world.
To start the exercises, you need to take the starting position: lying on your back, legs apart, feet turned toes outward, hands lie freely along the body (palms up). The head is slightly thrown back. The whole body is relaxed, the eyes are closed, breathing through the nose.
Here are some examples of relaxation exercises.
1. Lie still for about 2 minutes, eyes closed. Try to imagine the room you are in. First, try to mentally go around the whole room (along the walls), and then make your way around the entire perimeter of the body - from head to heels and back.
2. Pay close attention to your breathing, passively aware that you are breathing through your nose. Mentally note that the inhaled air is somewhat colder than the exhaled. Focus on your breathing for 1-2 minutes. Try not to think about anything else.
3. Take a shallow breath and hold your breath for a moment. At the same time, sharply tighten all the muscles for a few seconds, trying to feel the tension in the whole body. Relax as you exhale. Repeat 3 times.
Then lie still for a few minutes, relaxing and focusing on the feeling of heaviness in your body. Enjoy this pleasant feeling.
Now do exercises for individual parts of the body - with alternating tension and relaxation.
4. Exercise for leg muscles. Tighten all the muscles of the legs at once - from the heels to the hips. For a few seconds, fix the tense state, trying to feel the tension, and then relax the muscles. Repeat 3 times.
Then lie still for a few minutes, completely relaxed and feeling the heaviness of your relaxed legs.
All sounds of the environment register in consciousness, but do not perceive. The same applies to thoughts, however, do not try to overcome them, they only need to be registered.
The following exercises are identical to the exercise described above, but apply to other muscles of the body: gluteal muscles, abdominals, chest muscles, arm muscles, facial muscles (lips, forehead).
In conclusion, mentally "run" through all the muscles of the body - if there is even the slightest tension left somewhere. If so, try to take it off, as relaxation should be complete.
When completing relaxation exercises, take a deep breath, hold your breath and, for a moment, tighten the muscles of the whole body: while exhaling, relax the muscles. After that, lie on your back for a long time - calmly, relaxed, breathing is even, without delay. You have regained faith in your strength, are able to overcome a stressful situation - and there is a feeling of inner peace. After doing these exercises, you should feel rested, full of strength and energy.
Now open your eyes, then close your eyes several times, open again and stretch sweetly after a pleasant awakening. Sit down very slowly, smoothly, without jerking. Then, just as slowly, without sudden movements, stand up, trying to maintain a pleasant feeling of inner relaxation for as long as possible.
Over time, these exercises will be performed faster than at the beginning. Later it will be possible to relax the body when needed.
Progressive muscle relaxation by J. Jacobson
This technique, at least to begin with, we strongly recommend to anyone who has difficulty relaxing muscles. According to its author, the urgent problems of a person living in a civilized world are excessive haste, anxiety and an excess of reasons to which he is forced to respond. Under these conditions, physical and psychological stress leads to overstrain. It tends to be extended over time and accumulate. Since our soul and body are a single whole, neuromuscular tension contributes to increased mental tension and irritability. If a person, while in this state, tries to relax, he often achieves quite the opposite result. General relaxation (especially experienced in psychological terms) is possible only with the relaxation of all skeletal muscles.
The exercise should be carried out in a lying position: it is desirable that you are not disturbed during the training. Meaning active actions- spouses, children, neighbors, etc. who came to ask something and after that they immediately leave, continue to study for yourself. Sounds that do not carry information and are more or less one-dimensional sound background (clock running, refrigerator noise, trams passing by, etc.) do not, as a rule, cause disturbance. In the event that they bother you, it is enough to say to yourself at the beginning of each exercise: “The surrounding sounds do not interest me, they are indifferent to me, they do not bother me” (the phrase is formulated individually, according to your taste).
The "lying place" for classes should be wide enough so that you can freely put your hands next to the body. If you have problems with the spine, put a pillow under your head, and, if necessary, under your lower back. In a word, position yourself in such a way that you feel comfortable lying on your back with arms extended along the body. Nothing should put pressure on you. Hands or feet should not go numb. Clothing is loose and does not restrict movement. The temperature is also important: you should not be either hot or cold. AT last case should have been covered with a light blanket.
Before starting each exercise, sit comfortably in a supine position. Hands lie motionless along the body with palms down, legs slightly apart. Lie still and slowly close your eyes. The slower you close them, the faster you will achieve peace.
Relaxation of the muscles of the hands.
Exercise number 1. Lie quietly in the starting position for about 5 minutes. Then bend the left hand at the wrist so that the palm becomes vertical, hold it in this position for several minutes; the forearm remains motionless. Watch for a feeling of tension in the muscles of the forearm. Relax your hand, allowing the hand to sink under its own weight onto the bedspread. Now your hand cannot help but be relaxed - after such muscle tension, relaxation is a physiological need. For a few minutes, watch for a feeling of relaxation in your hand and forearm. Repeat this exercise one more time. Then spend half an hour at rest. The most important thing is to learn to recognize the sensations of tension and relaxation.
Exercise number 2. Repeat the previous exercise the next day. After the second relaxation of the hand, bend it at the wrist away from you (that is, differently than before), fingers down. Remaining up to an hour - relax.
Exercise number 3. Today you are resting. Do only relaxation, while watching the sensations in your left hand (is it relaxed or, from time to time, do you feel tension in it?).
Exercise number 4. To the first and second exercises, we will add experience with the flexor of the elbow joint. Bend your left arm at the elbow at an angle of 30 degrees, that is, lift it from the bedspread. Repeat this operation three times for about 2 minutes followed by relaxation for several minutes. Relax for the rest of the hour.
Exercise number 5. Repeat all previous exercises. Then we will train the triceps. You will achieve tension in this muscle if, placing a stack of books under your forearm, you will forcefully press on them with your lying hand. Alternate relaxation and tension three times (for relaxation, take your hand away from the body, behind the books you use as an aid). Relax for the rest of the hour.
Exercise number 6. Time of repetition. Practice the four exercises you know for the left hand.
Exercise number 7. This exercise will show you how successfully you have mastered all the previous ones. Your task is to lie down, calmly stretching your arms along the body. You will achieve tension without moving your left hand, solely by concentrating your attention on it. For about half a minute, focus on tension, then translate it into relaxation. Repeat this several times. Relax for the rest of the hour.
In the future, do the same with the right hand (that is, a total of seven exercises).
Relaxation of leg muscles.
You can start by repeating exercises for the muscles of the hands, but this is not at all necessary. If you have already learned to recognize tension and relaxation in each muscle group and are able to control these processes, then you can immediately begin to relax. So, relax with your whole body, you will only train your legs (first the left, then the right).
Exercise number 1. Bend the leg at the knee - the muscles in the upper part of the leg and under the knee are tense. We train in a three-fold alternation of tension and relaxation.
Exercise number 2. And now, on the contrary, we bend the limb with the toe towards us. Tension and relaxation of the calf.
Exercise number 3. Tension and relaxation in the upper thigh - the leg being trained hangs down from the bed (sofa, etc.), thereby you achieve tension. Then return your leg to the starting position and focus on relaxing.
Exercise number 5. Tension in the hip joint and abdomen - lift the leg so that only the hip joint is bent.
Exercise number 6. Tension of the gluteal muscles - putting several books under the knee, press hard on them.
Discharge these six exercises with one or two repetition sessions, or provide one session devoted exclusively to relaxation.
Relaxation of the muscles of the body.
Exercise number 1. Abdominal muscles - perform as follows: either consciously pull the stomach into ourselves, or slowly rise from a lying position to a sitting position.
Exercise number 2. Muscles located along the spine - tension is achieved by arching and bending in the lower back (in the supine position).
Exercise number 3. muscles respiratory system. Before starting the exercise, it is recommended to carry out about half an hour of general relaxation. Then take a series of deep breaths in and out. At the same time, you will constantly feel the tension that occurs in the chest when you inhale (it is possible that at first you will only notice tension under the sternum; thanks to training, you can easily recognize it in other parts of the chest). Once you have a clear picture of the tension during deep breathing, you will be able to identify it with normal breathing as well. The purpose of this exercise is not breath control (as in a number of other relaxation techniques), rather the opposite - we are talking about how to save this process from the arbitrary influence of volitional factors, so that it functions absolutely spontaneously.
Exercise number 4. Relaxation of the shoulder muscles. It involves the acquisition of several skills. By crossing your arms outstretched forward, you will fix the tension in the front of the chest; by rotating the shoulders back - tension between the shoulder blades, raising them - tension on the sides of the neck and in the upper part of the shoulders themselves. The tension in the left side of the neck is achieved by tilting the head to the left, in the right - to the right. Its fixation in the front and back sides takes place when the head is tilted forward and backward. This shoulder relaxation exercise can be done in one step, but it can also be done in stages. Relaxation exercises for the torso as a whole should be done for about a week (if you find it necessary to consolidate some skills, in this case, provide classes dedicated exclusively to relaxation).
Relaxation of the eye muscles.
Exercise number 3. Tension of the oculomotor muscles - while we feel tension in the eyeball. With eyes closed, look to the right, left, up, down. We train until we are able to clearly recognize the tension, and thereby get rid of it (that is, relax these muscles).
Exercise number 4. Having mastered the previous exercise, open your eyes and watch what happens when you look from the ceiling to the floor and vice versa. Feel the tension and relaxation.
Relaxation of facial muscles.
Exercise number 1. Gritting your teeth. Trace in every detail the accompanying tension. Relax. Repeat the exercise several times.
Exercise number 2. Open your mouth. What muscles are tensed at the same time? You should feel tension in front of the ears, but more deeply.
Exercise number 3. Bare your teeth, watch the tension in your cheeks. Relax.
Exercise number 4. Round your mouth, as if to say "ooh!", feel the tension, then relax your lips.
Exercise number 5. Pushing your tongue back, watch the tension, relax.
Relaxation of mental activity.
A quarter of an hour after complete relaxation, imagine (with your eyes closed) that you see the ceiling and floor of the room in which you are. If what you imagine is effective, you will feel the same muscle tension that you would experience when doing this exercise “in reality”. Relax for five to ten minutes. Then imagine a wall to your left and to your right. The goal is to develop the ability to evoke an intense mental image, and thereby tension in the corresponding muscle groups.
In the future (again after relaxation), imagine that a car is passing by you. In a similar way, you can practice with any moving objects: you can imagine that a train is coming, an airplane or a bird is flying by, a ball is rolling, etc. When you feel tension in your eyes when you visualize moving objects, focus on imagining tension in your eye muscles when you “observe” stationary objects, for example, imagine yourself reading a book. This approach leads to “cleansing thoughts” - already during or after the exercise, you will feel that your thoughts have subsided, as it were, have ceased to excite you, not one of them flickers in your brain.
Jacobson's Progressive Muscle Relaxation Timeline.
The following lines are considered by the author to be recommendations rather than mandatory. In any case, they are convenient to navigate: for the most part, people believe that learning is progressing too slowly if they do not master it perfectly the next day. Therefore, we present the Jacobson scale below:
Left hand .................................. one hour for 6 days
Right hand................................................ ........................ too
Left leg ........................................... one hour for 9 days
Right leg................................................ ........................ too
Torso ................................................. ........................... 3 days
Neck................................................. .................................... 2 days
Forehead................................................. ...................................... 1 day
Brows................................................. .................................. 1 day
Eyelids................................................. .................................... 1 day
Eyes ................................................ by hour within 6 days
Cheeks................................................. ....................................1 day
Jaws .................................................. ...............................1 day
Mouth................................................. ........................................1 day
Language................................................. ......................................2 days
Imaginary Conversations .................................................................. .. 6 days
Mental images .............................. one hour a week
Concentration
The inability to concentrate is a factor closely related to stress. For example, most working women at home perform three functions: housewife, spouse and mother. Each of these functions requires a woman's concentration, utmost attention and, of course, full dedication. There is a lot of unfocusedness. Each of these three functions causes a number of impulses that divert the woman's attention from the current activity and can cause a stressful situation. This tearing apart from day to day leads, in the end, to exhaustion, mainly mental. In this case, concentration exercises are simply irreplaceable. They can be performed anywhere and anytime during the day. To begin with, it is advisable to study at home: early in the morning, before leaving for work (study), or in the evening, before going to bed, or - even better - immediately after returning home.
So, we will designate an approximate order of performance of concentration exercises.
1. Try to ensure that there are no spectators in the room where you intend to practice.
2. Sit on a stool or regular chair - only sideways to the back so as not to lean on it. The chair should never be soft seat otherwise the effectiveness of the exercise will decrease. Sit as comfortably as possible so that you can remain still for a certain amount of time.
3. Place your hands freely on your knees, close your eyes (they must be closed until the end of the exercise so that attention is not distracted by foreign objects - no visual information).
4. Breathe through your nose calmly, not tensely. Try to focus only on the fact that the air you breathe in is colder than the air you breathe out.
5. And now two options for concentration exercises:
a) concentration on the account.
Mentally count slowly from 1 to 10 and focus on this slow count. If, at some point, your thoughts begin to dissipate and you become unable to concentrate on counting, start counting from the beginning. Repeat the count for several minutes.
b) concentration on the word.
Choose a short (two-syllable is best) word that evokes positive emotions in you or that has pleasant memories associated with it. Let it be the name of a loved one, or an affectionate nickname that your parents called you in childhood, or the name of your favorite dish. If the word is two-syllable, then mentally pronounce the first syllable on the inhale, the second on the exhale.
Focus on “your” word, which from now on will become your personal slogan with concentration. It is this concentration that leads to the desired side effect - the relaxation of all brain activity.
6. Perform relaxation-concentration exercises for several minutes. Practice for as long as it pleases you.
7. Having finished the exercise, run your palms over your eyelids, slowly, open your eyes and stretch. Sit quietly in your chair for a few more moments. Note that you have succeeded in conquering absent-mindedness.
Often there are situations when it is difficult to remember someone's last name or some thought. We often stop in the middle of a room or corridor, confused, trying to remember what we went for or what we wanted to do. It is in such cases that a short-term concentration on command is recommended - on your word or on the account. In most cases, a word (or thought) that has fallen out of memory will come to mind in just a moment. Of course, there is no guarantee that this will necessarily always succeed. But with the help of concentration on a word or count, one can recall the forgotten faster than with the help of increased memory tension. With the help of this simple method a person is able to make an effort and overcome himself.
Autoregulation of breathing
Under normal conditions, no one thinks or remembers about breathing. But when for some reason there are deviations from the norm, it suddenly becomes difficult to breathe. Breathing becomes difficult and heavy with physical exertion or in a stressful situation. And vice versa, with a strong fright, tense expectation of something, people involuntarily hold their breath (hold their breath).
A person has the opportunity, by consciously controlling breathing, to use it to calm down, to relieve tension - both muscular and mental, thus, autoregulation of breathing can become an effective means of dealing with stress, along with relaxation and concentration.
Anti-stress breathing exercises can be performed in any position. Only one condition is obligatory: the spine must be in a strictly vertical or horizontal position. This makes it possible to breathe naturally, freely, without tension, to fully stretch the muscles of the chest and abdomen. The correct position of the head is also very important: it should sit straight and loose on the neck. Relaxed, upright sitting head stretches upward to a certain extent chest and other parts of the body. If everything is in order and the muscles are relaxed, then you can practice free breathing, constantly controlling it.
We will not go into detail here about what breathing exercises exist (they are easy to find in the literature), but we will draw the following conclusions:
1. With the help of deep and calm self-regulated breathing, mood swings can be prevented.
2. When laughing, sighing, coughing, talking, singing or reciting, certain changes in the rhythm of breathing occur in comparison with the so-called normal automatic breathing. It follows from this that the way and rhythm of breathing can be purposefully regulated by consciously slowing down and deepening.
3. Increasing the duration of the exhalation promotes calm and complete relaxation.
4. The breathing of a calm and balanced person differs significantly from the breathing of a person under stress. Thus, the rhythm of breathing can determine the mental state of a person.
5. Rhythmic breathing calms the nerves and psyche; the duration of the individual phases of breathing does not matter - the rhythm is important.
6. Human health, and hence life expectancy, largely depends on proper breathing. And if breathing is an innate unconditioned reflex, then, therefore, it can be consciously regulated.
7. The slower and deeper, calmer and more rhythmic we breathe, the sooner we get used to this way of breathing, the sooner it will become integral part our life.
Meditation
Meditation techniques can be used effectively for self-regulation purposes. Depending on the tasks set, the text of meditations can be focused on rest, activation, a sense of strength, integrity, etc.
Meditation examples:
“Imagine that you are a small float in a vast ocean... You have no purpose... a compass... a map... a rudder... an oar... You are moving where the wind takes you... ocean waves... A big wave may cover you for a while... but you come up to the surface again and again... Try to feel these jolts and coming up... Feel the movement of the wave... the warmth of the sun... the drops of water... the pillow of the sea underneath you, supporting you... See what other sensations you get... when you imagine yourself as a small float in a big ocean...”
“Focus on your breathing... Air fills first abdominal cavity... then your chest... lungs... Take a full breath... then a few light, calm exhalations... Now calmly... without special effort, take a new breath... Notice which parts of the body. .. are in contact with the chair... the floor... in areas of the body where the surface is supporting you... try to feel that support a little more... Imagine that the chair... the floor... is being lifted to support you. ..
Imagine a big white screen...
Imagine any flower on the screen...
Remove the flower from the screen and put a white rose on the screen instead.
Swap the white rose for a red one.. (If you're having trouble...imagine painting the rose red with a brush...) Remove the rose and imagine the room you're in...all its furnishings...furniture... . color...
Flip the picture... Look at the room from the ceiling... If that's hard to do...imagine yourself on the ceiling...looking down at the room and its surroundings...
Now imagine a big white screen again...
Place a blue filter in front of a light source so that the entire screen becomes bright blue...
Change the blue color to red... Make the screen green...
Imagine any colors and images you want...”
“You are walking through the territory of a large castle... You see a high stone wall... covered with ivy, in which there is a wooden door... Open it and enter... You find yourself in an old... abandoned garden... When - then it was a beautiful garden ... however, no one has taken care of it for a long time ... The plants have grown so much and everything is so overgrown with herbs ... that you can’t see the ground ... it’s hard to distinguish the paths ... Imagine how you, starting anywhere in the garden...weeding...cutting the branches...mowing the grass...replanting the trees...digging, watering them...doing everything to bring the garden back to its former glory...
Stop after a while... and compare the part of the garden you have already worked on... with the part you haven't touched yet...”
“Imagine a small rocky island... away from the continent... At the top of the island... a tall, well-placed lighthouse... Imagine yourself as this lighthouse... Your walls are so thick and strong... that even strong winds constantly blowing on the island... can't shake you... From the windows of your upper floor... you day and night... in good and bad weather... send out a powerful beam of light that serves as a guide for ships... Remember that energy system that keeps your beam of light steady... gliding across the ocean... warning mariners of shallow waters... being a symbol of safety on the coast... Exercise "Water"
Now try to feel the inner source of light in yourself, the light that never goes out ... "
Ideomotor training
Since any mental movement is accompanied by micro-movements of the muscles, it is possible to improve the skills of actions without actually performing them. At its core, ideomotor training is a mental replay of the upcoming activity. For all its advantage (saving forces, material costs, time), this method requires a serious attitude from the practitioner, the ability to concentrate, mobilize the imagination, and the ability not to be distracted throughout the entire workout.
The psychologist who conducts this training must have a clear idea of the situation or action being played out before it begins. You can even pre-compose the text describing the situation. Turning Special attention to create an emotional background.
At the beginning of a workout, trainees can be encouraged to relax their muscles, use lower breathing, and sink into a calm, slightly drowsy state. After that, the psychologist proceeds to describe the situation. When conducting ideomotor training, the psychologist is recommended to observe the following principles:
1. Students must create an extremely accurate image of the movements being worked out;
2. The mental image of movement must necessarily be associated with its muscular-articular feeling, only then it will be an ideomotor representation;
3. Mentally imagining movements, you need to accompany it with a verbal description following the leader of the lesson, pronounced in a whisper or mentally;
4. Starting to train a new movement, you need to mentally see it in slow motion, which can be accelerated in the process of further training;
5. If during training the body itself begins to make some movements, this should not be prevented;
6. Immediately before performing a real action, you do not need to think about its result, since the result displaces from consciousness the idea of how to perform actions.
Ideomotor training helps to reduce the impact of the novelty factor, which leads to faster mastery of new skills, the formation of an image of upcoming actions and increases the level of psychological readiness for them.
Kinesiology
Kinesiology exercises are based on the experience of various cultures and are included in the methodology according to the principle of "optimal minimum". Exercise integrates brain function and nervous system in general, they ensure the speed and intensity of the course of nervous processes, relieve stress, positively affect the emotional system, stabilize and rhythmize the nervous processes of the body.
Exercise "Water"
Stress reduces the level of water in the body, leading to dehydration of cells. Drink a few sips of water.
Exercise "Buttons of the brain"
One hand gently massages the points under the collarbones to the left and right of the sternum, and the other touches the navel.
Exercise "Cross step"
Counter or, conversely, divergent movements of the hands to the opposite legs.
Exercise "Owl"
Squeeze one shoulder with force, simultaneously rotating your head in all directions and blinking your eyes, while pronouncing the sound "U" with each synchronous movement of the head and arm.
Exercise "Duck"
Massage the points in the middle above and below the mouth.
Exercise "Thinking cap"
Massage your ears with strong and deep movements.
Exercise "Positive Points"
Lightly touch the points located directly above the eyes on the forehead, exactly in the middle between the hairline and eyebrows. Before synchronization at the pulse points.
Exercise "Lazy Eights"
With your left hand at eye level, draw a figure eight in the air, lying on its side (the sign of infinity), looking at the thumbnail. Follow with your eyes as you go. Then the same with the right hand. Then connect your thumbs with an "X" sign.
You control yourself - you control your life! This immutable truth, which is relevant in our time, more than ever, because modern world- this is not only a world of high speeds and a huge number of things to do and worries, but also a world of stress and emotional instability, in which even the calmest person can easily lose his temper.
What is mental self-regulation?
Mental self-regulation is a person’s control of his psycho-emotional state, which is achieved through the influence of a person on himself through the power of words (), mental images () and control of breathing and muscle tone (). The methods of self-regulation are applied in absolutely any situation, and always produce the desired effect.
So, among the effects of mental self-regulation, three main ones can be distinguished:
- Activation associated with an increase in psychophysiological activity
- Recovery associated with reduced symptoms of fatigue
- Calmness associated with the elimination of emotional tension
In general, there are, of course, natural ways of mental self-regulation, including:
- Music
- Dancing
- Traffic
- Massage
- Interaction with nature and animals
However, these tools cannot be used in many situations, for example, during work, when a person feels tired and observes the tension of his mental state.
But it is timely mental self-regulation that can be perceived as a psychohygienic means that can prevent the accumulation of overstrain, restore strength, normalize the psycho-emotional state and mobilize the body's resources.
For this reason, the most accessible ways of natural self-regulation are also:
- Expressing compliments, praise, etc.
- Inhalation of fresh air
- Real or imagined sunbathing
- on pleasant things, photographs and flowers
- Contemplation of landscapes and panoramas
- Muscle relaxation, stretching and other similar movements
- Reflections on pleasant and good
- Humor, smile, laughter, etc.
But, in addition to natural ones, there are special ways of self-regulation, which in some cases are also called self-influence. It is about them that we will discuss further.
Methods of self-influence
So, the methods of self-action can be divided into:
- associated with verbal influence
- motion related
- breath related
Let's consider each of them in more detail.
Methods associated with verbal influence
Start self-knowledge, and we wish you good luck and always be in the best condition for yourself!
5.5. Methods of self-regulation of mental states
In the process of consulting a client with CMEA, it is advisable to help him form a personal “bank of positive emotions”, plot images of situations associated with bright positive moments and “get them out of the bank” at the right time (Vodopyanova N. E., Starchenkova E. S., 2005).
In cases where it is not possible to influence stressors, the client should be taught to regulate his emotional state. For this purpose, methods of regulation and self-regulation of mental states are used.
Psychological methods. Most of the methods of this group are based on suggestion and self-hypnosis. Currently, there are special methods of mental regulation and self-regulation that contribute to the performance of certain habitual professional actions. Their goal, as a rule, is to switch from excessive emotional arousal to some practical, predominantly motor (but sometimes mental) activity. For example, the famous scientist B. Pascal overcame malaise and even toothache, focusing on solving mathematical problems.
Among the methods that contribute to the solution of professional problems, one should also include ways to control attention. In particular, techniques are used to focus attention on certain objects and phenomena that are not associated with a potentially frustrating or psycho-traumatic situation. Attention can be focused on a mentally represented state of rest. A positive effect can also be provided by ideomotor actions carried out in the aspects of solving planned tasks that are opposed to negative psychogenic influences.
Focus training also has a positive effect. For example, by repeated repetition it is possible to achieve a fairly clear reproduction of a 5-second interval, then a 10-second, 15-second, etc. Concentration of attention can also be trained by concentrating on a specific thought or object, such as an instrument needle. Such training should last from a minute or more.
Most often, for the purpose of self-regulation of the mental state, various verbal formulas of suggestion and self-hypnosis are used. Their formulation, as a rule, is based on the affirmative principle. They should be short and extremely simple. At the same time, the feeling of initial confidence in the positive effect of these formulas is extremely important. Examples of such formulas are the words: “I am calm!”, “I am ready for a well-aimed shot!”, “I will keep running speed!”, “I can overcome fear!” (Maklakov A. G., 2005).
Methods of psychophysiological self-regulation. (Psychophysiological methods).
Regulation of muscle tone. An arbitrary increase in muscle tone does not require the development of special skills, since this function is sufficiently developed and controlled in humans. The development of relaxation skills requires special training, which should begin with relaxation of the muscles of the face and right hand, which play a leading role in the formation of general muscle tone.
To relax the muscles of the face, attention is first focused on the muscles of the forehead. At the same time, the eyebrows take a neutral position, the upper eyelids calmly fall down, and the eyeballs turn slightly upwards, so that the inner gaze is focused to infinity in the region of the nose. The tongue should be soft, and its tip is at the base of the upper teeth. The lips are half open, the teeth do not touch each other. This relaxation mask must be learned to be done in any environment and maintained for 3-5 minutes. In the future, the skill of relaxing the muscles of the whole body is easily developed. Relaxation, carried out under the continuous control of the mind's eye, usually begins with the right hand (for right-handers), then continues in this order: left hand - right leg - left leg - torso.
Breathing rhythm control. Some regularities of the impact of breathing on the level of mental activity are used here. So, during inhalation, the activation of the mental state occurs, while during exhalation, calming occurs. Arbitrarily setting the rhythm of breathing, in which a relatively short inhalation phase alternates with a longer exhalation followed by a pause. This allows you to achieve a pronounced general calm. The type of breathing, which includes a longer inhalation phase with some breath holding on inhalation and a relatively short exhalation phase (quite vigorously), leads to an increase in the activity of the nervous system and all body functions. The duration of the pause is in direct relation to the duration of inspiration and in all cases is equal to half of it.
Properly administered abdominal breathing has a number of physiological benefits. It involves all floors of the lungs in the respiratory act, increases the degree of oxygenation of the blood, the vital capacity of the lungs, and massages the internal organs. Therefore, this issue should be given special attention. Those involved should understand that during inhalation, the muscles of the anterior wall of the peritoneum protrude, the dome of the diaphragm flattens and pulls the lungs down, causing them to expand. During exhalation, the abdominal muscles are somewhat drawn in, as if forcing air out of the lungs. The increased curvature of the diaphragm lifts the lungs up.
Calming breath type used to neutralize excessive excitation after conflict, stressful situations, to relieve nervous tension. It is characterized by a gradual lengthening of the exhalation to the duration of a double inhalation. The pause in this case is equal to half the breath and is carried out after the exhalation. In the second stage, inhalation and exhalation are lengthened. On the third, the inhalation is lengthened until it is equal to the exhalation. On the fourth - the duration of breathing returns to its original value. It is not recommended to lengthen the breath more than up to a count of 10.
Mobilizing type of breathing helps to overcome drowsiness, lethargy, fatigue associated with monotonous work and mobilizes attention. Breathing exercises have a positive effect on the cardiovascular, respiratory systems, digestive apparatus, tissue metabolism, increase the functionality of body systems, ultimately determining its overall tone and alertness.
Autogenic training (AT). The use of autogenic training is based on mastering the possibilities of self-suggestion or autosuggestion (from the Greek autos - itself, suggestio - suggestion). The necessary conditions for this are concentrated self-observation of the course of internal processes, carried out rather in a passive than in an active-volitional form, and the presentation of the desired change (for example, warming, lightening, weighting, calming, etc.).
The main element of AT is the assimilation and operation of verbal formulations (self-hypnosis formulas) in the form of self-orders. In fact, self-hypnosis formulas are subjective markers that indirectly reflect complex complexes of sensory representations: organic sensations, a sense of muscle tension, emotionally colored images, etc.
The experience of states of autogenic immersion for methods aimed at the formation of self-regulating influences is not an end in itself. The main thing is to achieve the required state "at the exit" from autogenic immersion, as well as to obtain a delayed optimizing effect. For this, special formulations of self-orders are used - the so-called “goal formulas”, which set the necessary orientation for the further development of the state. The goal formulas mastered in the process of acquiring self-regulation skills, as well as self-hypnosis formulas, can have a different focus: the ability to further relax, rest, go to sleep - or have an activating effect, if necessary, immediately after the end of the relaxation session, start activities. It must be borne in mind that such goal formulas are a necessary final element in the application of any modification of AT.
Neuromuscular relaxation. The method of active muscle relaxation was proposed by E. Jacobson (1927) and consists of a series of exercises for voluntary relaxation of the main muscle groups of the body. A characteristic feature of each exercise is the alternation of strong tension and the relaxation of the corresponding muscle group that quickly follows it. Subjectively, the process of relaxation is represented by sensations of softening, the spread of a wave of heat and pleasant heaviness in the area of the body being worked out, a feeling of peace and relaxation. These sensations are a consequence of the elimination of residual, usually unnoticed muscle tension, increased blood supply to the vessels in this area and, accordingly, increased metabolic and recovery processes. When relieving fatigue and emotional stress, active relaxation, all the main parts of the body are subject to work, “worked out” in a certain sequence, for example: muscles of the limbs (legs, arms), torso, shoulders, neck, head, face. Below is a basic set of neuromuscular relaxation exercises in a slightly abbreviated version. The time required to complete the initial stages of training is 18-20 minutes. Contraindications for performing individual relaxation exercises are pathologies of the corresponding organs, age up to 12 years. In the presence of any diseases, before using neuromuscular relaxation techniques, it is required to undergo counseling and obtain permission from a doctor (Appendices 7,8).
Staying in a negative emotional state has a devastating effect on the body, since ancient times people have been looking for ways to control their mental state. Methods of self-regulation emotional states actively studied, today a number of techniques have been developed to manage stress. Self-regulation is a system of certain actions aimed at managing one's psyche. Regulation techniques make it possible to consciously control one's behavior.
Approaches in psychology
In domestic psychology, the definition of emotional regulation occurs in the following contexts:
- self-regulation of the personality;
- regulation of behavior;
- mental self-regulation;
- self-regulation of states.
The mechanism of self-regulation and regulation of emotional states was considered by F.B. Berezin. In his works, the regulation of the body is associated with mental adaptation. Berezin claims that anxiety and stress are resisted psychological defenses. The conducted research led Berezin to the conclusion that there are individual personality characteristics, it is they that help to successfully adapt to stress. This is the level of neuropsychic stability, self-esteem, emotional response in conflicts and others.
The well-known approach of R.M. Granovskaya. She divides all methods of emotional regulation into three groups:
- Elimination of the problem.
- Reducing the intensity of the impact of the problem by changing the point of view.
- Reducing the impact of a negative situation through a number of methods.
Regulate the state of R.M. Granovskaya suggests using a weakening of motivation. For example, it is possible to reduce emotional tension when achieving a goal by concentrating not on the final result, but on tactics.
General principles
A number of mental states lead to disorganization, so they need to be regulated. There are two ways:
- The use of influence on the psyche from the outside.
- Self-hypnosis.
The concept of self-regulation refers to the second point, that is, a person helps himself to cope with a tense situation on his own. Methods of psychological self-regulation involve volitional participation, the personality of a person matters.
Mental self-regulation is the management of the emotional state by influencing oneself with the help of words, images, muscle tone, changes in breathing.
Psychological self-regulation allows you to eliminate, weaken the signs of fatigue, increase psychophysiological reactivity.
Modern self-management of the state is a kind of psychohygienic method that increases the resources of the body.
Classification
In psychology, there are several approaches to the classification of state self-government. L.P. Grimak identified the following levels of self-regulation:
- motivational;
- individual-personal;
- information and energy;
- emotional-volitional.
Motivational level
Any mechanisms of self-regulation begin with motivation. Regulation and self-regulation of mental states are closely related to achievement motivation. Motivation is what drives a person, and mental self-regulation is the ability to maintain the desired level of activity.
Individual-personal level
The level is mobilized when it is necessary to "remake" oneself, one's attitudes and personal values.
Regulatory qualities:
- a responsibility;
- self-criticism;
- purposefulness;
- strength of will.
Information-energy level
The level provides the necessary degree of energy mobilization for the optimal functioning of the psyche. Types of self-regulation at the level:
- Catharsis. The shock of viewing works of art frees you from negative thoughts.
- "reaction" reaction. Strengthening mental and motor activity.
- ritual actions. The ritual is designed to set a person up for a good outcome of the event, to emotionally reinforce.
Emotional-volitional level
Volitional self-regulation makes it possible to control one's feelings, the ability to consciously maintain one's well-being in extreme situations.
Emotional self-regulation comes in two forms:
- arbitrary (conscious);
- involuntary (unconscious).
Involuntary regulation allows you to remove stress and anxiety intuitively. Conscious regulation is associated with target activity, a person uses special methods to restore emotional strength.
What methods are used
Methods of mental self-regulation were used in ancient times, for example, the technique of self-hypnosis went down in history as a practice of Indian yogis.
Known ways of self-regulation of the emotional state:
- self-hypnosis;
- autogenic training;
- desensitization;
- meditation;
- reactive relaxation.
Relaxation
The relaxation technique can be arbitrary (relaxation when going to sleep) and arbitrary. The free technique is evoked by taking a relaxed posture, imagining states corresponding to rest. Self-regulation skills with help allow you to perform a number of tasks:
- removal of muscle clamps;
- recovery energy balance organism;
- getting rid of the consequences of negative interpersonal communication, restoring mental strength;
- recovery of the body.
Autogenic training
Methods of emotional self-regulation with the help of auto-training were proposed by the German doctor Schultz. Autogenic training is self-hypnosis, techniques are learned in the course of systematic exercises.
Most people can master the technique; under the influence of training, it normalizes emotional sphere, stress goes away, strong-willed abilities increase.
Examples of self-regulation using autogenous training:
- The exercise is aimed at mastering the rhythm of breathing. Preliminarily, a feeling of warmth, heaviness is evoked, it is suggested that the heart beats easily and evenly. After preparation, the suggestion takes place: “I breathe quite calmly”, “I am calm.” Phrases are repeated 5-6 times.
- Relaxation of the muscles is caused by a feeling of heaviness, filling the capillaries of the skin with blood - by a feeling of warmth.
Desensitization
Methods of psychological self-regulation with the help of desensitization can reduce fear and anxiety in frightening situations. This may be a fear of heights, flying, or memories of traumatic experiences.
Habitual methods of regulation are the elimination of anxiety through relaxation. Immersed in a state of complete rest, a person imagines disturbing situations. It is necessary to alternate approaching and moving away from the voltage source.
An effective technique is work with breathing. Holding free breath when faced with an alarming situation, you can regain freedom of action.
The principles of self-regulation using desensitization is the elimination of anxiety through a positive attitude. An example here is when a child sings a cheerful song about how a lion ate a man. The sound and tone of speech eliminates fear. (Song from the movie "Mary Poppins Goodbye"). The general cheerful mood eliminates stress. In this film you can find effective methods self-regulation and removal of psycho-emotional stress in children.
Meditation
The foundations of self-regulation are laid in meditation. The process of meditation allows you to fully relax and relieve fatigue. Enough 15-20 minutes a day. There are two types of meditation:
- Deep reflection (meditation on something).
- Meditative state.
The effect of meditation is beneficial to health, it can reduce the symptoms of physical diseases, and it has a beneficial effect on physiology. After practice, metabolism, respiratory rate improves.
Video: webinar "What is self-regulation and why is it needed?".
Methods of natural regulation
Methods of mental self-regulation are not only conscious, but also natural. These include:
- walks in the forest;
- visiting cultural events;
- classical music;
- positive communication with interesting people;
- physical relaxation, for example, intense training;
- writing a diary entry detailing the situation that caused more emotional stress;
- literary evenings.
Natural regulation helps prevent neuro-emotional breakdowns, reduce overwork.
Some basic natural tricks mental regulation a person uses intuitively. This is a long sleep, communication with nature, delicious food, a bath, massage, sauna, dancing or your favorite music.
Many of the ways people use unconsciously. Experts advise moving from spontaneous application to conscious control of one's condition.
To avoid nervous breakdowns, it is worth using regulation methods. Self-management of one's condition can become the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and a condition for calm well-being. The main advice is regular use.
Video: webinar by psychologist Nina Rubshtein "Dependence, counter-dependence and self-regulation".
