Stress and its consequences, which often lead to burnout, are a serious problem that we must pay attention to, says Miša Komar Žiberna from Aglea. We talked to her about what we can do to avoid stress.
The current situation in society is probably ideal for the occurrence of stress even in people who may not have known it until now.
Do you have such experiences?
It's true. The poor economic situation in the country results in a reduction in social security for the people. And the situation is deteriorating for all walks of life. Today, few people in our society feel really safe. Security is the foundation for a stable, balanced mental well-being of each individual.
To expect people in such situations outside of work to completely redirect their thoughts and relax is illusory.
What can we do to alleviate the pressure and somehow still prevent stress?
We can do the most ourselves. We must first realize that we will never again live in such a safe environment as we were used to. We need to know that we will be living in a more or less stressful environment all the time. We also need to be aware that there is no miracle pill to relieve stress. We feel the effects of stress all over our body, in fact all our cells are at risk. In a stressful situation, our brain, hormonal and immune systems use huge amounts of energy to try to cope with stress.
And so they take away energy from other organs, causing malfunctions and damage to cellular systems. So we need to learn to deal with the effects of stress.
But how do we do that?
The first tool to relieve stress, practice deep, calm breathing for at least ten minutes. We do this as soon as stress sets in, as well as every night before bed - especially when we are upset, scared and unable to sleep. Equally good methods are meditation, yoga, all forms of relaxation of our body and especially our brain. It is also very effective and advisable to listen to music, the one that suits each individual best, to calm him down and relax him - to completely surrender to the music and not think about anything else.
Another very important tool is what kind of food we take into the body and how much good water we drink.
Foods make enzymes, hormones, neurotransmitters, macrophages, lymphocytes, erythrocytes and all other cells of our body. Therefore, it is especially recommended that we consume as little coffee, nicotine, carbonated sugary drinks, alcohol, chocolate and all kinds of sweets and animal fats as possible during stressful situations. All of these nutrients basically further deplete us and at the same time pollute us with cellular waste, which the cells have to flush out and therefore consume even more energy.
The third tool is a proper and for each individual weekly recreation to be
we release and form those good hormones to neutralize the effects of stress. When eliminating
stress is also very important sleep, which should always be at the same time and long enough.
How do we notice that stress is leading us to burnout?
People usually don't notice this at all because we are too busy solving a crisis situation. But the body tells us: I can’t take it anymore, stop the horses! Signs of stress vary from person to person, and development depends on the character and "weak organs" of each individual. Therefore, there is not one rule nor one symptom. The most common signs of burnout are headache, fatigue, poor concentration, distraction, irritability or apathy, some sadness, fear, anxiety, helplessness and insecurity, itchy skin, redness, occasional shallow breathing and squeezing, chest pain, arrhythmia heart, poor digestion, poor sleep, nightmares and a drop in the immune system.
What are the consequences of burnout and how long does it take to get over it?
The consequences of burnout are very different in different people. They depend on the duration of stress, the genetic make-up of each individual, which of his organs are the most sensitive and thus also the most affected. Most often, quite a few organs are affected, so we are also talking about systemic problems, psychoneuroimmunological degenerations. So we need months, even years, to eliminate them. Burnout is a serious problem, so it is good to take it seriously and consult experts about it.
Most of the time, we need the advice and help of several different experts, as these problems are systemic in nature. Our society is not yet aware of the role of psychology as an equivalent profession to medicine. It is in the case of burnout and prolonged stressful situations that you should seek help from both your personal doctor and a psychologist. If burnout as a more severe form of stress symptom is not eliminated, it can get over us over the years
develop chronic cardiovascular, neurodegenerative diseases or any of the autoimmune diseases. Long-term stressful situations can also result in cancer.
What is the role of oxygen in avoiding stress?
Oxygen is one of the most important elements in the formation of cellular energy - ATP molecules - as well as in the neutralization of free radicals that are formed during energy production. Oxygen is the most powerful antioxidant we take into the body. At the same time, it is one of the main elements in the formation of our own antioxidants - glutathione, melatonin, peroxidases, other enzymes and hormones of stress and happiness, which are most important in regulating the effects of stress in our body.
What is biologically good oxygen and how can we get it all into the body?
In nature, we know several forms of oxygen ions, both positive and negative. This is also true for a person who gets oxygen ions into the body from air, food and water. We know that we breathe oxygen ions into the body, which we get from the air. Equally organic or biologically good oxygen is obtained from fresh fruits and vegetables that contain large amounts of water. Water molecules are also good donors of oxygen ions, but they must have specific physicochemical properties - water has the unique property of being diffuse and bipolar. These properties give water molecules in organic systems individual ions that "make" plasma water - that is, cell water, intercellular space, blood plasma - elastic and thus give it the ability to emit electrons. In this case, biologically good oxygen is that form of oxygen ions which gives electrons to neutralize the oxygen free radicals formed during the formation of ATP molecules.
