We are sure that you are in such a situation when you get sick at the most inopportune time. Going on a long-awaited vacation? Then keep the temperature at 38. Going to relax with your soul mate for the first time? No problem, test your relationship for strength during acute gastritis or worse. And some blame it all on bad karma, while others look for reasons within. For example, in psychosomatics.
Psychosomatic diseases are called diseases whose causes are mental processes to a greater extent than any direct physiological factor. When we experience stress, consciously or unconsciously, our body tries to protect us and often triggers processes that can lead to illness.
The Fashion Vibes columnist Anastasia Shvedko, author of the Usafespace mental health blog, will tell you more about what psychosomatics is and how stress and worries affect health.
Anastasia Shvedko, author of the usafespace mental health blog
Anxiety and stress are life companions in the digital age. Our brains are constantly overwhelmed with incoming information, and the remote work format has erased the boundaries between where we work and where we relax. Not everyone knows how to rest well (yes, you should be able to do that too) and monitor cortisol levels (a hormone produced during stress). Most people take short-term measures and as a result, stress builds up in their bodies.
Experts note that it is imperative to work with negative emotions – anxiety and stress, as they can cause real diseases at the physical level. In other words, our body tells us that we are not organized. This phenomenon is called “psychosomatic disorder.”
Psychosomatics is a direction in medicine and psychology that studies how emotions and experiences affect a person’s physical health.
To prevent stress from accumulating in our body, you need not only to be able to relax, but also to release your emotions in an environmentally friendly way. This can be used for sports and outdoor activities, journaling, creativity, etc. can be done through It has been proven that negative emotions that we do not experience remain in the body. There may be a cumulative effect in the future: a little stress can have serious consequences. The psyche sends a signal to the physical body that the limit has been reached.
Psychosomatic disorders manifest themselves differently in everyone, depending on individual problems and diseases. However, you can find a table with an approximate breakdown on the Web.
So, for example, in psychosomatics, it is believed that if you have a sore throat for no reason before a public speech, it is due to fear of self-expression and self-proclaim.
Stomach diseases are interpreted as inability to digest the new, fear of the unknown, rejection of life.
Candidiasis (thrush, an infectious disease in women) is interpreted by psychosomatics as the presence of claims against people, distrust in them, disappointment. Often, girls suffering from this problem are dissatisfied with their relationships and partners. Most note that candidiasis disappears immediately after separation.
Before looking at the transcript in the table, it is important to exclude medical diseases and consult a specialist. Gastritis isn’t always about denial of life, it’s often about food intolerances and the damage done by excessive consumption of fast food. But if you have a fever almost every morning before a job you don’t like and you feel good on the weekends, then it’s definitely worth thinking about psychosomatics.
How to monitor stress levels and prevent the onset of a psychosomatic disorder?
have a good rest
The advice seems simple and mundane, but it should be borne in mind that in addition to physical fatigue, experts make moral (spiritual) and intellectual distinctions.
A good rest includes restorative activities that are not related to work, stress and consumption of new information. Scrolling the feed on social networks only creates the illusion of rebooting, in fact, our brain continues to work and process information as it does at school or work. The lack of “unloading” leads to mental fatigue, information neurosis and deterioration of the general condition.
Keep track of your emotional state
As mentioned earlier, psychosomatic disorders often occur as a result of accumulated negative emotions and stress. Keeping a diary will help you keep track of your condition. You don’t have to keep it up every day and explain in detail where you are and what you’re doing. Simply save your status several times a week (you can use notes on your phone).
Don’t neglect basic needs
Before you can improve your condition with the help of meditation and sports, you should establish a sleep pattern. Without quality and full sleep, not only the functioning of our body is impaired, but also the nervous system suffers. Try to put your phone aside at least an hour before bed, in total darkness, and sleep for at least seven hours. You will find that good sleep is the key to good health and a stable emotional state.
Take care of yourself
Taking care of yourself isn’t just about skincare products and bubble baths, it’s primarily about eating full meals, taking care of yourself, getting good sleep, and environmentally friendly communication with others. If you are experiencing stress while communicating with someone you know, you should try to understand this situation because such situations also affect our health. Ask yourself questions: “Can I cut off communication with this person?”, “How can I reduce the level of negative emotions I get in the communication process”, “How can I reduce interaction with this person?” Due to work or educational circumstances, we cannot exclude contact with a person, but we can monitor our situation and help ourselves in a timely manner. Remember, it’s not the event that matters, it’s our reaction to it.
meditate
I think a lot has been said and written about meditation lately. But I would like to add that this is a really great way to reduce anxiety and stress. It is not necessary to sit in the lotus position and meditate for an hour: it is enough to devote five minutes to this, sitting in a comfortable position. Don’t expect the flow of thoughts and influences to stop completely after the first time, meditation is to calm the mind, not shut it down.
Source: People Talk
