HOW TO SAVE YOURSELF Today I decided to write a post about what is happening to people now. I will not be original; many of my colleagues are writing about this now. Perhaps this will be useful to you in some way. For this publication, I chose a photo of my office, which I really miss. I love working in it, it calms me down). Now I have to work online. So, let me begin. Everything that is happening around the world right now - the epidemic, the economic crisis, political situations - is causing fear, horror and real panic. Even the word “pandemic” itself is similar to the word “panic”. A huge amount of information does not reduce anxiety, but rather increases it. The situation is changing very quickly, new every day. We do not have time to somehow digest it and adapt to it, to integrate new conditions into our lives. The anxiety here is not at all unfounded! A lot of uncertainty, lack of control, inability to somehow influence what is happening causes a lot of powerlessness and anger. And knocks out the support. All this affects the emotional state: anxiety, excitement, aggression, fear, panic, depression, apathy. And also on the physical: - exacerbation of chronic diseases, the appearance of various psychosomatic symptoms that feel like physical diseases. Often, psychosomatics with fear can resemble diseases of the cardiovascular system (pain and heaviness in the heart area, rapid heartbeat, pressure surges, etc.), diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (pain in the stomach, spasms in the intestines), difficulty breathing (com in the throat, inability to breathe deeply), headache and dizziness. So how can you protect yourself? The recommendations are simple at first glance, but they work: 1. Don’t overload yourself with information. It is important! Better information blockade. Try not to read or watch all the numerous articles and videos that are sent in all messengers. This will only fuel the anxiety. If you are overwhelmed and want to know something, then watch and listen to information only from trusted sources. This will help you not to take on someone else's panic. 2. Try to communicate with people with whom you feel calm and comfortable. Share your fears and worries with them. Listen to how they feel. Avoid unnecessary communication with people who constantly savor the situation in the country and tell various “horrors”. Be respectful of your “boundaries.” 4. Build your life the way that suits you. If you want to wash your hands 50 times a day, wash them. If you want to clean the apartment, please. If you want to buy groceries and it calms you down, buy them. This is how your anxiety manifests itself. Learn to notice it! 5. If you have no control over the external situation, pay attention to your own life. Pay attention to how your life is changing now, notice the processes taking place personally in you and in your family. 6. In conditions of isolation, you have time for what you might like to do, but haven’t had time for a long time - reading, drawing, knitting, learning a language, cooking (something tasty can lift your spirits) and much more. Positive emotions reduce anxiety. 7. Exercise your own body - sports or at least exercise. Meditation, yoga and various breathing practices are suitable. It is important! You can do a simple exercise - sit down, put your feet on the floor, feel the support under your feet and begin to feel your own body from the tips of your toes to the top of your head. Helps you relax a lot. Out of fear, we often stop breathing and freeze. It is important to notice your fear. It's okay to be afraid! 8. To support our body, we can drink vitamins and, if necessary, herbal-based sedatives. (valerian, motherwort) 9. Try to avoid drinking alcohol. It only acts as an anesthetic for a while, and then it only gets worse. 10. And of course a sense of humor, where would we be without it! 😃 I wish you good health!