Different stress-coping techniques can be used to deal with various types of stressors. In my life, I differentiate between cognitive, social, and emotional stressors. The main cognitive stressor is my studies and the amount of information that I have to process daily. The cognitive symptoms of stress include anxiety, fear, poor concentration, and memory problems. To deal with poor concentration, I practice mindfulness mediation that allows me to free my mind of all excessive thoughts and concentrate on the present moment. It is a very effective technique that helps to deal with all types of stress but is particularly useful to address cognitive symptoms.
My most recent social stress is connected to the COVID-19 quarantine and the long period of social inactivity due to it. To cope with the isolation and the inability to see my friends or participate in any social activities, I used several techniques. I did physical exercises, which are believed to help deal with anxiety by releasing endorphins, enhancing the immune system, and increasing body temperature (Lebowitz, 2016). I took warm baths and long walks whenever I had a chance to reduce tension and give my body and mind a break.
Emotional stress is the most difficult type of stress to deal with, and it can be addressed using both profound and simple relaxation techniques. Talking with friends, drawing, walking, exercising, meditating, and even writing your thoughts on a piece of paper can help reduce anxiety and emotional distress. Specific methods depend on the particular emotion that is causing stress, such as loneliness, anger, envy, or self-pity.
One of the most interesting stress-coping techniques that I encountered is called neurographics, or neurography. It is a way of drawing that recreates the inner source of tension and deals with it on the subconscious level through the process of drawing (Neurographica and Psychology of Creativity, n. d.). First, one needs to think about the problem that is troubling them and scratch some random intersecting lines on a piece of paper. Then, the task is to soften the angles at the intersection of lines, making rounder shapes. The process helps to relax and get rid of painful thoughts by softening them down in the process of drawing. Neurographics uses the connection between the body and brain to loosen and redirect the habitual thought patterns that create fear and confusion.
References
Lebowitz, D. B. (2016). 15 scientific tricks to beat stress, anxiety, and fear. Business Insider. Web.
Neurographica and Psychology of Creativity. (n. d.). Home [Facebook page]. Facebook. Web.