Stressful situations cannot be avoided in everyday life. You are getting up to talk in front of a crowd. You are preparing to meet someone in a first date. Or, in the worst scenario, it is facing an emergency. Your hands begin to tremble, your heart shoots and your mind is flooded with negative thoughts.
These are very familiar scenarios for Sarah Lorenzini, a quick response nurse for 10 years and founder of Rapid Response Academy, a program that educates nurses on how to train and deal with any emergency.
“I remember when I was a new nurse in the emergency, and even having all the theoretical knowledge about what to do in emergencies, when that patient arrived brought by emergency service … I had difficulty breathing,” said Lorenzini, who is also Presenter of the Nursing Education Podcast Rapid Response RN. “And if you can’t make your body work, do the things you know how to do, then you can’t help the patient.”
It is common for the natural response of “struggle or escape” of the body to action, and it can be difficult to react the way you would like pressure.
But you can train your mind and body so that when the next situation of arising is better prepared. See how to keep calm no matter what happens, according to Lorenzini and other experts.
When Lorenzini was 9 years old, she went to snorkel with her family in Florida. At the time, she didn’t have enough strength at the top of her body to get the water, so she needed help to return to the boat whenever she left.
But when he found a barracuda in the water, he was so scared that the one produced by his body gave him strength to swim faster than ever and jump on the boat alone.
Lorenzini noted that if he did not know how to swim well or had not been attempted to return to the boat alone, he would not be so prepared for his quick escape from the predator fish. “I would have just continued to debate myself in the water, not knowing what to do,” he said.
Your experience shows how to be prepared in advance can help in high stress situations, such as completing a nursing program, practicing a speech in front of the mirror or studying for important proof.
But there are also ways to develop so -called nervous system resilience, the ability to maintain body stress response in a healthy balance, before such stressful situations, said Inna Khazan, professor of psychiatry at the Harvard School of Medicine and Clinical Psychologist Specializing in Health Psychology and Excellence in Performance.
One technique that it often advises is to exercise the variability of heart rate, or VFC, which is the way a person’s heart rate rises and varies and varies constantly. Having a higher VFC is a sign that your nervous system is healthy and that your heart can better adapt to daily challenges and stressors.
When working on resonance frequency breathing, slow diaphragmatic breathing that is usually three to seven respirations per minute and synchronizes with its heart rate, VFC will increase, which will train the heart to recover faster from stressors, Khazan said. People with higher VFC tend to find it easier to make decisions, focus and respond in challenging situations, he added.
By checking the day the smaller stressors, a person may be more in tune with the way his body responds in high stress, said Julie Uhernik, a licensed professional counselor and a nurse registered in Parker, Colorado.
Maintaining a physical or mental record of how stress you feel on a scale of 1 to 10 throughout the day can help you identify not only your stressors, but also the natural stress symptoms that occur, he added, and doing it can help you to react better in these situations of high stress.
Basic needs such as maintaining a healthy diet and sleeping enough at night is also crucial to improving your response to high stressors, Khazan said.
When a person begins to feel the sensations of stress, thoughts like “I can’t do it” or panic start to emerge, Lorenzini said. But when you are aware that these reactions, such as a change in breathing or heartbeat, are normal, so you can use this consciousness to your advantage.
“I call it a super nurse, or Super Sarah, when I can work at my best,” she added. “Over time, I kind of retreated to say, ‘Ah, these things I’m feeling in my body are not disturbing me. In fact, they are becoming a better professional, a better nurse. ”
Remembering to breathe more slowly is also important, said Khazan. She recommends inspiring normally by the nose for four seconds and expand – as if she was gently erasing a candle – for six seconds to help rebalance the system.
The goal is not to relax, but “a self -regulation practice so that it can help the body reach that ideal level of activation,” said Khazan.
Using your senses, such as observing your feet sensation on the ground or looking around to evaluate the situation and reactions of others, can help you pause and think before reacting, Uhernik said, who is also a mental health rescuer for disasters of American Red Cross and consultant in emergency preparation for mental health professionals.
Finally, it is important to remember that stress is inevitable, especially when emergencies occur, he said.
“A little stress is good for us. Keeps our nervous systems prepared to answer when we need and get back to a state of calm when things are fine and there is no threat in the environment. ”
