The key to disconnecting lies in identifying and correcting those situations that cause us anxiety or a feeling of unease.
This summer it is more important than ever to relax and rest, because the months of uncertainty and restlessness have taken a toll on our mind and body. Some muscle relaxation exercises , meditation or deep breathing can be useful to combat that constant feeling of restlessness that we are experiencing, but the truth is that, according to experts, the key to disconnect lies in identifying and correcting those situations that cause us that anxiety or feeling restless.
The prevention thus becomes the best tool to limit the impact of anxiety during the holiday period because, as emphasized by Dr. Maria Sanchez, e-Health Medical Manager Cigna Spain, the origin of this concern is, in many cases , linked to the context of uncertainty in which we live. “Taking into account the limited room for maneuver we have to change reality, it is best to invest our efforts in prevention. For this, we must not only put into practice exercises or pleasant habitsto reverse the feeling of tension and help us to disconnect, but also to know how to identify those aspects that, although it seems that they have nothing to do with our mental situation, do affect our state of tranquility ”, he argues.
These are, according to the expert, some of the habits or situations of daily life that can influence the ability to relax or can even increase emotional tension:
1. Procrastination
The summer season tends to give more room to procrastinate, that is, postpone important activities to dedicate time to more entertaining but less relevant tasks. However, the truth is that this practice is a source of concern and concern. To avoid it, it is advisable to visualize the reward of doing the task on time, tell others what to do to reinforce the feeling of duty, evaluate the consequences of inaction, identify and visualize the first step to start the action and give yourself a small prize after doing it.
2. Unnecessary commitments
Beyond work responsibilities, other types of personal commitments tend to arise, especially in summer and during vacations, such as family reunions, meetings with friends, visits or courtesy trips … All these plans, if conceived as one obligation, are enormously counterproductive. To combat them, there are several options: from sharing the feeling of discomfort with others, to directly dismissing its realization. Of course, in this case, it will have to be done with time.
3. The disorder
Summer, vacations and disorder usually come hand in hand, even more so if we consider that this year our home has also been an office, a school, a game room … It has been proven that living in continuous disorder hinders emotional balance and psychological and acts as a trigger for other situations that also generate tension and restlessness: fatigue, feeling of guilt, worry about not finding something, delaying tasks … Thus, one of the solutions to remedy it is to impose order on all the variables that affect to daily life, and not just to the personal items that surround us.
4. The absence of sleep schedules
In summer it is common to go to bed each day at a different time, which affects our ability to fall asleep and, therefore, its quality. In fact, as shown by the Cigna study, “COVID-19 Global Impact”, from its annual report “360º Well-Being Survey 2020”, the percentage of Spaniards who acknowledge not getting enough sleep has grown from 29% from last April to 39% today. To solve this, it is advisable to sleep at least 7 hours , try not to use mobile devices before going to bed and ensure that the rest space is adequate in terms of temperature, noise, light, furniture, bedding …
5. Too much control
Wanting to have everything under control during the holidays is one of the main sources of stress and anxiety . To combat this problem, we must understand that there are things that escape our behavior (the climate, the actions of others, the health context that surrounds us …) and that sometimes it is necessary to delegate so that the things that can be control go well, but with the help of others.
6. Negative thoughts
Having more free time during the holidays can lead to over-analyzing each situation, finding nonexistent problems and always thinking negatively. In the long run, this practice causes an increase in internal tension and a tendency to believe that situations are much more serious than they really are. To avoid falling into this, a solution that can be put into practice is the so-called “thinking stop technique”, which consists, according to the European Institute of Applied Psychology, in stopping negative thoughts that generate emotional discomfort, and replacing them with others better and more adaptive.
7. Neglecting the body
In addition to these situations that have a direct impact on our ability to relax, there are many other aspects related to a healthy lifestyle that must be paid attention to and that are also common during the summer season. This is the case of leading a too sedentary life, following a deficit diet that leads to excess consumption of sugar, fried foods and trans fats, or alcohol abuse, as they also affect our ability to “reset” mentally
