Stress and emotions
Stress is vital. Without it, our brain and body would not be able to react effectively when faced with danger. A certain level of stress is beneficial, whether it’s to face a threat, to study better before an exam, or to perform well at work.
Stress is an involuntary response of our body to a challenging situation that we need to adapt to.
It manifests in different ways in each individual.
The symptoms can be physiological, psychological, emotional, or behavioral.
For example: restlessness, fear, anxiety, indecision, digestive problems, sleep issues, muscle tension, etc.
Sophrology is an excellent tool for stress management, using dynamic relaxation techniques, breathing exercises, and visualization to help us face stress when it arises.
Fear, joy, sadness, anger, disgust.
These five fundamental emotions are part of our daily lives, but the challenge is that we often struggle to release and manage them.
The word “emotion” comes from the Latin e movere, which means “to shake,” “to move.”
Emotion is primarily movement.
Blocking our emotions means blocking life, the natural flow within us.
There are solutions to learn how to better manage our emotions and thus face anger or sadness.
Sophrology and its different protocols are one of these solutions. They are true allies in achieving harmony, even in the presence of difficult emotions in our lives.
Thanks to this state of well-being, you will be able to identify your blockages and obstacles. But most importantly, you can work on these to release them in a positive way.
Post-traumatic stress
WHAT IS POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD)?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a set of symptoms that develop when a person has been exposed to a traumatic event that causes significant and sudden distress. It is normal to experience a shock in response to such an event, which is known as acute stress reaction, typically lasting less than a month. For some individuals, however, this period of stress persists abnormally long, ranging from several weeks to several months. This is when it becomes referred to as post-traumatic stress disorder.
HOW DOES POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER MANIFEST?
A person with post-traumatic stress disorder continuously relives the traumatic event through memories, dreams, or unexpected flashbacks. They may also experience a certain emotional numbness and detachment, feeling as though they have lost touch with their surroundings, as if they are always in a fog, unusually cold and distant. Other symptoms may appear, such as sleep disturbances, irritability, distress, difficulty concentrating, anxiety attacks, and so on.
Sometimes, the physical sensations felt during the trauma resurface unexpectedly. These symptoms are accompanied by a tendency to avoid anything that might remind them of the trauma. This avoidance behavior can result in partial or total amnesia of the events.
The generalized and severe anxiety characteristic of PTSD sometimes manifests as panic attacks or anxiety crises. If the person feels, or believes, they have some responsibility in the traumatic event (for example, in a car accident), the anxiety is often coupled with a loss of self-esteem.
After several months, these symptoms can have a significant negative impact on daily life and well-being, making it crucial to address them quickly. EMDR is a very effective method for doing so.
Overwork, burn-nout
Overwork refers to a specific issue: it is a state of persistent and lasting fatigue, distinct from occasional tiredness.
Overwork is a general term that applies in both professional and personal contexts. In contrast, burnout is specifically linked to work. Additionally, overwork is sometimes seen as a precursor to burnout. Indeed, burnout refers to a state of extreme exhaustion, often associated with chronic stress, and generally affects people who are highly invested in and emotionally dependent on their professional activities. When we talk about overwork, the person’s exhaustion is usually less advanced than in the case of burnout.
Whether it is due to high hierarchical pressure, an excess of work, or management difficulties, work-related overwork is characterized by a number of emerging signs: extreme fatigue, dizziness, digestive problems, insomnia, persistent physical pain (such as back pain), migraines… A high work pace and intense efforts over an extended period are often the causes of overwork.
A person affected by work-related overwork experiences difficulties with concentration and organization. The loss of confidence that accompanies this state often leads to an inability to make decisions or take initiatives. As a result, the person becomes less effective, which perpetuates the vicious cycle of self-doubt at work.
The solutions to address overwork are numerous: rest, a better work-life balance, prioritization, changes in organization and pace…
Sophrology provides an additional tool to manage overwork and prevent burnout or depression.
By acting on both the mental and physical aspects, sophrology will help:
- Reduce physical, emotional, and mental tensions related to stress.
- Establish a state of calm and relaxation.
- Increase self-confidence and self-esteem.
- Assert oneself.
- Improve sleep.
In general, it brings serenity to the person concerned and helps optimize both their professional and personal life.
Confidence and self-esteem
It’s not easy to have self-confidence when, since a young age, people make fun of you, tell you that you will never amount to anything in life, or when you face repeated failures in what you attempt.
It’s not easy either to trust others when lifelong friends have abandoned you when you needed them most…
It’s even harder to trust life itself when you listen to the news and hear about the wars, epidemics, and illnesses that are happening in the world…
And yet, confidence can be greatly improved by becoming aware of our abilities and our skills, and then using them to the best of our ability.
Often, the fear of failure or judgment from others blocks us from pursuing our goals, even though we have everything we need to succeed.
Improving self-confidence also means nurturing self-esteem by accepting imperfection and simply giving the best of ourselves every day.
Sophrology is an excellent way to work on self-confidence and self-esteem, to improve our well-being and serenity on a daily basis, but also to prepare for an important event: an exam, an interview, a public speaking engagement, a competition…
Sleep disorders
According to a survey conducted in 2014, 12 million French people suffer from sleep disorders, which represents 20% to 30% of the population across all age groups. Given that sleep plays a key role in the recovery of our body, it’s easy to understand why sleep disorders can greatly affect our daily well-being.
Sleep disturbances have various causes, but studies have shown that one in three French people associates their sleep problems with stress.
People who suffer from sleep disorders often find themselves in a state of physical and psychological fatigue, which makes it hard for them to cope with everyday life.
Sophrology offers all the tools to primarily improve the quality of life during the day, which in turn strongly impacts the quality of sleep and thus the next day.
It can be an alternative or a complement to traditional medication, medical devices, and lifestyle advice.
More and more doctors are recommending sophrology to their patients suffering from sleep disorders, as its effectiveness is regularly observed, and medications often come with significant side effects.
Some requests made by people suffering from sleep disorders, for which sophrology is relevant:
- To have quality sleep.
- To regain confidence in their ability to sleep.
- To support medical device usage.
- To boost energy during the day.
- To improve alertness at work or in personal life.
- To cope peacefully with daily changes.
A sophrologist specialized in sleep disorders will therefore be able to use different protocols and exercises to manage:
- Insomnia related to rhythm changes, anxiety, or psychosomatic causes.
- Disorders linked to the discomfort caused by devices prescribed for sleep apnea (CPAP machine or oral appliance).
- Bruxism (teeth grinding).
- Restless legs syndrome.
- Narcolepsy (excessive daytime sleepiness).