8 ms·

Stress reduction techniques for high stress operations (2023)

131 points by wslh 3y ago

voisin 3y ago
> To reduce stress: > Exercise regularly. Cardio and strength training reduce stress levels and keep you mission ready. > Get good sleep. Poor sleep or not enough sleep has a significant negative impact on wellbeing. > Eat healthy. A good diet helps keep your body and mind in shape. > Participate in relaxing activities. Breathing-based meditation and yoga, for example, can improve symptoms and reduce anxiety. > Stay connected. The support of friends and family improves psychological health when facing stress
- wslh 3y ago
  Seems like you are missing important parts such as: > Calming physical reactions to stress. Use regular, slow breathing from your diaphragm and progressive muscle relaxation. This reduces your heart rate and anxiety. Only from the above you can search more stuff such as [1]. [1] https://www.google.com/search?q=box+breathing+site%3Amil https://www.google.com/search?q=box+breathing+site%3Amil
  - toomuchtodo 3y ago
    Also can help you fall asleep if unable to. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6361823/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6361823/ ("Self-Regulation of Breathing as an Adjunctive Treatment of Insomnia")
  - throwaway290 3y ago
    This. Everything in the top level comment is platitudes but this is life changer whenever I remember to do it. I guess life itself is high stress operations for me
  - wenc 3y ago
    Surprised they didn't call out box-breathing. It works for me. It's so simple: 1. inhale 4 seconds. 2. hold breath for 4 seconds. 3. exhale 4 seconds. 4. hold breath for 4 seconds. (repeat) I do this when I encounter any stressful situation (like public speaking, etc.). It seems to work for me.
    - cmehdy 3y ago
      Generalized anxiety disorder here. It stresses me out to be so square about breathing, as if I'm not allowed to do it when I feel the need to do it. Almost feeling like I'm strangling myself if I keep it up for more than a cycle or two. Funny how humans work that this can be experienced so differently I guess!
      - actionfromafar 3y ago
        I can relate. A softer approach is to slowly breathe in for a certain amount of time, then breathe out the same amount of time. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/proper-breathing-brings-better-health/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/proper-breathing-...
      - lloeki 3y ago
        > I'm not allowed to do it when I feel the need to do it. Almost feeling like I'm strangling myself if I keep it up for more than a cycle or two. I can relate. Maybe I can offer a suggestion? Coarsely there are two fundamental ways to approach relaxation breathing: # The "anything goes" way Comfortable pose, breathe at the rhythm and location your body feels like it wants to. Lay a hand whereever you feel the breathing happening. Observe the breathing, its location, rhythm, airflow. There is no reference point so anxiety usually pop up with questions like "Am I doing this right? Was that inhale too fast/slow?", answer that with: there is no right or wrong way, there is just what is, right now. Maybe it's faster than last time, maybe it's slower; maybe it happens higher or lower. Doesn't matter, all that does is that you realise it doesn't matter, observe while noting then letting go of parasite thoughts, and go through with the exercise. This distances judgemental thoughts away. # The structured way 4s box breathing and 4-7-8 breathing fall into that category. Comfortable pose, one hand on chest - which aims to stay still - and one hand on abs - which aims to move -, the purported goal being to aim for diaphragmatic breathing. It is also about being observant, it does not really matter if you miss the mark, or if your chest moves. The structure aims to provide a guiding pace, like a tow boat. Anxiety kicks in in two ways: a) Since there's a structure to follow, there's a reference point, and when you inevitably veer off, thoughts like "I'm doing it wrong" or "I can't do this". b) Holding breath triggers physical fight-or-flight response, which the anxious mind is prone to listen to, and thus abort, which makes same mind think "I can't do this, I fail" in a vicious feedback loop. Again, in both cases it's about being observant and not judgemental, essentially taking a moment to breathe is all that matters, even if it's a few seconds, so really the only way to "fail" is to not do it. Anxiety is some internal compass being off, triggering all sorts of fight-or-flight responses; by learning to be observant, anxiety is not eliminated, instead it takes a backseat, breaking the runaway feedback loop. It's like you sprained an ankle, were incapacitated for a while, and then when the tissue damage is fixed you can't stand in balance on just that leg. That's normal, of course your ankle is weak, your sensations are off and fuzzy, your muscles can't react, what else to expect! That's where physiotherapy helps, relearning how to stand, move, walk, and it's uneasy at first, and it gets better over time. Personally I had a very hard time even breathing in then holding my breath for 3~4s (heart pounding, growing panic state), so I found that "anything goes" helped me a lot in achieving 4-7-8, and in turn 4-7-8 helped me a lot in achieving 4s box breathing.
29athrowaway 3y ago
Magnesium levels. The most overlooked and underrated aspect of stress management.
- racked 3y ago
  How do you keep them in check?
  - brobinson 3y ago
    Magnesium glycinate!
  - DoreenMichele 3y ago
    Light and noise sensitivity can be early indicators one needs additional magnesium, especially if preceded by vomiting, fever or sweating.
- febed 3y ago
  Effective, but it also reliably messes up my stomach
  - reaperman 3y ago
    Magnesium Oxide and Magnesium Citrate also do that to me. Magnesium Glycinate (and especially Magnesium Threonate) seem to be a lot better in that regard. It also seems to help to take 25% RDA in the morning and 25% at night, rather than 100% RDA at any one time.
senthil_rajasek 3y ago
Also, if you are not fighting a war and your workplace is so toxic that you have to take military grade advice on stress reduction then you should look for a new job.
- wslh 3y ago
  You can have a similar impact in your brain and body that fighting a war. Not only in a job. As you said, one main difference is that you can quit your job but not the war. There is a detail: you can experience these feelings even if your job is not toxic.
  - senthil_rajasek 3y ago
    My comment was specifically about people stuck in a toxic work environment in a civilian establishment and I made no claims about other situations.
    - phantomathkg 3y ago
      Unfortunately you made it sounds like you deject what the page said, anyone taking the advices there is working in a toxic environment and should leave.
  - dredmorbius 3y ago
    "There are no innocent bystanders in Hell. War is chock full of them - little kids, cripples, old ladies. In fact, except for some of the brass, almost everybody involved is an innocent bystander." -- Hawkeye Pierce, M*A*S*H <https://www.quotes.net/mquote/790330 https://www.quotes.net/mquote/790330> War is the job you can't quit.
    - rightbyte 3y ago
      That you can't legally quit. There are plenty of ways to quit. E.g. deserting, self-wounding. You also got different forms of mutiny and "fragging" officers (not really quiting, but refusing to do the job).
aatd86 3y ago
You are aware of your emotions by their physical impact. Emotions are in fact sensations, bodily sensations. Observe those, step back from those, try and control those. Observe your mind as well. Slow your pace on purpose. You may notice some body tension. Consciously observe and release those. When breathing, you should feel the air going from your nostrils to the back of your throat (larynx). If there is no reason to feel anxious but you still are, go find what is making you feel that way in the depth of your mind and make it stop. Look at what is happening in your brain, take some distance, and often it will stop on its own. Be patient until it does.
kjellsbells 3y ago
I've often wondered if the traditions around warfare that we read about in ancient classics like the Iliad were intended to reduce PTSD. For example, after every military action, there are always games and feasts, with a lot of communal time with fellow survivors and some "play re-enactment" like boxing matches or running races. The soldiers never, ever just demobilize and go home to their homesteads. Mental phenomena like disturbing dreams are taken seriously (albeit through the lens of the religious practice of the time) and openly discussed. Am I projecting, or did the ancients know a thing or two here?
- canadiantim 3y ago
  That's a great insight, I think you're onto something there
- captainkrtek 3y ago
  That makes a lot of sense. Would seem quite important for people involved in conflict to have time to decompress with others who can relate instead of just being plopped back into normal everyday life unadjusted.
  - polishdude20 3y ago
    Modern Veterans pubs seem to be something similar.
- 082349872349872 3y ago
  The Māori Haka (and related polynesian dances) always seemed to me like they take physical manifestations of a severe adrenalin dump and, catlike, turn them into something where one can say "I'm doing this on purpose". (speaking of the Iliad: who accompanies Ares/Mars? Phobos and Deimos)
- spacemark 3y ago
  Interesting observation, there may be some truth to it!! A while back I read a really interesting Reddit comment by someone researching PTSD in ancient history. Here it is https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1j6ssm/comment/cbbvfib https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1j6ssm/comme...
sinuhe69 3y ago
Strange. Does health.mil block certain IP blocks or why I can not open the article? My Google snippet is also very peculiar: Skills That Aid Job Performance Under High Stress -Controlling emotions. Reduce negative thinking and fear. ... -Calming physical reactions to stress. Use regular, slow breathing from your diaphragm and progressive muscle relaxation. ... -Training with repetition. ... -Visualizing tasks. ... -Learning prioritization. ... -Building team skills. Not the usual people reported (sleep, exercise, taking with loved ones etc.)
truth_seeker 3y ago
What really worked or me is combination of both Short and Long term solution. Stress Management (Short term) - Ashvagandha medicinal tablet, jogging, breathing exercise like Anulom Vilom Stress Relief (Long term) - 1. Vegeterian diet, small amount of green tea over coffee or any other stimulants 2.taking regularly couple of days off every month from your mobile, family and friends and do what he hell you want to do, not suppressing your irritation and depression with alcohol or marijuana but gradually helping them find outer expression in terms of any outdoor non-competitive sports activity which you actually like and not what people around you suggests 3.Understanding source of stress by giving equal (VIA POSITIVA, path of faith) or zero (VIA NEGATIVA, path of sceptic) priority to everything and everyone around you to clearly see who is supporting you to live a life you may or may not like but find it worth, this requires great courage as it may have to look beyond and grow out of your current relationship with life partner, business parter, country etc.
- jasfi 3y ago
  Ashwagandha really works well, you don't have to take it every day either. I only take it when stressed and it's like a biohack it works so well.

131 points by wslh 3y ago

> To reduce stress: > Exercise regularly. Cardio and strength training reduce stress levels and keep you mission ready. > Get good sleep. Poor sleep or not enough sleep has a significant negative impact on wellbeing. > Eat healthy. A good diet helps keep your body and mind in shape. > Participate in relaxing activities. Breathing-based meditation and yoga, for example, can improve symptoms and reduce anxiety. > Stay connected. The support of friends and family improves psychological health when facing stress

wslh 3y ago
Seems like you are missing important parts such as: > Calming physical reactions to stress. Use regular, slow breathing from your diaphragm and progressive muscle relaxation. This reduces your heart rate and anxiety. Only from the above you can search more stuff such as [1]. [1] https://www.google.com/search?q=box+breathing+site%3Amil https://www.google.com/search?q=box+breathing+site%3Amil
- toomuchtodo 3y ago
  Also can help you fall asleep if unable to. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6361823/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6361823/ ("Self-Regulation of Breathing as an Adjunctive Treatment of Insomnia")
- throwaway290 3y ago
  This. Everything in the top level comment is platitudes but this is life changer whenever I remember to do it. I guess life itself is high stress operations for me
- wenc 3y ago
  Surprised they didn't call out box-breathing. It works for me. It's so simple: 1. inhale 4 seconds. 2. hold breath for 4 seconds. 3. exhale 4 seconds. 4. hold breath for 4 seconds. (repeat) I do this when I encounter any stressful situation (like public speaking, etc.). It seems to work for me.
  - cmehdy 3y ago
    Generalized anxiety disorder here. It stresses me out to be so square about breathing, as if I'm not allowed to do it when I feel the need to do it. Almost feeling like I'm strangling myself if I keep it up for more than a cycle or two. Funny how humans work that this can be experienced so differently I guess!
    - actionfromafar 3y ago
      I can relate. A softer approach is to slowly breathe in for a certain amount of time, then breathe out the same amount of time. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/proper-breathing-brings-better-health/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/proper-breathing-...
    - lloeki 3y ago
      > I'm not allowed to do it when I feel the need to do it. Almost feeling like I'm strangling myself if I keep it up for more than a cycle or two. I can relate. Maybe I can offer a suggestion? Coarsely there are two fundamental ways to approach relaxation breathing: # The "anything goes" way Comfortable pose, breathe at the rhythm and location your body feels like it wants to. Lay a hand whereever you feel the breathing happening. Observe the breathing, its location, rhythm, airflow. There is no reference point so anxiety usually pop up with questions like "Am I doing this right? Was that inhale too fast/slow?", answer that with: there is no right or wrong way, there is just what is, right now. Maybe it's faster than last time, maybe it's slower; maybe it happens higher or lower. Doesn't matter, all that does is that you realise it doesn't matter, observe while noting then letting go of parasite thoughts, and go through with the exercise. This distances judgemental thoughts away. # The structured way 4s box breathing and 4-7-8 breathing fall into that category. Comfortable pose, one hand on chest - which aims to stay still - and one hand on abs - which aims to move -, the purported goal being to aim for diaphragmatic breathing. It is also about being observant, it does not really matter if you miss the mark, or if your chest moves. The structure aims to provide a guiding pace, like a tow boat. Anxiety kicks in in two ways: a) Since there's a structure to follow, there's a reference point, and when you inevitably veer off, thoughts like "I'm doing it wrong" or "I can't do this". b) Holding breath triggers physical fight-or-flight response, which the anxious mind is prone to listen to, and thus abort, which makes same mind think "I can't do this, I fail" in a vicious feedback loop. Again, in both cases it's about being observant and not judgemental, essentially taking a moment to breathe is all that matters, even if it's a few seconds, so really the only way to "fail" is to not do it. Anxiety is some internal compass being off, triggering all sorts of fight-or-flight responses; by learning to be observant, anxiety is not eliminated, instead it takes a backseat, breaking the runaway feedback loop. It's like you sprained an ankle, were incapacitated for a while, and then when the tissue damage is fixed you can't stand in balance on just that leg. That's normal, of course your ankle is weak, your sensations are off and fuzzy, your muscles can't react, what else to expect! That's where physiotherapy helps, relearning how to stand, move, walk, and it's uneasy at first, and it gets better over time. Personally I had a very hard time even breathing in then holding my breath for 3~4s (heart pounding, growing panic state), so I found that "anything goes" helped me a lot in achieving 4-7-8, and in turn 4-7-8 helped me a lot in achieving 4s box breathing.

29athrowaway 3y ago

Magnesium levels. The most overlooked and underrated aspect of stress management.

racked 3y ago
How do you keep them in check?
- brobinson 3y ago
  Magnesium glycinate!
- DoreenMichele 3y ago
  Light and noise sensitivity can be early indicators one needs additional magnesium, especially if preceded by vomiting, fever or sweating.
febed 3y ago
Effective, but it also reliably messes up my stomach
- reaperman 3y ago
  Magnesium Oxide and Magnesium Citrate also do that to me. Magnesium Glycinate (and especially Magnesium Threonate) seem to be a lot better in that regard. It also seems to help to take 25% RDA in the morning and 25% at night, rather than 100% RDA at any one time.

senthil_rajasek 3y ago

Also, if you are not fighting a war and your workplace is so toxic that you have to take military grade advice on stress reduction then you should look for a new job.

wslh 3y ago
You can have a similar impact in your brain and body that fighting a war. Not only in a job. As you said, one main difference is that you can quit your job but not the war. There is a detail: you can experience these feelings even if your job is not toxic.
- senthil_rajasek 3y ago
  My comment was specifically about people stuck in a toxic work environment in a civilian establishment and I made no claims about other situations.
  - phantomathkg 3y ago
    Unfortunately you made it sounds like you deject what the page said, anyone taking the advices there is working in a toxic environment and should leave.
- dredmorbius 3y ago
  "There are no innocent bystanders in Hell. War is chock full of them - little kids, cripples, old ladies. In fact, except for some of the brass, almost everybody involved is an innocent bystander." -- Hawkeye Pierce, M*A*S*H <https://www.quotes.net/mquote/790330 https://www.quotes.net/mquote/790330> War is the job you can't quit.
  - rightbyte 3y ago
    That you can't legally quit. There are plenty of ways to quit. E.g. deserting, self-wounding. You also got different forms of mutiny and "fragging" officers (not really quiting, but refusing to do the job).

aatd86 3y ago

You are aware of your emotions by their physical impact. Emotions are in fact sensations, bodily sensations. Observe those, step back from those, try and control those. Observe your mind as well. Slow your pace on purpose. You may notice some body tension. Consciously observe and release those. When breathing, you should feel the air going from your nostrils to the back of your throat (larynx). If there is no reason to feel anxious but you still are, go find what is making you feel that way in the depth of your mind and make it stop. Look at what is happening in your brain, take some distance, and often it will stop on its own. Be patient until it does.

kjellsbells 3y ago

I've often wondered if the traditions around warfare that we read about in ancient classics like the Iliad were intended to reduce PTSD. For example, after every military action, there are always games and feasts, with a lot of communal time with fellow survivors and some "play re-enactment" like boxing matches or running races. The soldiers never, ever just demobilize and go home to their homesteads. Mental phenomena like disturbing dreams are taken seriously (albeit through the lens of the religious practice of the time) and openly discussed. Am I projecting, or did the ancients know a thing or two here?

canadiantim 3y ago
That's a great insight, I think you're onto something there
captainkrtek 3y ago
That makes a lot of sense. Would seem quite important for people involved in conflict to have time to decompress with others who can relate instead of just being plopped back into normal everyday life unadjusted.
- polishdude20 3y ago
  Modern Veterans pubs seem to be something similar.
082349872349872 3y ago
The Māori Haka (and related polynesian dances) always seemed to me like they take physical manifestations of a severe adrenalin dump and, catlike, turn them into something where one can say "I'm doing this on purpose". (speaking of the Iliad: who accompanies Ares/Mars? Phobos and Deimos)
spacemark 3y ago
Interesting observation, there may be some truth to it!! A while back I read a really interesting Reddit comment by someone researching PTSD in ancient history. Here it is https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1j6ssm/comment/cbbvfib https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1j6ssm/comme...

sinuhe69 3y ago

Strange. Does health.mil block certain IP blocks or why I can not open the article? My Google snippet is also very peculiar: Skills That Aid Job Performance Under High Stress -Controlling emotions. Reduce negative thinking and fear. ... -Calming physical reactions to stress. Use regular, slow breathing from your diaphragm and progressive muscle relaxation. ... -Training with repetition. ... -Visualizing tasks. ... -Learning prioritization. ... -Building team skills. Not the usual people reported (sleep, exercise, taking with loved ones etc.)

truth_seeker 3y ago

What really worked or me is combination of both Short and Long term solution. Stress Management (Short term) - Ashvagandha medicinal tablet, jogging, breathing exercise like Anulom Vilom Stress Relief (Long term) - 1. Vegeterian diet, small amount of green tea over coffee or any other stimulants 2.taking regularly couple of days off every month from your mobile, family and friends and do what he hell you want to do, not suppressing your irritation and depression with alcohol or marijuana but gradually helping them find outer expression in terms of any outdoor non-competitive sports activity which you actually like and not what people around you suggests 3.Understanding source of stress by giving equal (VIA POSITIVA, path of faith) or zero (VIA NEGATIVA, path of sceptic) priority to everything and everyone around you to clearly see who is supporting you to live a life you may or may not like but find it worth, this requires great courage as it may have to look beyond and grow out of your current relationship with life partner, business parter, country etc.

jasfi 3y ago
Ashwagandha really works well, you don't have to take it every day either. I only take it when stressed and it's like a biohack it works so well.