How to cope with bad news: a scientist gave advice on how to maintain health

Bad news has a negative impact on our health. The body reacts to danger by experiencing severe stress.

You may feel anxious and nauseous. BBC Science Focus published a psychologist's opinion on this issue.

Danger and life's troubles can trigger our body's fight-or-flight response. This is a physiological reaction that occurs when we experience anxiety.

At the neurobiological level, it is regulated by the so-called sympathetic nervous system (speeds up the heart, increases blood pressure, constricts skin vessels, and inhibits the digestive system), which sends commands from the spinal cord to the main organs of the body. Thus, the body prepares us to fight or flee in case of danger.

With this reaction, digestion is "turned off" so that blood flow and energy can be directed to the muscles of the limbs. Nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting may occur. Bad news triggers a sense of threat and the body starts survival mode.

The sympathetic nervous system is opposed by the parasympathetic nervous system (it returns to normal the functions of organs that were involved in solving difficult tasks for the body), which is more active when we are relaxed.

Therefore, to overcome the feeling of threat, you need to increase the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system.

To do this, you need to slow down your breathing, calm down, and sit or lie down. Write a list of situations that you can control in the event of a threat and a list of events that you cannot influence. Then make a plan of action for such cases.

Exercise and meditation can also help you take your mind off your problems. Don't be afraid to ask friends and family for help, or seek professional help from a psychologist.

Earlier, OBOZREVATEL published 10 proven ways to deal with stress.

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