She is an individual and group sophrologist, and regularly leads internships with high school and university students facing the stress of exams, but also professional interviews or driving licenses. Destination Santé gives the floor to Vonick Descourtieux to better understand the origins of stress, its effects and ways to deal with it.
What is the mechanism of stress?
“Stress is triggered when you have to face a new situation, which requires a high level of adaptation because you are not dealing with a habit. For example: the fact of brushing your teeth every day does not generate any stress, since the situation is known. But if you’re giving someone a toothbrush for the first time, it’s going to stress them out because they don’t know what it is or what it’s for. To sum up: the more you have to adapt to a new situation, the more the stress increases. This is the case when you have to answer questions that you do not know in advance, asked by a jury that you do not know either, as in the context of an oral or an interview. »
How to try to feel better?
“There are several techniques used in sophrology, such as visualization. It consists of creating a decoy to trick our brain into thinking that the situation has already been experienced. Indeed, whether we think of a past, present or future situation, it is the same area of the brain that is activated: it does not make the difference. So if we visualize the situation upstream, the brain registers it as already experienced. As it is not considered new when it is actually experienced, the level of adaptation remains measured, and so does the stress. The ideal is to practice this technique several times, as close as possible to the event. Five minutes is enough. »
“Physiologically, stress rises especially at the time of inspiration”
Stress and breathing are closely linked. How can we act on this plan?
“Physiologically, stress rises especially at the time of inspiration. By inhaling, we activate the sympathetic nervous system: everything accelerates in the body and in particular the secretion of cortisol, the stress hormone. Conversely, when you exhale, you trigger the parasympathetic nervous system, which decelerates and soothes. To slow down the rhythm, we will therefore try to breathe in a moderate way thanks to breathing techniques. We can cite rectangular breathing, which consists of accentuating the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system, by exhaling longer than one inspires: one inspires in two beats and one expires in four beats. There is also cardiac coherence. These techniques are very easy to implement, just before the test. For students who are more visual, it is possible to help themselves via applications such as RespiRelax+, which is free and very effective. »
What other tips can you use to manage stress well?
“If you are summoned at the end of the morning, it is recommended to have a salty breakfast so as not to suffer from a drop in blood sugar a few hours later. You can also have dried fruits and cereal bars with you, which are good for replenishing your energy. Sleep is also important: you have to get enough sleep and this means turning off the screens at least half an hour before bedtime. If speaking is scheduled for the end of the afternoon, do not hesitate to take a half-hour nap at the start of the afternoon. We can take advantage of this moment to visualize ourselves during this oral, in a situation of success. »