Stress Reduction
Life is full of surprises, some good, some not so good. And it’s the not so good ones that can lead to stress. Learning to reduce stress is the best way to get through the little bumps that life occasionally throws at us. Stress reduction techniques can help you maintain your physical, emotional, and mental health while staying focused on your life, relationships, and daily activities. Ready to learn more? Here’s what you need to know about reducing stress and really get the most out of life.
Relaxation
How often do you hear the phrase, “try to relax?” Talk about an oxymoron! The harder you “try” the less you’ll be able to actually “relax.” It’s far better if you learn to relax. That way your body becomes conditioned to relax automatically when you’re stressed. So how exactly do you learn to relax? It’s a lot easier than you might think. Techniques such as meditation, progressive relaxation, autogenic relaxation, deep breathing, and guided imagery can all help you learn to relax.
Meditation
Meditation, or transcendental meditation, is one of the Western world’s most scientifically well documented methods for relaxation. There are countless books, videos, and instructors that can help you learn this simple method of deep relaxation. Transcendental Meditation focuses on the repetition of a specific phrase or “mantra.” Any outside thoughts are disregarded. This method of focused relaxation can help relieve stress and anxiety. And once you’ve learned this technique, you’ll be able to utilize it in times of stress to remain calm and in control.
Progressive Relaxation
We when feel stressed or nervous, we tend to physically tense up our muscles. This tension causes physical discomfort that can make stress even worse. Progressive Relaxation is a technique which aims to break this cycle of physical and emotional tension. It has been used in the treatment of headaches, backaches, ulcers and high blood pressure. The idea is to focus on how it actually feels to be relaxed. By purposefully tensing each muscle one at a time, and then relaxing it, one can learn to identify both tension and relaxation. Start by scrunching up your toes. Hold the position for five or ten seconds and then release. Next, tense up the muscles of the foot. Continue with this technique, slowly moving through each muscle group in the body. With practice, an individual can learn to deeply relax in less than five minutes.
Autogenic Relaxation
Autogenic Relaxation works on the premise that the mind can compel the body to relax by concentrating on feelings of heaviness and warmth. In clinical studies, individuals that practiced autogenic relaxation were able to reduce their average time needed to fall asleep from fifty-two to twenty-two minutes. To feel heavy, close your eyes and make yourself comfortable. Lift your arm, relax it, and let it drop freely into your lap as if it were the arm of a floppy doll or stuffed animal. To feel warmth, imagine that youself basking in the sun. Allow the sun’s rays to warm your entire body. Alternative concentrating on feelings of heaviness and warmth until you feel calm and deeply relaxed.
Deep Breathing
We breathe in and out, all day long. But few of us ever really think about our breathing, and we’ve actually forgotten how to breathe properly. Have you ever noticed the breathing of a baby? An infant takes deep breaths, in and out, slow and controlled. And if you look closely, you’ll also notice that their tummies rise and fall with each breath. Over the years, poor posture forces us to breathe in and out while filling our upper torso and not our diaphragm or tummy. This isn’t a natural habit, and by returning to natural breathing techniques, we can help relieve chronic pain and disorders such as headaches and fatigue. Proper breathing also helps to reduce stress, improve circulation, and lower blood pressure. Practice taking deep, slow breaths that fill the tummy and then the chest. Don’t hold your breathe, rather try to take the same amount of time to inhale as you do to exhale. Rest your fingertips on your tummy to feel your breaths and ensure that your breathing remains controlled. Finish each breath by gently contracting the abdomen to expel the last bit of air. Deep breathing exercises can be practiced anytime, anywhere, to reduce stress, improve sleep habits, and calm the mind and the body.
Guided Imagery
Stress isn’t caused by any specific action or event, but rather by our thoughts and feelings related towards an event. Guided imagery is based on the principle that if your thoughts and feelings can be used to produce stress, they can also be used to reduce stress. It involves focusing on the positive images in your mind. Begin by thinking of an object that makes you happy: a flower, a rainbow, or a child. Then imagine as many positive sights, sounds, smells and you can about the object. Concentrate on slowly experiencing the imagery. Take notice of each individual color and smell. When you’ve finished enjoying the moment piece by piece, open your eyes and notice the deep relaxation throughout your entire body.