Relaxation Techniques for Stress Management

Whenever you perceive something as threatening, an inbuilt alarm-system in your brain triggers the adrenal glands to release a complex hormonal cascade of over 30 stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol.

Stress hormones give you the extra strength and speed you need to deal with the threatening stressful situation. This reaction is known as the "fight-or-flight" reaction, or the stress response.

The body's balance is destroyed, which if not restored at the end of the day can lead to multiple health and work related problems, premature aging to name just few.

The influence of stress on physical and psychological well being is well documented.

Stress has been implicated in heart disease, eating disorders, stroke, insomnia, ulcers, accident proneness, cancer, decreased immunity, chronic headaches, diabetes, depression, substance abuse, chronic pain, irritable bowel syndrome and chronic fatigue.

In fact, estimates are that 50 to 80 percent of all physical disorders have psychosomatic or stress related origins (Rice, 1992).

Just as your body has an inbuilt fight-or-flight response mechanism, it also has an inbuilt mechanism for triggering relaxation.

This is called "relaxation response", the term coined by Herbert Benson, MD.

The Relaxation Response turns the fight-or-flight response off returning the body and its biochemistry back to pre-stress levels. In other words - back to the state of balance and wellbeing; back to health.

Unfortunately nowadays when majority of you live in a constant tension, and face chronic stress on a daily basis, living on the edge of burnout, your stress response never turns off and this doesn't let the relaxation response to be turned on.

Therefore the relaxation response is supposed to be consciously stimulated by applying of any relaxation technique by your choice.

When Dr. Herbert Benson introduced this simple, effective, mind/body approach to relieve stress in The Relaxation Response twenty-five years ago, the book became an instant national bestseller. Since that time, millions of people have learned the secret of the relaxation response--without high-priced lectures, drugs, or prescription medicine. The tremendous success of this approach has turned The Relaxation Response into the classic reference recommended by most health care professionals and authorities to treat the harmful effects of stress.

This revitalizing, therapeutic approach, discovered by Dr. Benson and his colleagues in the laboratories of Harvard Medical School and its teaching hospitals, is now routinely recommended to treat patients suffering from heart conditions, high blood pressure, chronic pain, insomnia, and many other physical ailments. Requiring only minutes to learn, and just ten to twenty minutes of practice twice a day, the Relaxation Response has proven to be one of the most effective ways to relieve the tensions of modern-day living for a richer, healthier, more productive life.

The relaxation response is not:

- laying on the couch
- sleeping
- being lazy

- a mentally active process that leaves the body relaxed
-best done in an awake state
- trainable and becomes more profound with practice

Relaxing your mind and body can make you feel calm and peaceful. It can help relieve stress as well as anxiety, depression, and sleep problems.

When you are able to relax mind and relax body , your body stops producing the hormones that create stress. The feelings of stress ease, and you return to a state of calm, both physically and mentally.

Relaxation is a skill and like any other skill it takes time and practice to get the maximum benefits from it; it needs to be practiced on a regular basis, not just when we are having difficulty. The benefits are cumulative and regular relaxation practice supplies the best benefits.

To relax means to calm the mind, the body, or both. There are lots of ways to relax. Some ways are designed to relax your mind and some to relax your body. But because of the way the mind and body are connected, many relaxation methods work on both the mind and the body.

You may find one or more ways help to you calm down and feel at peace. Relaxing can quiet your mind and make you feel peaceful and calm. Your body also reacts when you relax. For example, your muscles may be less tense and more flexible.

You may want to try one or more of the following relaxation techniques to see what works best for you.

I have created information about variety of relaxation techniques that will help you activate the relaxation response and manage stress.

Just click on the link by your choice.

Soak in a warm bath with aromatherapy essential oils

Listen to soothing relaxing music

Practice mindfulness meditation

Doing meditation

Use creative visualization

Practice qigong

Practicing yoga to relax

Breathing exercises for relaxation

Try progressive muscle relaxation

Take a walk or do some other activity.

Use biofeedback

As you see there are many activities that are considered relaxing--and what relaxes one person may not feel relaxing to another.

As with any stress management routine you have to find the relaxation techniques which works the best for you. Stick with it and practice it regularly, setting aside at least 10 to 20 minutes a day for your relaxation practice.

This will lead to a reduction in your everyday stress levels and a boost in your feelings of joy and serenity. Plus they also serve a protective quality by teaching you how to stay calm and composed in the face of life's challenges.

Dr.Inese Millere is an action-oriented Holistic Stress Management coach and consultant who assist women leaders in creating stress management and work life balance strategies, and healthy lifestyle routines for effective and balanced leadership.

If you'd like to talk about coaching with me, please contact me directly at info@action4balance.com with a brief description of your situation.