How do relaxation techniques reduce stress?
Many of us push our minds and bodies to the limit, often at the expense of our physical and mental well-being. Our response may include an increased heart rate and blood pressure as well as an accelerated rate of breathing. Over time, these reactions raise cholesterol levels, disturb intestinal activities, and depress the immune system. In general, they leave us feeling "stressed out." This fight-or-flight state is preparing the body to protect itself from perceived danger or stress. During immediate danger, this response works well and allows us to either fight or flee from danger. However, today, the fight-or-flight response may occur multiple times a day in response to a variety of stressors. Because of this, we may find that we are in a prolonged state of fight-or-flight, which overtaxes the nervous system and can damage our physical health.
The good news is that we also possess the "relaxation response". The relaxation response involves engaging the parasympathetic nervous system to move the body to a state of physiological relaxation, where blood pressure, heart rate, digestive functioning, and hormonal levels return to normal. When we are stressed, we can induce this relaxation response by engaging in a few effective and convenient techniques. Relaxation techniques are helpful tools for coping with stress and promoting long-term health. They slow the body down and quiet the mind.
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Here are a few of these techniques:
Breathing exercises. Breathing practices can be one of the most effective and convenient techniques to calm us in times of stress. That’s because these practices help to stimulate the vagus nerve which is necessary to engage the parasympathetic nervous system. Learning to use your breath to calm yourself in times of stress is highly recommended because you can practice this at any time, place, and even during a stressful situation. There are many different types of breathing exercises, so it might be worth it to try a few to determine what works best for you. At the end of this blog, we have included a couple for you to try.
Engaging the senses. In times of stress, moving our attention to our environment is another technique for engaging relaxation techniques. Like the breath, the senses do not live in the future or the past. They are always engaged in the here and now, which is an available and simple way to bring our attention to the present moment. The benefit of bringing attention to the present is that it helps us to reduce our stress by promoting relaxation.
Progressive muscle relaxation. These types of practices involve tensing and relaxing different groups of muscles until your body becomes more relaxed. This technique takes a little longer to develop but with practice, you will be able to fully relax your body in a few moments.
Visualization and guided imagery practice. Guided imagery is a gentle yet powerful technique that focuses the imagination in a proactive, positive way. It not only helps to relax your mind and body, but it’s also a very easy and enjoyable practice. Another advantage of this type of practice is that it can be adapted to the amount of time you have available.
These practices are designed to help you calm your mind and build resiliency over time. Remember that relaxation techniques are skills. As with any skill, your ability to relax improves with practice. While these techniques may feel awkward at first, with practice, they will feel more natural. If one method doesn't work for you, try another. If none of your efforts at stress reduction seem to work, you may want to talk to your doctor about other options.
If you’re looking for guided, real-life practices you can explore, our Levelhead for Real Life app has over one hundred 3-5 minute practices. It’s just $2.99 for all of them. Why not download today?