Counselling to help you recognise and relieve stress. Hold it for a moment and then breathe out. Do you feel more relaxed? Breathing exercises are one way to relax. Learn how to relax your mind and body here.
Being relaxed can help relieve stress. It can also relieve anxiety, depression and sleep problems. In this technique, you focus on slowly tensing and relaxing muscle groups. You can use this technique together with breathing exercises and guided imagery.
Relaxation can help you stay physically and mentally healthy and help you recover from the stresses of everyday life. Fortunately, it is quite easy to learn how to take time to relax and how best to relax, no matter how busy you are. For many of us, relaxing means lying on the couch at the end of a stressful day and switching off in front of the TV. But this does little to reduce the harmful effects of stress.
Rather, you need to activate your body’s natural relaxation response, a state of deep calm that slows stress, slows your breathing and heart rate, lowers your blood pressure and rebalances your body and mind. You can achieve this by practising relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, rhythmic exercises, yoga or Tai Chi. Concentrate on your breath and push all other thoughts aside. Be aware of the breath flowing in and out and focus on the sensation of breathing in and out.
In progressive muscle relaxation you practice tensing and relaxing each of your muscle groups. When your body is physiologically relaxed, you cannot be stressed. Using hand techniques such as Jin Shin Jyutsu, the Soothing Hand and reflexology can promote relaxation and combat the effects of stress. If you have recently had a surgical procedure that affects your body image, or if you have other difficulties with your body image, this technique may be less helpful for you.
You will be amazed at how quickly stress disappears when you focus on just one of these elements. If relaxation exercises do not help to relieve your stress, you should consult a psychologist. If you practice a quick stress reliever on your way to work, take a scented handkerchief with you one day, try music another day, and exercise the next. Don’t worry about seeming crazy, just tell yourself why you are stressed, what you need to do to accomplish the task at hand, and most importantly, that everything will be fine.
Fruits and vegetables are always good, and fish high in omega-3 fatty acids has been shown to reduce symptoms of stress. He points to “five or six approaches based on scientific observation and experience that really help reduce stress. The so-called “fight or flight” response kicks in to prepare you for flight, and that creates stress. Deep breathing is also the cornerstone of many other relaxation exercises and can be combined with other relaxing elements such as aromatherapy and music.
Although almost all yoga classes end in a relaxation posture, classes that emphasise slow, steady movement, deep breathing and gentle stretching are best for stress relief. The advice to “take a deep breath” may seem like a cliché, but it is true when it comes to stress.
