How to face stress
Relaxation
Relaxation is an exercise which is easy to learn and it is highly effectively in the treatment of stress
One physical manifestation of stress is muscular tension. When this tension continues over several hours, the muscles become “accustomed” to it and tend to adopt this as their normal state of being. This result in all-too-common aches and pains such as backache, headache and shoulder and neck ache. All are associated with stress.
Apart from the immediate relief which comes from relaxation, it also gives the one who practices it a feeling of accomplishment and of being in control. In other words, people who learn how to relax will not see their tenseness as something outside their control which they cannot resolve but will look upon it as a problem which can be resolved.
In general, relaxation techniques are mastered within two months. It takes that much time for people to understand the muscle groups and recognize when they are tense and when they are relaxed.
Progressive relaxation, when practiced regularly, produces positive results in the majority of cases which involved headaches, abdominal pain, migraines and arterial constriction. It is also recommended in cases of insomnia, anxiety and high blood pressure.
Methods involves:
• Environment
• Mindset
• Time
• Posture
Environment: You need a very comfortable place to stay, no noise, no shoes on and very light clothes, and free yourself from family members for at least 2 hours.
Mindset: Your thinking should focus on happy things, a beautiful wife, smile of a baby, play a nice music and bring back the memory lane of one of your greatest land mark.
Time: Relaxation should not be hurriedly done, a normal session should last 20 minutes. In some cases it may last even longer. It is also necessary to spend the appropriate time in each muscular contraction.
Posture: If you do not have a special couch for relaxation, use a hard bed or a tin mattress placed on the floor. Use a thin pillow or a towel doubled over under your head. Lie down on your back with your arms parallel to your back with your body, your legs extended and your feet separated slightly.
Quick Relaxation
There are many good aspects about relaxation, but its principal inconvenience is that it cannot be practiced quickly in any circumstance for example in a car, at work or right before being called in before the employer.
In these circumstances, we recommend a form of relaxation which is based on breathing and which, in the field of clinical psychology, is called self-instruction.
1. Breathe deeply holding in the air for several seconds (at least 3 to 4) and then exhale slowly. Repeat two or three times.
2. Say to yourself silently, or aloud if possible, “I am calm, I feel peaceful.” Repeat these two or three times.
3. Practice breathing deeply again in the same way.
When you have alternated between deep breathing and self-instruction (steps 1 and 2) for 2 or 3 minutes, you should feel in control and more relaxed.
Breathe Deeply and Properly As a Relaxation Exercise.
When a large dose of stress attacks, breathing becomes more rapid. This is the result of thinking and is triggered by the stress agent. Physical is not needed to produce this effect.
Once the stressful time is past, breathing returns to the normal rate. If stress is prolonged, bad breathing habits may be formed. It is important when practicing relaxation to establish good breathing habits and to correct bad ones
Each day we should complete a session of at least 20 deep breathing exercises outdoors or in a well-ventilated room. By doing this we supply oxygen to all our cells, including those of the brain and we condition ourselves to breathe deeply and adequately.
