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Experiencing stress in our daily lives is quite common and is healthy to a certain extent. However, it is important to manage stress and achieve appropriate relaxation and stress relief so that the body is not negatively affected both mentally and physically.Practicing relaxation exercises is one of the best ways of relieving the mind and body of the stress that is causing overwhelming feelings of anxiety or physical aches and pains. When individuals practice relaxation techniques on a daily basis, noticeable improvement can be made in the quality of life and overall health and wellness. When people practice relaxation and stress relief techniques, they will learn how to replace negative feelings with positive ones so that they feel happier and more at peace. When you are stressed, your body and mind are in a constant state of tension and adrenaline is constantly preparing your body for a flight or fight response to every situation you encounter. This state of always being on the alert can wear down your body over time. When you learn to relax, this helps to bring your body back into balance, slows down your heart rate, reduces the amount of stress-related hormones your body is producing and reduces your blood pressure. There are many stress relaxation techniques that you can learn, none of which are difficult or time consuming. Once you try several techniques you will likely find one that you enjoy and you can begin to practice it on a daily basis. You should set aside ten to twenty minutes a day for this practice. You can start by setting aside this amount of time every day in which you focus on yourself instead of tasks or other people's needs and demands. You should try not to practice these relaxation exercises when you are tired because they can cause you to fall asleep. Deep Breathing One of the relaxation and stress relief techniques you can start with are deep breathing exercises. The key to this technique is to learn to breathe from your abdomen so that you get oxygen into the deep recesses of your lungs. Sit comfortably, with one hand placed on your chest and the other on your stomach, breathing in through your nose. If you are doing this correctly, the hand on your stomach should rise, but the hand on your chest will not move very much at all. Breathe out through your mouth pushing as much air out of your lungs as possible to rid it of the carbon dioxide that has built up. Again the hand on your stomach is the one that will move the most. Continue to breathe in this manner counting your breaths as you do so. You will eventually begin to notice the benefits relaxation techniques such as these bring to your life in everyday, stressful scenarios. Muscle Relaxation Alot of the stress in your body accumulates in your muscles, making them feel tense and achy. In this relaxation and stress relief technique you follow a routine in which you tense and relax the different muscle groups in your body. To start make sure you are in a comfortable sitting position and that your clothing is not too tight. A quiet area without distractions is also necessary, somewhere where background television noise and ringing telephones won't be an issue. Breathe in slowly and deeply a few times to make sure your body is relaxed. Start with the muscles in one foot. Tense up your foot and focus on the feeling, holding this for the count of ten. Then relax the muscles and again focus on the feeling. Continue this process with the other foot and then all the parts of the body all the way up to your head. You will start to feel the benefits relaxation techniques using your muscles rather quickly if you are truly allowing your muscles to relax in this manner. Mindfulness Meditation Mindfulness meditation involves concentrating on the various parts of your body in a fashion very similar to the muscle relaxation techniques. You can do this whether you are sitting, standing, or even eating. You focus on what your body is doing in that moment. Some people may remark that you look as if you are zoned out if you practice this technique in public, but this is due to your increased concentration. |
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