Stress, unfortunately, is a part and parcel of life today. Career, relationships, finance, health and emotional state are all major factors that play a role in creating tension. Prolonged stress can lead to burn-out and meltdowns, and recovery from these is a long and difficult journey.
In many cases, you may not realize that you are stressed, and you continue the same behavior, interactions and thoughts till you reach a breaking point.
The answer to stress is relaxation. Physical, mental and emotional calm and serenity are the only routes to maintain overall wellness. A big part of relaxation is self care and learning how to take responsibility for your own well being.
Stress and Relaxation: Two Opposing Forces
Stress is one of the reactions that helped our ancestors to survive in the wild. It is a response to a real or perceived threat. It creates the Fight or Flight reaction triggered by the sympathetic nervous system. Stress reactions range across physical, emotional, mental and behavioral symptoms, with hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol being released into the bloodstream along with higher levels of sugar. Stress creates higher blood pressure and breathing and heart rate, muscle tightness, curtails digestion and excretion, and affects your emotional and mental states. It can be acute and immediate or chronic, leading to a variety of physical and mental issues.
Relaxation is the way in which your body returns to a stable state following the stress reaction. It is also the absence of negative emotions such as anger, anxiety or fear. This state is created by the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system and it leads to the Rest and Digest state. Hormones such as serotonin, various endorphins and oxytocin are released into the bloodstream and these help to restore digestion, breathing, blood-pressure, sugar levels, muscle tension and other aspects that were affected by the stress reaction. Relaxation helps you to feel more in control of situations, evaluate and assess more accurately and deal with problems in a more informed way.
Relaxation Can Be Learned
Paradoxically, the relaxation state doesn’t always follow the stress state automatically. In a majority of cases, stress factors overwhelm you and prevent the parasympathetic nervous system from kicking in naturally. As a result, you feel constantly on edge, depressed, anxious, irritable, angry or afraid. Many people are less self-aware and are unable to recognize either the stress or the relaxation state.
Better self care techniques can be incorporated into your daily life so that you can become aware of the changing state of your body and mind as it happens. This is what is meant when doctors say “Listen to your body and mind.” Self awareness and sensitivity to yourself are the cornerstones of self care.
The good news is that relaxation techniques can be learned and practiced regardless of age, location or health status. Find self care tools at Rest and Digest and learn how to relax.
- Breathing : This is a simple, age-old technique that can immediately calm you down. “Take a deep breath” is not just a cliche – it’s a quick and sure-fire way to get your heart-rate and blood-pressure down. There are many types of breathing techniques that you can practice, such as yoga breathing, box breathing, stomach breathing, pursed-lip, focused breathing, pranayama breathing and more. It’s wise to practice initially under a trained professional so that you get the technique right for best results.
- Visualization: More advanced relaxation techniques such as guided imagery and visualization help to calm the emotions and eliminate negative thoughts and images. This technique requires the help of a professional, either in person or via distance communication.
- Muscle Relaxation: is based on the concept that the body and mind are deeply connected, and relaxing the body helps to correspondingly calm the mind. Progressive muscle relaxation can be practiced at any time, with a little bit of research and education. It helps you to become more aware of how your body reacts to stress.
- Meditation: helps to maintain a constantly calm state. Along with mindfulness, gratitude and deep focus, it is a highly effective way to incorporate mental practices into your life. It can be a part of yoga or other spiritual practices.
- Massage: gives instant relief to tense muscles and agitated mind. Essential oils, lotions and creams can be used to enhance the experience and help you to relax.
- Music and Art: are two great hobbies that help you to de-stress. They have been used in all cultures to heal and relax both body and mind.
- Gentle Exercise: Walking, spending time in nature or simply being outdoors helps you to relax and get away from negative thoughts. Soothing sights and sounds of nature, the colors and beauty of the environment help you to instantly calm down.
- Baths, Sleep Aids: Getting enough sleep is a priority when you want to relax. You can use various bath-salts or soothing organic products, create a sleep routine, use products such as magnesium or Epsom salts in your shower, treat yourself to silk sheets and pillow-cases and make it a routine to have some warm chamomile tea and avoid screen time before bed.
