Body has a "bouncing-back" quality of recovering from extremely stressful situations. But, if you remain under stress for prolonged periods, it wears down the fighting capacity of the body and the mind. To remain healthy, mentally and physically, it is important to take necessary steps for stress relief and keep stress levels within manageable limits.
Relaxation: Adopt some relaxation technique, like deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, visualization, Yoga, etc., and learn to relax. The relaxation experience can be achieved by following these simple steps
1. Sit quietly in a comfortable position.
2. Close your eyes.
3. Deeply relax all your muscles, beginning at your feet and progressing up to your face. Keep them relaxed.
4. Breathe through your nose. Become aware of your breathing. As you breathe out, say the word, "one", silently to yourself. For example, breathe in ... out, "one",- in .. out, "one", etc. Breathe easily and naturally.
5. Continue for 10 to 20 minutes. You may open your eyes to check the time, but do not use an alarm. When you finish, sit quietly for several minutes, at first with your eyes closed and later with your eyes opened. Do not stand up for a few minutes.
6. Do not worry about whether you are successful in achieving a deep level of relaxation. Maintain a passive attitude and permit relaxation to occur at its own pace. When distracting thoughts occur, try to ignore them by not dwelling upon them and return to repeating "one." With practice, the response should come with little effort. Practice the technique once or twice daily, but not within two hours after any meal, since the digestive processes seem to interfere with the elicitation of the Relaxation Response.
Meditation: Many people attach spiritual values to it, but you can also practice it as a secular stress relief exercise. The meditation is able to induce deep relaxation, and is very good for health in the long term.
Exercise : Exercise is good not only for your physical health but also for your mental health. It releases pent up frustrations, relaxes your muscles, releases 'endorphins' – the 'feel good' hormones, deceases stress hormones, and helps you sleep better. Make it a part of your everyday routine.
Massage: A massage session is very relaxing and has been proven to lower cortisol, the stress hormones. Aromatherapy massage is even more effective. The massage is given using some essential oils which seep into the blood stream and help in calming down the brain, ease stress and in getting you a relaxing sleep
Guided Imagery: Visualizing yourself in calm surroundings, imagining every small detail, can have a very soothing experience and can help in relaxing your frayed nerves.
Music: Stress relief through music therapy is a universal phenomenon. Playing music in the background, even though you are busy in some other activity and are not aware of the music, also reduces stress levels.
Deep Breathing: The quality and depth of breathing has a great role to play in controlling stress levels and maintaining good physical health. Practicing a simple deep breathing exercise will help you in reducing stress levels and uplifting your spirits in a very short while.
Aroma Therapy: Many essential oils, or plant essences, are known for their stress relief qualities. The essential oils used in aromatherapy can be inhaled directly, added to the bath, massaged into the skin or used as a perfume to scent your room.
Self Hypnosis: Its power lies in positive auto-suggestion. It reduces stress hormones and is very effective in reducing stress levels and controlling anxiety and depression. You can take the help of self-hypnosis to bring about positive changes in your life style.
Humor: Laughter is one of the most effective therapies for stress relief and bringing down levels of anxiety. Humor has also some psychological benefits: it helps you in taking things light heartedly, breaking out of the stress producing thoughts, increasing your sense of satisfaction, and making your job more meaningful. It also helps you in relating to others around you.
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