Relaxation Techniques: The Importance Of Stress
Reduction
Prolonged stress taxes the body and puts a person
at risk for a variety of health problems. Chronic
stress wears out vital, physical resources of
the body. Over time, a person's resistance to
disease and infection is lowered. The action of
the immune system becomes less effective in warding
off problems.
Chronic stress affects the quality of life. Stress
symptoms, such as headaches, sleeping problems,
nervousness, and anxiety detract from a person's
sense of enjoyment and well-being. Also, prolonged
stress puts a person at risk for major diseases,
such as heart disease, cancer and stroke.
The logic of pursuing relaxation techniques is
straightforward. Stress is a factor that can contribute
to a variety of health problems from increasing
susceptibility to the common cold to increasing
the risk of major diseases.
By reducing stress, individuals can lower the
chance of health problems in their life.
But this is only part of the story. With stress
reduction and the healthier status that it brings,
individuals can experience greater enjoyment and
well-being, healthier mental/emotional states,
more positive moods, and higher productiveness
and effectiveness.
Awareness is a key to successful stress reduction.
As a step toward stress control, knowing the symptoms
of stress is important. In addition, it is important
to know the specific types of symptoms that you
experience under stress, since people differ in
the type and severity of symptoms they experience.
Relaxation Techniques For Achieving Relaxation
Once you know the signs and symptoms of stress
and you are aware of the particular set of symptoms
you experience, then it is time to learn relaxation
methods.
There are many different types of relaxation
techniques. Selecting a relaxation technique is
similar to choosing a type of exercise to do.
Select a technique that you enjoy and that you
will stick with and do consistently over time.
Different Types Of Relaxation
Most relaxation methods fall into two major categories.
The first type focuses on relaxing the body and
is called muscle-to-mind relaxation. A reciprocal
relationship exists between the mind and the body.
Once the body relaxes, the mind becomes relaxed.
In the muscle-to-mind relaxation method, relaxation
originates with a physical state of relaxation,
then generalizes to include a mental state of
calm. The main physical relaxation technique is
progressive relaxation.
Progressive relaxation works by relaxing the
major muscle groups of the body. When the muscles
relax, less stimulation is transmitted from the
muscles to the central nervous system. The mind
becomes relaxed, secondarily. Reducing the stimulation
to the brain produces a mental state of quiet
and calm.
The second category of relaxation methods, called
mind-to-muscle relaxation, focuses on relaxing
the mind directly. Numerous methods can be used
in this approach, including breathing techniques,
meditation, autogenic training, imagery, and music.
The mental focus in these techniques reduces the
stimulation of the brain. The quieting of the
mind creates a state of physical relaxation.
In addition to these two major categories of
relaxation (muscle-to-mind and mind-to-muscle),
biofeedback training can be used for relaxation.
Biofeedback involves a training procedure used
to alter bodily processes, such as heart rate,
skin temperature, and muscle tension. Decreasing
heart rate through a biofeedback procedure produces
a state of relaxation.
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