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Stress Reduction Techniques

Progressive Relaxation

  1. Practice one muscle group at a time – lay on a mat, a flat surface or a bed
  • Start with face and neck; move to abdomen, arms, back, legs, etc.
  • Relax the tension away – give up all tension
  • An effort to relax is a failure to relax
  • Discontinue working – don’t do anything
  • Do not think or focus on anything – “let the power go off”
  • Move onto successive muscle groups only after mastering the first group – may need 7-8 practice sessions to relax all muscle groups
  1. Tensing and relaxing various groups of muscles in the body
  • Start with face and neck; move to abdomen, arms, back, legs, etc.
  • Relax the tension away – give up all tension
  • An effort to relax is a failure to relax
  • Discontinue working – don’t do anything
  • Do not think or focus on anything – “let the power go off”
  • Move onto successive muscle groups only after mastering the first group – may need 7-8 practice sessions to relax all muscle groups

Tensing and relaxing various groups of muscles in the body

  1. Face – forehead, eyes, upper cheeks, nose, lower face, including tongue, teeth and jaw
  2. Neck, shoulders, back and chest
  3. Abdomen
  4. Dominant upper arm, forearm and hand
  5. Non-dominant upper arm, forearm and hand
  6. Dominant upper leg, calf and foot
  7. Non-dominant upper leg, calf and foot
  8. Can be done standing, sitting or lying down
  9. Can tense and loosen muscles at 5-10 second intervals, three times each
  10. Should be done several times each day; should only take 5-10 minutes but can take longer, if needed
  11. Emphasis on breathing can be introduced, particularly on muscle groups of chest, shoulders, upper back and abdomen
  12. Watch for muscle cramps or twitches, movement, laughter, talking, anxiety producing thoughts, sexual arousal, sleep, coughing or sneezing – all interrupt relaxation

Yoga

    1. There are several variations of Yoga
    2. Regulating mind and body through many breathing exercises
    3. Physical postures to exercise muscles
    4. Exercises to increase energy, peace, harmony, spiritual entity, acceptance, enduring hardship, faith, confidence, steadfastness, determination, resolution, sacrifice, avoidance of harm, concentration, etc.

 

Deep Breathing

 

    1. Lie on back or sit upright and close eyes
    2. Place palm of one hand on chest and other on abdomen – be aware of rate and rhythm of breath
    3. Inhale and exhale slowly, smoothly and deeply through nostrils without noise, jerks or pauses
    4. Consciously pull abdominal muscles in when exhaling – when inhaling, be aware of abdominal wall pushing up
    5. Place hands by side – continue inhaling and exhaling, concentrating on breathing movements, being aware only of the abdomen rising and falling
    6. Normally, we breathe 12-16 times per minute – as your mind becomes calmer, be aware of rhythm and rate and notice that breathing becomes slower
    7. Practice for 3-5 minutes per day until your new breathing pattern becomes your natural pattern, whether sitting, standing or lying down

 

Creative Visualization

    1. Set a realistic goal. Choose a goal easy to accomplish before setting more difficult or higher goals – confidence is built through effort and success
    2. Create a clear mental picture – think of your goal in the present tense as if it already exists and think of yourself within that situation as you desire
    3. Focus on the picture repeatedly, both in a quiet meditative state as well as casually during the day when you happen to think about it – the picture should come effortlessly, without striving – practice before going to sleep or when you wake, times when your body is more relaxed
    4. Give the picture more positive energy by repeating to yourself encouraging statements and by picturing yourself as actually achieving your goal – during these “affirmations”, suspend all doubt or disbelief you may have about achieving your goal
    5. Examples of “affirmations” –

“I am talented, intelligent and creative”

“Everything I need is already within me”

“I am now full of radiant health and energy”

“I am good to my body and my body is good to me”

“I am now ready for all my relationships to work”

“I love and appreciate myself as I am”

 

Pictorial Visualization 

    1. There are certain kinds of pictures that make you feel calm, relaxed, satisfied or pleased. These pictures can be real, such as past photographs, or they can be pictures that remind you of times when you felt relaxed or happy.
    2. Photographs of a special event, an accomplishment, a relationship or an enjoyable experience evoke positive feelings and/or contentment. Select a number of these photos, put in plastic pages and keep near you in a folder so you can put your mind into a highlight of your life.
    3. Calming scenes such as a campsite sunset, landscape, flower garden, fresh snow, etc., can be found in travel magazines or other publications and can be added to your folder.

 

Auditory Perceptions

    1. Select calming sounds or music that evoke relaxing and pleasurable moods.
    2. Calming sounds could include waterfalls, rain drops, running water, nature sounds, etc., that have been recorded on tapes or CDs for relaxation listening purposes.
    3. There is also soothing music that has been recorded commercially as well as each individual recording their own preferred music that makes them feel relaxed, calmed and content.
    4. Listening to calming sounds in music several times a day will put individuals into a more relaxed state, particularly when used with other relaxation techniques.

 

Meditation

    1. Take a comfortable position in a quiet environment, regulate the breath, adopt a relaxed and mentally passive attitude and dwell on a single idea, image or happening.
    2. When your mind wanders off, bring it back quickly to the topic or subject. Concentration brings into consciousness all different ideas and memories associated with the subject which often results in an increased ability to solve problems. Another result is to experience intense joy, happiness, peace or serenity.
    3. A third result is to function more efficiently, realize more of your potential and feel more complete. This leads to clearer thinking and progress in meeting your goals.
    4. Practical instructions –
    • Minimize distractions, noise, light, movements of others, phone, etc.
    • Ensure physical and mental comfort – comfortable room temperature, loose clothing, empty bladder and bowel – don’t practice for at least two hours after a meal
    • Practice twice a day, several hours apart, for about 15-20 minutes each time
    • Adopt a poised posture, close eyes, relax body
    • Breathe through nostrils down into abdomen – breathing is regular, slow and rhythmical
    • Dwell single-mindedly on an object such as something physical (flower, fruit bowl, painting), a word or phrase or a body rhythm
    • As your mind wonders, bring it back quickly to passive awareness – practice regularly

 

Cognitive Restructuring

    1. Stress comes when a person interprets a situation where their vital interests appear to be at stake. It may often be distorted, skewed or blurred as well as accurate.
    2. The individual is mobilized to engage in some kind of action but if not adequately discharged it leads to stress.
    3. It is important to clarify and define problem thoughts, impulses and feelings. The individual needs to understand the meanings of his/her behavior in connection with stress.
    4. The cognitive distortions and personalization of impersonal events should be recognized.
    5. Once recognized, objectivity and perspective can be increased and the individual’s thinking can be shifted. Dysfunctional thoughts and feelings can be corrected.

 

Stress Inoculation Training

    1. Stress can come in diverse forms and a set back to an individual can be a major challenge – such events may be of the following types:
      • Acute and time limited such as preparing for a medical procedure (surgery) or invasive medical exam (cardiac catheterization) or having to confront a specific evaluation (cardiac rehab)
      • A specific event (job loss, heart attack) may trigger a series of stressful reactions and adjustments
      • A chronic intermittent variety with repeated exposures to stressors such as student examinations, competitive performances, repeated medical tests or treatments, a recurrent physical disorder
      • A chronic continual variety such as debilitating medical illness, prolonged family discord or stressors in professions such as police work or nursing
    1. A stress inoculation trainer will help a patient in the following ways:
      • To appreciate that the stress they experience is not abnormal – instead their distressing symptoms reflect a normal reaction to a difficult situation
      • To reframe their stress as a normal part of the reconstructive or rehabilitative process or as an adaptive reaction, rather than as a sign of weakness or failure
      • To understand the nature and course of their disorder – there is no one best way to cope, no prescribed stages to go through and to know that some people experience distress many years after the event occurred
      • To discover and appreciate the transactional nature of stress and how they themselves unwittingly, unknowingly and often inadvertently help maintain or increase their stress reactions
      • To facilitate their discovery of a sense of meaning or explanation of what happened and why
      • To develop gradual mastery of stress by rethinking and managing it to cope more effectively
      • To draw a distinction between what can be changed and what cannot be changed in coping with the demands of the situation
      • To break down large stressors into specific short-term, intermediate and long-term coping goals
    1. After the individual has conceptualized the stress factors they will learn skills and coping strategies, rehearse them, apply them, follow through and generalize.

 

Aerobic Exercise

    1. Research shows aerobic exercise to be an effective stress management technique.
    2. Type A hypertensive personalities find exercise very effective in reducing stress.

Conclusions

 

    1. Two or more of the above techniques can be combined or performed concurrently – different individuals have different preferences
    2. Training to relax generally produces greater somatic effects than do suggestions to relax
    3. More frequent use of stress reduction methods is more effective – thus, adherence is important and regularity of practice is more effective
    4. Expectancy for success increases effectiveness
    5. Individuals who believe they can exercise personal control over events will practice more often
    6. Those who are more depressed have less success in stress reduction
    7. Motivation to cope and improve increases success