Stress Relief Tips & Techniques

The current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) defines a panic attack as an abrupt and discrete experience of intense fear or acute discomfort, accompanied by symptoms such as heart palpitations, shortness of breath, sweating, trembling, and worries about going crazy, losing control or dying. Most attacks occur without obvious provocation, making them even more terrifying. Some 8 to 10 percent of the population experiences an occasional attack, but only 5 percent develops panic disorder. Contrary to common misconception, these episodes aren’t merely rushes of anxiety that most of us experience from time to time. Instead patients who have had a panic attack typically describe it as the most frightening event they have ever undergone.

Research has provided important leads to explain what causes a person’s first panic attack—clues that can help ward off an attack in the first place. When stress builds up to a critical level, a very small additional amount of stress can trigger panic. As a result, the person may experience the event as coming out of the blue.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=why-do-we-panic

More often than not when we are feeling stressed it has to do with your internal dialogue. Of course, there are times when the situation causing you stress is so extreme that it may be hard to break out of the negative mental funk you are in. That’s ok. It gets easier the more you force yourself to think positive.

One technique that works well is to have a backup thought process or even a song that can goive you a positivity boost. If something happens to cause you a great deal of stress, push the incident away and focus on the toughts that you know will make you feel good (or start singing at the top of your lungs).

The best part about singing is that it’s an automatic behaviour, i.e. it doesn’t require you to think. This helps you focus on other activities that are more important. If the song is a sad one and you visualize the meaning of the words then you can go the opposite way from where you want to go. In such a situation having a tune you can sing (a song with no words) can have the same effect as a mantra. That means you occupy your mind with a tune that blocks out negative thinking.

More later, but for now check out this excellent article  on positive thinking for stress management.

I have just published a lens designed to give a complete introduction to stress management techniques on this site on ONE page.

This page contains background information about stress, videos stress relief aids and links to essential information on this site.

You can check out this new page by clicking here.

This site is accepting guest article contributions.All articles must be original and unique.

One link to your website/webpage can be included at the bottom of the article.

All articles must be related to managing or reducing stress in a person’s life.

Here are a couple of guest articles published today that you can review as examples:

Guest Article: Managing Stress with Better Nutrition

Guest Article: Journaling to Manage Stress

To send in your contribution/questions send an email to   abbas  at instantstressmanagement.com

 NOTE:  Not all articles will be accepted.

This is a basic meditation technique which is very useful to just relax. Regular practice makes it a good meditation for stress management as well. Let’s call it “The Empty Mind Meditation”

Preparation:

Relax your body completely.

Take in 4 deep breaths, repeating “4” to yourself as you exhale.

Then take 3 deep breaths, repeating “3 when you exhale.

Now take 2 deep breaths, repeating “2” when you exhale.

Finally, take 1 deep breath, repeating “1” as you exhale.

At the same time, focus your mind on a pleasant image.  Imagine that you are a passive observer of something very relaxing where there is repetitive motion.

Example:  relaxing on the beach, watching the waves go back and forth or just lying in the grass and watching as the clouds move by overhead.

Finally, now you want to cause your mind to go completely blank.  As you are focusing on this repetitive movement, begin to envision a blank form. 

Maybe this blank form will arise as ‘gaps’ in your thoughts. I.e. there are always gaps in thought, become aware of yours. Allow these gaps to expand. 

Tip: If you get lost in thought and notice, then you are already succeeding in the meditation. As you NOTICED.

Allow each thought to pass as easily as it came in, expanding your awareness of the ‘gaps’.

Maintaining a good posture, when you stand and sit, has an unconscious impact of making you more alert and confident which are stress relieving attitudes in themselves. It will also reduce the stress on your body that bad posture is sure to bring.

Technique; Take in a few, good deep breaths as you sit up very tall. Put your feet flat on the floor. At the same time angle your thighs slightly toward the floor, arch in your lower back slightly, gently push your sternum (chest bone) back and then relax your shoulders.

As your posture continues to align, you will begin to relieve stress and tension in your muscles. Do this exercise twice daily and you will find yourself naturally attain a better good posture every day

Studies have shown that a genuine smile releases endorphins into your bloodstream, relieving stress and even rejuvenating your entire mind and body. The smile meditation is easy to do and very effective at feeling good, refreshed and re-energized really quickly.

· Think of something funny to start you smiling. It could be an event, a movie, a cute baby or even a puppy. Anything to bring a good smile on your face.

· Imagine this smile spreading over face, down your neck and into your body.

· Meditate on the smile till your whole body begins to feel like a ‘big smile’.

If you need to relax to prepare yourself to do this meditation properly then pick a technique listed on this blog. Listen to some relaxing nature sounds or do the video exercises on the main page of this website.

1    Breathing In Colors

To do this meditation correctly you have to pick a color that makes you feel relaxed and peaceful. Imagining the color vividly will help you get some stress relief. You can pick any color you like, from blue, to gold, to red. Once you have picked the appropriate color then you can begin doing the following;

Sit in a comfortable position with your back straight. Breathe slowly and deep while imagining that you can actually breathe in your chosen color on each inhale. Breathe in this color till it feels like your body and mind are filled with it.

 2    Your Sanctuary

The idea behind this meditation is that imagining a place that makes you feel good, safe and relaxed will trigger an appropriate response in your body.

Pick a place you feel safe and comfortable. It could be a garden, a forest, a waterfall, anything. Visualize this place clearly and ‘step in’. Spend some time meditating as if you are actually there. Use this meditation whenever you need to take a quick break and get some relief from stress.

3    A Deep Pond

Imagining something that is still and calm will also make you feel still and calm.

Technique; Imagine a deep blue pond. Notice some fish below the surface darting around. Take a silver coin from your pocket and toss it into the center of the pond. As the coin slowly drifts down allow yourself to relax. Do this for a quick stress break.

4    Walking Meditation

This is a great meditation to ‘get out of your head’ and expand your awareness of your surroundings. This relieves stress quickly and it’s a fun technique anyone can do anytime.

While walking start becoming aware of your breath. Expand this awareness to include the feel of the clothes on your body and the feel of your feet on the ground. While continuing your awareness of your breath and body, become aware of the place you are walking and the scenery around you. Finally, being aware of breath, body and surroundings add the huge dome of the sky above you and the earth below you. Breathe deeply and relish this expanded sense of awareness.

5    Eating Meditation

Being aware and present while you eat helps you relax and can help you control your eating habits. It also helps to be grateful before you eat as this prepares your mind to enjoy the meal. Take each bite consciously and enjoy the taste and texture. Chew slowly and take your time.

6    Candle Flame Meditation

If you have trouble with out of control thoughts, which makes you feel stressed or tired, then this technique is for you.

Light a candle and sit comfortably in front of it. Focus only on the flame allowing any thoughts arising to just pass by. Watch how the candle dances. Then close your eyes and continue to focus on the flame in your minds eye. If you lose the image open your eyes and gaze at the candle again.  If you like you can imagine any thought arising to go and burn up in the flame. This will help you attain a focused meditative state.

7      Breathing In A Smell

Smell is very important to us and easily alters our internal states.

Pick a flower or food that smells extremely good to you (in reality or in your imagination). Breath in this smell deeply and slowly. Take your time enjoying the feeling of the smell “fill” your body. You will feel refreshed and rejuvenated.

This article relates to and completes earlier posts on;

Using Mental Imagery for Stress Management   and

Using Your Imagination for Instant Stress Relief and Long-Term Stress Management

Your brain cannot tell the difference between what you perceive in your imagination vs. what you perceive in the real world!

For example; if you think of something that tends to cause you alot of stress (like giving a speech to a crowd), then your brain begins pumping the chemicals that come automatically with a stress response.  If you imagine this stressful activity vividly then the stress response will increase.

In other words, you don’t need to be experiencing the stressful event at the moment to be experiencing the stress that goes along with it…your brain acts as if your imagination/visualization is the same as reality.

To use this natural brain response to your imagination, to your advantage all you have to do is choose what you want to imagine and then imagine it vividly.

To attain some relief from stress instantly, just imagine a relaxing/peaceful scene vividly and your brain will begin pumping the chemicals that goes with that state of mind. So you will relax without having to take a trip to the beach (or whatever relaxing activity you are imagining).

How can you use this for long-term stress management? 

Keeping in mind that your brain percieves relaity and your imagination as the same, lets look at how we can use this in dealing with the daily stressors in our lives. To do this lets take a look at an experience a friend of mine related to me about applying a positive outlook to a stressful situation.

I was traveling from in New York City on a hot rainy day. The subway tracks in Manhattan had flooded so the trains were barely running. Here I was standing in an extremely hot and humid underground station, sweating so much I thought I would melt. I noticed that several individuals around me were getting angry and frustrated. Which led to some complaining. The more they complained the more frustrated they got.

In the heat, surrounded by stressed people I realized that I was getting frustrated as well. So I thought of something that I enjoy doing and would be doing in the very near future. In this case it was sitting on my computer and working on some tunes. I took a deep breath and imagined sitting on my computer in my air-conditioned room working on my music. I accepted the delay as inevitable but all is fine. I let a smile fill my body. That broke the stress.

Next, I knew I had to change my outlook on the present situation. I realized I could start thinking of tunes right away. This way I could use the train delays to my advantage to get ahead in my work. By this time I was excited and humming to myself as I stood in the heat waiting for the next stuffed train.

In the above case my friend used his imagination to alter his reaction to an experience that is normally considered stressful.

Using your imagination you can create a better internal experience for yourself irrespective of external circumstances.

Also read using mental imagery for stress relief.

Research has proved an ancient idea that the mind and body are so intimately related that the term mind-body would be better. That means that the mind affects the body and the body affects the mind.

Here is an introduction published in Time Magazine explaining how modern science has now accepted the inseparable link between mind and body, the piece is called “Your Mind, Your Body”. Another article in the same issue covers evidence on how stress can cause heart problems and vice versa, the piece is called “The Power of Mood”.

If you experience physical danger, you will experience mental stress. Likewise, if you have a horrific thought then your brain will release stress chemicals into your body.

Breathing is one technique that automatically relaxes the body and so it also automatically helps relax the mind. So it follows that you can use your mind to relax your whole mind-body system further.

Visualizing peaceful and relaxing imagery will make your mind-body attain peace and relaxation.

For example, imagine yourself sitting on a beach. It is a warm day and the sun feels good on your skin. You can feel the wind on your skin and hear the sound of the wave. Visualize this intensely and you will feel great.