Techniques for relaxation and stress management

Relaxation Techniques

Diaphragmatic breathing is an effective relaxation technique because it interrupts and/or counteracts the "fight or flight" response that the body employs when it perceives a threat (Smith, 2007). As a person breathes from the diaphragm, the abdomen instead of the chest expands. This allows a person to get plenty of oxygen, but maximizes how much of that oxygen gets into the bloodstream (Smith, 2007). Essentially, diaphragmatic breathing is the exact opposite of hyperventilation, where the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream is reduced due to the fast, shallow breaths from the upper part of the lungs. Many people consider this type of breathing to be part of complementary or alternative medicine, and it has been described as a much healthier way for a person to breathe. That is generally because of the extra oxygen that the person is getting into his or her lungs during diaphragmatic breathing, and also because of the slowness of the activity, which requires focus and creates a calming, tranquil feeling (Smith, 2007).

When a person practices diaphragmatic breathing, the standard way to do so is to deeply and slowly inhale through the nose for a count of 10, and then slowly exhale for a similar count (Kaur, Agarwal, & Babbar, 2014). Repeating this between five and 10 times, and doing so several times each day, can help a person feel calmer and more relaxed. It can be valuable for everyone, but is especially significant for people who are anxious or who have panic attacks. By helping to interrupt the fight or flight response, diaphragmatic breathing can reduce anxiety in any number of situations. It is also able to alleviate a panic attack in some cases, and can reduce the duration and severity of the attack in other cases. While it is not guaranteed as a treatment for these kinds of nervous system conditions, the data indicating the value of diaphragmatic breathing as a relaxation technique is proven and verifiable (Payne & Donaghy, 2010).

There are differences between inclusive and exclusive meditation. Inclusive meditation is called mindfulness, or sometimes insightful meditation (Kaur, Agarwal, & Babbar, 2014). It does not allow the mind to attach itself to any thoughts, but the mind must also not restrict any thoughts. Because there is no attempt to control the content of the mind, thoughts enter and leave without any type of emotional attachment or judgment. Zen meditation has some aspects of inclusive meditation, although it is not identical. An actual example of this technique would be formal mindfulness meditation. Informal mindfulness can also be practiced as an example of inclusive meditation. This would involve doing something that would be considered a daily activity, such as eating dinner or taking a walk (Smith, 2007). When a person uses inclusive meditation for these activities, he or she is very mindful of the activity itself, and highly conscious of doing it. This is an excellent way to learn to see common tasks differently, and can help a person feel more relaxed because he or she may feel more connected to the world.

Exclusive meditation is also a way to feel connected to the world and to provide a higher level of relaxation in people who practice it. Those who practice this type of meditation are to focus on one thought, specifically, and exclude all other types of thoughts. By wiping out all other thoughts from the conscious mind, the person is able to address only one thought -- and that thought is to remain the focus throughout the entire meditation (Kaur, Agarwal, & Babbar, 2014). The continual repetition of Om or another word, sound, or phrase, would be an example of exclusive meditation. Additionally, a person can visualize a specific image and hold that image in his or her head as a point of focus for exclusive meditation. Transcendental meditation is a popular method, along with another similar method called relaxation response (Smith, 2007). Studies done on transcendental meditation from Harvard researchers have shown that the technique is effective for people who want to reduce stress levels (Smith, 2007).

Mental imagery is the creation of an image in the mind (Smith, 2007). This can be an image that is put there as a suggestion from someone else, or it can be something the person who is seeing the image has determined would be a good choice. Some believe that it differs from visualization, but research does not support that (Smith, 2007). The only real difference is in the personal opinion of the terminology, with some people preferring the term mental imagery and other people preferring visualization. The other difference is one of semantics, where some people believe that mental imagery is something that is created by one person in the mind of another person, and visualization is something that is created by the person in his or her own mind (Payne & Donaghy, 2010). This is the main consideration when these two phrases are addressed. Regardless of any subtle differences, though, and regardless of semantic concerns, both mental imagery and visualization are very important ways for a person to relax and feel calm. They may not be successful for everyone and they do take work.