RELAXATION TECHNIQUES

RELAXATION TECHNIQUE
A relaxation technique is any process, procedure, or activity that helps a person to relax to attain a state of increased calmness; or otherwise reduce levels of anxiety, stress or anger Relaxation techniques are often employed as one element of a wider stress management program and can decrease muscle tension, lower the blood pressure and slow heart and breath rates, among other health benefits

WHAT DO YOU UNDERSTAND BY STRESS?

The way our body and mind reacts to changes in life

ADOLESCENTS AND STRESS ? Teens are under more stress Since adolescence is a period of significant changes
physical, emotional, social, and academic changes

WHERE DOES STRESS COME FROM ?

Stress can come from Inside Body image Not happy with the way you look self-conscious feel everyone is staring at you

Stress can come from Outside i.e. surroundings, environment

Family .. School . Friends /Peers Society . Others

STRESSES PHYSICAL Prolonged school hours Over-packed class rooms

Transport
Pollution air, noise Overcrowding road Poor ventilation Bad furniture

HOW DO WE REACT TO STRESS? Reaction FFF (Fight Flight Freeze) ULTIMATELY how each person reacts will decide how STRESS will affect YOU This means that whether we get stressed out or not depends mainly on US

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF STRESS

Physical
Poor appetite or overeating Feeing tired and fatigued Various aches and pains ---headache body ache muscle pain Nausea & abdominal Pain Sleep problems Falling sick very often e.g. fever cough cold diarrhea ( because of lowering of immunity due to stress)

MENTAL
Feeling low Nervousness and Anxiety Excessive Anger or Depression Being easily upset Poor self confidence

Low self esteem

Lack of Concentration Poor performance in studies

IS STRESS GOOD OR BAD FOR US ?

Some amount of stress is essential for us to excel in life. This is good stress or EUSTRESS But when stress is too much then it reduces performance. This is bad stress or DISTRESS

STRESS AND PERFORMANCE:

ALL STRESSES CAN BE GOOD

So all efforts should be to convert all stresses into EUSTRESS This can be achieved by stress management techniques

STRESS MANAGEMENT TIPS

Making little changes in your life can really add up to a big feeling of relief.

Learn to recognize when you are feeling stressed and simple ways you can relax.
Take a break. Have a cold drink, get some fresh air, or close your eyes for a minute to refocus.

STRESS MANAGEMENT TIPS

Stay positive to help friends and family cope with stress.

Let others know you're feeling overwhelmed and tell them how they can help.
Allow yourself to simply say "no" to friends and family when you know you cannot meet their demands without becoming overwhelmed.

STRESS MANAGEMENT TIPS

Be prepared for unexpected problems such as traffic, a lost pet or a family emergency.

Prioritize. Take control of your "to do" list by deciding what's really most important on your list.
Write down feelings of sadness, frustration or anger to get a clearer perspective of your emotions.

STRESS MANAGEMENT TIPS

Enjoy life's simple pleasures like colorful flowers, dancing, music, and social outings, etc. Share your talents to better the lives of others as well as your sense of well-being.

Stress Response Overexcited (Fight)

Symptoms

Relaxation Technique

You tend to become angry, agitated, or keyed up under stress

You may respond best to relaxation techniques that quiet you down, such as meditation, deep breathing, or guided imagery

Under excited You tend to become (Flight) depressed, withdrawn, or spaced out under stress

You may respond best to relaxation techniques that are stimulating and that energize your nervous system, such as rhythmic exercise

Frozen/ Freeze
(both overexcited and under excited at the same time like pressing on the brakes and gas simultaneously)

You tend to freeze: speeding up in some ways while slowing down in others

Your challenge is to identify relaxation techniques that provide both safety and stimulation to help you reboot your system. Techniques such as mindfulness walking or power yoga might work well for you

STRESS MANAGEMENT PLAN

Exercise regularly. Have healthy eating habits never skip breakfast Reduce sedentary activities like TV Video games etc. Eat healthy nutritious food. Avoid Junk food . Avoid excess caffeine intake, e.g. tea, coffee, chocolates and cola drinks Do NOT TAKE QUICK FIX REMEDIES like alcohol tobacco and drugs as they have long term and very harmful effects on your body and mind .

STRESS MANAGEMENT PLAN

Practice time management

Learn relaxation exercises.

Rehearse and practice situations . Learn practical coping skills

STRESS MANAGEMENT PLAN

Decrease negative self talk. Learn to feel good with a workable result Dont be a perfectionist. Build a network of friends.

HOW DO YOU RECOGNIZE THAT YOU NEED PROFESSIONAL HELP ? Deteriorating school/ work performance Inability to sleep or excessive sleep Losing or gaining weight Feeling low or tired all the time Mood swings : crying, getting angry Not wanting to talk to anybody

The only difference between a diamond and a lump of coal is that the diamond had a little more pressure put on it

BIOFEEDBACK
Instrumentation that lets you see your psychophysiological processes

You may not otherwise be aware of this information (e.g., increased heart rate) People then can learn to voluntarily control these bodily processes

THREE PHASES OF BIOFEEDBACK

1. 2. Measuring the physiological parameter Converting this measurement into some understandable form

3.

Feeding back this information to the subject who is learning to control his or her body processes

PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
Biofeedback that focuses on muscle tension alone has been effective in treating the following conditions:
Asthma Hypertension Hyperkinesia Spasticity Cerebral palsy Dystonias Ulcers Muscle spasms Nerve-muscle injuries Spasmodic torticollis Tinnitus Migraine headache Tension headache

PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS (CONT.)

Biofeedback has also been effective in treating the following conditions: Raynauds disease Hypertension Palmar hyperhidrosis Constipation Jaw tapping TMJ disorder Asthma Migraine headaches Scoliosis Incontinence Leg muscle weakness Epilepsy Diabetes Attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder

PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS
Anxiety Insomnia Drug abuse Hyperactivity Sexual dysfunction Various affective disorders

Phobias Alcoholism Depression Tension headaches Substance abuse Burnout Regulation of mental state

PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS (CONT.)

The more that biofeedback is studied, the more it seems to share common elements with relaxation procedures and cognitive stress management procedures (Rice, 1987)

HOW TO RELAX USING BIOFEEDBACK

Biofeedback is used as a training device to help you achieve greater control of your physiological processes The equipment teaches you the sensations of relaxation and corresponding physiology (e.g., decreased muscle tension, heart rate, breathing, etc.) Once you are able to gain control, you will not react to stress in a dysfunctional manner

DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING

Stressful breathing is rapid and shallow Diaphragmatic breathing is deep breathing from the belly rather than just the chest Diaphragmatic breathing is a precursor to all forms of relaxation Color breathing and nasal switching are two examples of breathing exercises

HOW TO DO DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING Lie on your back Eliminate distractions by focusing on an object, word, thought, etc. Become aware of your breathing Inhale deeply and slowly Exhale completely and slowly Dont hold your breath; slow your breathing rate down naturally focusing on the phases of your breathing

DID YOU KNOW?

You normally breathe approximately 14-16 cycles per minute (inhale/exhale = one cycle) When you become experienced with diaphragmatic breathing, you should be able to slow your breathing rate down to 4-6 cycles per minute

BODY SCANNING
A relaxation technique that searches for relaxed body parts and transports that sensation to less relaxed areas Three stages to body scanning:
1. 2. 3. Search for a part of the body that is relaxed Identify it Spread the sensation to the more tense parts of your body

MASSAGE AND ACUPRESSURE

Chinese and Indian medical care have used massage for centuries

Several European techniques have been adopted in recent years

Reflexology Acupuncture (shiatsu)

BENEFITS OF MASSAGE
Reduce anxiety and stress Calm ADHD children Facilitate growth Reduce pain Increase alertness Diminish depression Enhance immune function

YOGA AND STRETCHING There are many forms of yoga Hatha yoga is well known in the Western world The stretching in yoga can be relaxing for the mind and body Avoid overstretching and injury Benefits include increased spatial memory, improved body awareness, decreased resting heart rate, and enhanced physical relaxation

INSTANT CALMING SEQUENCE Based on concept of recognizing signs of stress and responding immediately Five steps:
Uninterrupted breathing
Positive face Balanced posture

Wave of relaxation
Mental control

MUSIC AND RELAXATION

Sound can have relaxing effects
Imagined natural sounds White noise

Soothing music can:

Reduce blood pressure

Reduce depression
Improve self-esteem Improve spirituality

TAI CHI
Originated in China 300 years ago Uses slow, dancelike movements, meditation, and control of breathing Has not yet been well studied Five basic principles of Tai Chi:
Relaxation Separating yin and yang Turning the waist Keeping an erect back Total body movement

PETS AND STRESS

Pets take the focus off concerns and worries They provide social support Numerous studies have found that pet ownership can reduce stress Petting a dog can momentarily lower your blood pressure, as well as the dogs!

RELAXATION TECHNIQUES

TOE TENSING
Lie on your back close your eyes Sense your toes Now pull all 10 toes back toward your face Count to 10 slowly Now relax your toes Count to 10 slowly Now repeat the above cycle 10 times

DEEP BREATHING
Begin to inhale slowly through your nose if possible Fill the lower part of your chest first, then the middle and top part of your chest and lungs Be sure to do this slowly, over 8 to 10 seconds Hold your breath for a second or two Then quietly and easily relax and let the air out Wait a few seconds and repeat this cycle

If you find yourself getting dizzy, then you are overdoing it. Slow down. You can also imagine yourself in a peaceful situation such as on a warm, gentle ocean Imagine that you rise on the gentle swells of the water as you inhale and sink down into the waves as you exhale.

You can continue this breathing technique for as long as you like until you fall asleep.

GUIDED IMAGERY
Imagine yourself in a favorite, peaceful place. The place may be on a sunny beach with the ocean breezes caressing you, swinging in a hammock in the mountains or in your own backyard. Any place that you find peaceful and relaxing is OK Imagine you are there. See and feel your surroundings, hear the peaceful sounds, smell the flowers or the barbecue, fell the warmth of the sun and any other sensations that you find. Relax and enjoy it.

QUIET EARS
Lie on your back with your eyes closed Place your hands behind your head Make sure they are relaxed Place your thumbs in your ears so that you close the ear canal You will hear a high-pitched rushing sound This is normal Listen to this sound for 10-15 minutes Then put your arms at your sides, actively relax them and go to sleep.