Stress Management Techniques

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What is Stress Management?

Developing effective emotion regulation skills to enjoy a balanced and happy life.

Stress Management

How can we help ourselves stay healthy in the face of stress?

Most stress management programs train people to use more effective Coping strategies.

Coping- The process by which people try to manage the perceived discrepancy between the demand and resources.

So, Here are some approaches can be also helpful in Stress Management.

• Emotional disclosure:- "Opening up" and writing expressively about life problems in a systematic way does seem to be an effective therapy for many people with illnesses.

Writing or talking about life's difficulties can be valuable in dealing with stress.
In research, it was found that people who had written about their emotions had significantly less physical dysfunction than those assigned to a control condition.
In studies, patients often experience initial increases in emotional distress during the writing phase but then show improvement in their medical status over follow-up.
In this, patients are given an opportunity for emotional catharsis,or "blowing off steam". And writing gives people an opportunity to rethink about their problems.
Emotional disclosure is associated with better immune functioning. So, if you can find a good listener, you may be able to discharge problematic emotions by letting your fears, misgivings, and frustrations spill out in a candid conversation.

• Biofeedback :- Getting feedback about one's own bodily processes.A procedure aim to make patients more aware of such things as their heart rate, level of muscle tension or blood pressure.This is done by connecting the patient to monitoring equipment and providing a cue to the patient when he or she is successful at making a desired response. 

It is a technique in which an electromechanical device monitors the status of a person's physiological processes and immediately reports that information back to the individual.
Over time, patients become more conscious aware of their internal responses and person gain voluntary control over the processes and able to modify them when necessary. 

• Music therapy:- Therapists always use of music as an intervention in counseling.

Sometimes therapist work with the client to actively create the music. Eg:- composing a song, engaging in music etc. And sometimes the therapist offers music listening experience such as using music to facilitate na client or group's relaxation.

• Breathing Exercises :- Method of regulated breathing.

Conscious effort through the nose, one has to inhale to the full capacity, and the exhale through the mouth.
It should be done for a number of times each day.
It produces deep relaxation and also reduces muscular tension.

• Pranayama:- More than 50 difference techniques of pranayama have been described in old scriptures.

• Some of them are:-

Anuloma pranayama - The technique involving alternate nostril breathing.
Bhastrika pranayama- long and deep breathing, as if feeling the movement of the diaphragm.
Kumbhaka pranayama - Retention of breath for a while.
Sheetali pranayama - The process of cooling the breath by doing respiration with mouth open and tongue extended out is known.
This treatment seemed to address issues related to the patients' well-being, anxiety and depression

• Progressive Muscle Relaxation:- In 1938, by Edmund Jacobson.

• Refers to focusing attention on specific muscle groups while alternately tightening and relaxing these muscles.

Alternate relaxing and tensing of the muscles.
Increases consciousness of and awareness about how they are functioning.
It is a technique in which the body responds to anxiety provoking thoughts and situation accompanying muscle tension with muscle relaxation.
It can help patients with essential hypertension, headache etc.

• Guided imagery:- Using one's imagination to recreate and enjoy a situation that is very relaxing and soothing.

Imagery is a potent method of stress reduction, particularly when combined with physical relaxation methods such as deep breathing.

One is encouraged to visualise or mentally recreate the situation in which he felt extremely happy and peaceful.

It could be some place in the lap of nature,or it could be the company of some loved one.

The more intense patients imagines the situation, the more relaxing experience tends to be.

• Transcendental meditation:- a new technique of meditation developed by - "Maharishi Mahesh Yogi"

Sitting in a particular yogic posture with closed eyes and chanting of certain mantras along with it.

Transcendental meditation for 20 minutes twice a day reduced their diastolic blood pressure and may be helpful in deep relaxation and peacefulness in the individual.

• Forgiving:- forgiving someone involves counteracting these natural tendencies and releasing the person from further liability for his or her transgression.

Forgiving is associated with better adjustment and well-being as well as reduced anger and physical symptoms.

• Sleeping schedule:- good sleep habits can also help in the effort to minimize physiological vulnerability to stress.

Sleep loss can undermine immune system responding and fuel inflammatory responses. Poor sleep quality is associated with poor health and that sleep loss can elevate the risk of mortality. Research suggest that people need to get a sufficient amount of sleep and should strive for consistency in their patterns of sleeping.

• Excercise:- The potential benefits of regular exercise are substantial, including increased longevity.

Research shown that moderate amount of excercise reduces your risk of disease.

So, excercise regularly without overdoing it, and reinforce yourself for your efforts.

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Definition of Stress