relaxation

Mindfulness

When we’re constantly busy and judging our performance in life, work, and relationships, we can easily become stressed.  This pressure and consistent negative thinking puts you at a greater risk of anxiety and depression.  Excessive planning and problem solving can be taxing.  Mindfulness is one way to redirect you away from these thoughts and start living in the moment.  A meditative and relaxation practice, mindfulness is focusing on the present moment and your senses.  Mindfulness reflects on these experiences in a non-judgmental way.  You begin to see the world around you through a new lens, and instead of seeing life critically you start to become curious.      

Why Practice Mindfulness?

There are many benefits to incorporating mindfulness into your life.  From an emotional and physical standpoint, mindfulness helps fight depression, anxiety, and other mental health symptoms.  Researchers have found that practicing mindfulness meditation may improve your memory, your ability to learn, and your self-esteem.  Redirecting your thoughts can help you feel better about yourself, take better care of yourself, and raise your mood.  Many times our minds dwell on past mistakes, fears, or even hopes for the future.  Mindfulness helps us to stay in the present and keeps us calm enough to practice good decision-making.  Our work life can also improve when we spend less time on negative thoughts.  Mindfulness allows us to be more creative and thoughtful in our work.      

 

How to Practice Mindfulness

Learn the meditative practice of mindfulness by following the steps listed:

1. Focus and practice good breathing. Begin by sitting up straight in a chair with your feet flat on the floor.  Pay attention to what it feels like to breathe in and out.  Relax your mind and dismiss other thoughts.  Notice your abdomen as it rises and falls with each breath.  If your mind does begin to wander, don’t judge yourself.  Gently redirect your thoughts back to the exercise.  If you are finding it difficult, search online or watch YouTube clips for breathing exercise instructions.
2. Pay attention to your senses. Focusing on your senses can help you feel calmer.  For example, find a piece of fruit and smell, feel, and look at the fruit.  Take a bite, chewing and tasting it slowly.  This practice can relax you and possibly teach you more about your relationship with food.  You can also try paying attention to your senses while walking outside.  Whether you’re in your backyard or at a busy street corner, you can stop and pay attention to what you hear, see, and smell.  Take a deep breath.  Direct your mind away from any negative or stressful thoughts and towards the present moment. 
3. Look at what’s familiar. Focus on an object you use or encounter every day.  Look at it with fresh eyes, in a way you’ve not noticed it before.  You might find a new appreciation for the world when you stop and truly pay attention. 
4. Listen carefully to others. Truly listen to people you’re meeting for the first time and those you’ve known a long time.  Hear what they’re saying with new ears.  Consider what they’re trying to convey and how they might experience the world differently than you do. 
5. Delay judgment. We tend to size people up immediately.  When we are slow to judge others, we may be less negative about the world around us.  This gives us an opportunity to discover what’s special about the individual and what we can learn from people.

When to Practice Mindfulness

The following tips will help you discover the best time to engage in mindfulness:

• Look for patterns. Do you find yourself getting more stressed or negative at certain parts of the day?  Begin to look for patterns to your thinking.  If you notice a particular event, environment, or time of day that triggers these reactions, consider engaging in mindfulness beforehand to counteract them.
• Find your space. Set aside a few minutes every day to practice breathing techniques.  Create a special, quiet place for you to relax.  Begin to feel yourself unwind.  A safe and positive place can make all the difference when releasing stress and tension. 
• Use every moment. Some mindfulness activities, like listening carefully and engaging your senses, can be practiced any time during the day.  Likewise, almost any activity lends itself to mindfulness, from checking your email to shopping at the grocery store.  Simply tune in to your breathing, your other senses, and who is around you.    
• Establish a routine. Mindfulness might seem awkward or uneasy at first.  However, as you practice it every day for several months, mindfulness will begin to feel more natural.  Researchers suggest committing to mindfulness techniques for six months to establish a solid routine.    

When you practice mindfulness, great things can happen.  Instead of mindlessly eating in front of the television each day to deal with stress, you can experience all this world has to offer.  In short, being mindful takes you off autopilot to notice new things with greater enthusiasm.    

 

Want to talk to a counselor today about this? 

Call Amplified Life at 800-453-7733 and ask for your “Free 15 Minute Phone Consultation" with one of our licensed counselors. We’ll listen, answer questions you may have, and help you plan next steps.

 

Sources:

www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/consumer-health/in-depth/mindfulness-exercises/art-20046356http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/Jan2012/Feature2

 

 

 

 

Relaxation Techniques

 

Stress is a natural part of life, and how we choose to manage it is critical to our wellbeing.  Knowing how and when to practice relaxation can help you manage stress in a healthy way.

 

The Stress/Relaxation Relationship

 

Sometimes there are interruptions in life, or adjustments we have to make, that cause stress. Our body is built to handle stress and produces physical, emotional, and mental responses to the event.  Stressors can serve a positive function, such as helping you stay alert to give an important presentation at work. However, continual stress without relaxation or relief takes its toll on our physical and mental health.

 

Our body’s reaction to stress is called the “fight or flight” response. Hormones are released when we encounter stressors, and energy pumps to our heart and muscles to take action. While short-term stress can increase productivity and performance, having a constant or hyper-normal stress response to life can wear down the body. Balancing our alertness to life and its challenges with activities of relaxation can improve our health and our minds. 

 

Relaxation techniques are intentional practices used to produce the body’s natural relaxation response. These skills slow breathing rate, lower blood pressure, reduce headaches and insomnia, and improve overall health. These activities are tools that will improve our quality of life if we set aside time to practice them.

 

Stress Symptoms and Relaxation Benefits

 

When the stress response is constantly activated in our bodies, a number of medical issues can occur.  Stress is a contributing factor to high blood pressure, irritable bowel conditions, hypertension, and even strokes, so working on reducing stress is a valuable investment to your future health.

 

Engaging and practicing our relaxation response results in limitless advantages. Some measureable benefits include better concentration, lower heart and breathing rates, and reduction in chronic pain.  You also might experience less fatigue, irritability, and muscle tension. 

 

Types of Relaxation Techniques.

 

To reduce chronic stress in your life, consider incorporating one or more of these relaxation techniques into your daily routine:

 

• Autogenic relaxation- Paying attention to your body is a great way to reduce stress. People who practice this form of relaxation focus on peaceful images or words while tuning into their breathing, heart rate, and physical sensations.
• Progressive muscle relaxation- With this technique, you slowly tense and relax individual muscles. Start with your feet and work up to your head.  This practice teaches awareness of muscle tension when you are stressed. 
• Biofeedback- There are electronic devices you can use to measure physical responses to stress. With instant feedback, you can take notes on what exercises relax you the most.
• Guided imagery- Begin by replacing negative images with positive, peaceful ones. For example, you might envision a day at the beach or relaxing in a hammock under the shade. 
• Music- Believe it or not, listening to music can lower your heart rate and blood pressure. Focus on the music and sing out loud if possible. 
• Laughter- Watching your favorite funny movie or catching up with a witty friend can be just what the doctor ordered, so to speak. Laughter lowers cortisol, your body’s stress hormone, and promotes brain chemicals called endorphins to lift your mood. 
• Gratitude- There is much to say for approaching life with a positive attitude and good perspective. Writing down things we are grateful for or even sending a thank you note to someone can help remind us of what is truly important. 
• Be present- Focus on what’s in front of you by using your senses. Practice being present in your relationships, at work, and by yourself.  Push aside thoughts about your to-do list, future events, and things in the past.  Try keeping your thoughts on the here-and-now. 

 

These exercises can be done alone or with the help of another person. If you’re not sure where to start, programs and classes in your community may offer activities that practice many of these techniques, such as yoga, meditation, and art therapy.  Consider downloading an app or searching for guided exercises online.  Different exercises work for different people, so keep trying until you find a technique that works best for you.

 

Relaxation techniques are most effective when they are combined with other tools for healthy living. Proper rest, a healthy diet, and exercise can all contribute to reducing stress. Consider asking a loved one or counselor for support.  Relaxation techniques are not a substitute for medical treatment in the event of an illness.  Seek medical attention when necessary and implement these helpful strategies to prevent and reduce the amount of stress in your life.

 

While relaxation techniques won’t eliminate the stress in your life, they will aid in managing your stress-load. Regardless of where you land on the stress spectrum, from feeling overwhelmed to managing your stress well, these activities will reduce the effects of stress on your mind and body. Relaxation techniques are low-cost, low-risk for injury, and can be performed almost anywhere.  There is nothing to lose and everything to gain. 

 

Want to talk to a counselor today about this? 

Call Amplified Life at 800-453-7733 and ask for your “Free 15 Minute Phone Consultation" with one of our licensed counselors. We’ll listen, answer questions you may have, and help you plan next steps.

 

Sources:

 http://nccam.nih.gov/health/stress/relaxation.htm

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/stress-management/in-depth/relaxation-technique/art-20045368

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/stress-management/in-depth/relaxation-technique/art-20045368

http://umm.edu/programs/sleep/patients/relaxation