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What are relaxation techniques?
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What is a relaxation response?
Jan 24, 2024 · Relaxation techniques can: Slow heart rate. Lower blood pressure. Slow breathing rate. Improve digestion. Control blood sugar levels. Lessen activity of stress hormones. Increase blood flow to major muscles. Ease muscle tension and chronic pain. Improve focus and mood. Improve sleep quality. Lower fatigue. Lessen anger and frustration.
- Meditation
This practice most often combines meditation, relaxation,...
- Exercise and Stress
For most healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human...
- Stress Basics
Relaxation techniques; Products and services. Stress basics...
- Relaxation Techniques
Almost everyone can benefit from relaxation techniques,...
- Meditation
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- Breath focus. In this simple, powerful technique, you take long, slow, deep breaths (also known as abdominal or belly breathing). As you breathe, you gently disengage your mind from distracting thoughts and sensations.
- Body scan. This technique blends breath focus with progressive muscle relaxation. After a few minutes of deep breathing, you focus on one part of the body or group of muscles at a time and mentally releasing any physical tension you feel there.
- Guided imagery. For this technique, you conjure up soothing scenes, places, or experiences in your mind to help you relax and focus. You can find free apps and online recordings of calming scenes—just make sure to choose imagery you find soothing and that has personal significance.
- Mindfulness meditation. This practice involves sitting comfortably, focusing on your breathing, and bringing your mind's attention to the present moment without drifting into concerns about the past or the future.
Nov 18, 2023 · Basics. Relaxation techniques. Stress management: Learn why you feel stress and how to fight it.
Relaxation techniques are practices to help bring about the body’s “relaxation response,” which is characterized by slower breathing, lower blood pressure, and a reduced heart rate. The relaxation response is the opposite of the stress response.
- Introducing Relaxation Techniques
- Deep Breathing
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation
- Visualization / Guided Imagery
- Mindfulness Meditation
Without basic knowledge of the stress response, relaxation skills lack context. They seem like tricks that feel good, but don’t serve a broader purpose. For this reason, psychoeducation about the acute stress response (“the fight-or-flight response”), and your client’s unique needs, is an excellent place to begin.
Deep breathing (also known as diaphragmatic breathing, belly breathing, or abdominal breathing) is one of the most versatile and easy-to-use relaxation skills. Additionally, the discreet nature of deep breathing makes it a good choice for many situations.
Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) requires a greater time investment than deep breathing, and it’s a bit less discreet, but its effects can be very powerful. During PMR, you will tense and then relax small groups of muscles in your body, one-by-one. This process will teach you to recognize what tension feels like, and practice releasing that tens...
Visualization uses the power of the mind to evoke positive emotions. It works, quite simply, by imagining a relaxing scene in great detail. Maybe it sounds silly, or too simple, but trust us: it works.
Jon Kabat-Zinn—a leader in the field of mindfulness and health—has defined mindfulness as "paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally." This means consciously paying attention to our senses and our feelings, without further judgement. Mindfulness meditation is one exercise of many based upon the id...
May 20, 2022 · Relaxing your body prompts a relaxation response (RR). The RR is the opposite of how you respond to stress, also known as the fight, flight, or freeze response. RR is both a physical and mental...
Jan 3, 2024 · Techniques like deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation can help you calm the stress response when dealing with an acute stressor, which can provide short-term stress relief. Other strategies like spending time with supportive people, practicing meditation, and doing yoga can help combat symptoms of chronic stress . At a Glance.
