What is stress?
Barb Nefer is quoted on livestrong site, stating the definition of stress as “A natural physical and mental reaction to upsetting or threatening situations,” she is further quoted as stating that our bodies deal with stress by invoking a fight or flight response. (Nefer, B, 2014).
One would think that the best stress reliever in that case is flight; unfortunately, there are going to be times that flight is not an option; and in that case it is important to have relaxation techniques to relieve stress in mind so that you will know what technique to use in different types of stressful situations.
Follow some simple yet effective relaxation techniques to alleviate daily stress and feel light throughout your day.
Sucking and chewing
Though that may seem to be a tall order, in fact we as humans are born with a built in stress relieving instinct that works well. Now you may be asking yourself, what this instinct is, and how a baby could know how to relieve stress when we as adults are so plagued with it.
The truth is that even a newborn baby seems to know from moments after birth that the act of suckling is not just something we use daily for nourishment. Thus the reasons why a great deal of babies use a pacifier or perhaps a thumb or finger when they are cranky. The act of sucking is soothing and relaxing. This can also be a powerful tool in your box of relaxation techniques to relieve stress.
The next time you are feeling stressed out, and you are looking for a stress reliever, try popping a piece of gum in your mouth or, if in a situation where gum is inappropriate, perhaps a piece of hard candy. Just as with the baby suckling as a stress reliever, chewing gum or sucking on a piece of hard candy is a relaxing motion that will help relieve stress so you can continue with your day in a more relaxed manner.
Light, stretching exercises
There are other stress relieving activities that we can do on a regular basis to help relax and feel less stressed. For instance, each time you stand up and walk around to ‘stretch your legs’ you are employing one of the most commonly used relaxation techniques to relieve stress. By stretching the muscles, we are relieving some of the tension caused by inactive muscles, thus relieving stress in our bodies.
Slow, deep breathing
Another stress relieving activity that works well when you can’t take a break is deep breathing. Deep breathing is a well know and widely used technique for anger and stress relieving exercises. Taking slow, deep, in and out breaths helps calm the breathing, and relax the body, reducing stress and tension. (HowStuffWorks.com, 2011).
Games and hobbies
Some options that doctors recommend, such as engaging in enjoyable hobbies, playing with a pet or your children and getting plenty of exercise are relaxation techniques to relieve stress that have other benefits as well. They help to keep the body, mind, and spirit healthy which is considered one of the best stress relieving techniques. (HowStuffWorks.com, 2011) Some other activities that are considered good techniques for stress relieving that combine exercise with meditation are Yoga, Tai Chi, and Qi Gong. (WebMD.com, 2013).
Meditation
Other ways of nurturing your mind as well as your body and spirit that are also considered relaxation techniques to relieve stress are meditation, or guided imagery. Both are techniques designed to focus your mind on other things. By distracting your mind from the source of the stress, these techniques can be valuable stress relievers when the others aren’t enough. (WebMD.com, 2013).
There are many relaxation techniques to relieve stress. Some of the stress relievers we’ve talked about you may have tried in the past, such as stretching or exercising, chewing gum or hard candy as a means of stress relieving; perhaps you may have even tried other methods besides those mentioned. How you go about relieving the stress in your life is subjective and what works for you may not work for others. What is important is that you know how to relieve stress when it comes knocking.
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