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Welcome to Stress Relief Free Help and Advice
A certain amount of stress is perfectly normal. Some would argue that a small amount is even good for you. Others say that we need a certain amount of stress to function normally, and that our lives would be pretty humdrum without it. Without it for example, we wouldn't bother getting out of bed when we know we should and many of us would be late for work most days. That's normal stress and as human beings we're built to cope with it. But it's when stress gets out of hand that it becomes a problem.
It's a fact that most of us lead far more stressful lives than we used to. The pressures today are enormous. So how do we cope with stress, and what do we do when we feel in need of stress-relief? |
What is Stress?
Stress is the body's reaction to demand when, for example, we oversleep or we're late for an appointment. On such occasions, chemicals are released into the blood stream which give us the extra energy and strength to cope with the situation. That function is particularly useful when, for example, we're presented with physical danger. But it's our inability to deal with emotional stress that's the problem today. That's when we tend to need help. That's when we need stress-relief!
Stress Relief Techniques
- Deep Breathing Exercises
- Imagery
- Meditation
- Self-Hypnosis
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- Relaxation Tapes (Music)
- Progressive Muscular Relaxation
- Relaxation Response
- Yoga
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Deep Breathing Exercises
Breathing is something that comes so naturally to us, few people think about the
way they are breathing. Most of us practice shallow breathing, as opposed to diaphragmatic or deep breathing.
Imagery
Remembering a place, scene or event that is tranquil, beautiful and safe and that made you feel happy and relaxed. Imagery involves using the sights, sounds and smells of this event as a place of retreat when overwhelmed by stress.
Recommended Stress Relief Products
Meditation
A conscious relaxation of the body while focusing thoughts on one thing for a prolonged period of time.
Self-Hypnosis
A natural state of mind, a heightened state of focused attention, releasing thoughts and body tension while breathing deeply.
Relaxation Tapes (Music)
Listening to relaxing music has a positive effect and can can help considerably with relieving stress.
Progressive Muscular Relaxation
Progressive Muscular Relaxation (PMR) is a stress relief method developed by Edmund Jacobson in 1939 to reduce muscle tension caused by stress.
Relaxation Response
A relaxation technique developed by Dr Herbert Benson based on studies at Harvard Medical School and the Beth Israel Hospital in Boston.
Yoga
Originating in India, Yoga is a successful and common stress relief method.
