Stress Management

Because of its impact on stress management, relaxation techniques are an important topic in the study of psychology. Individuals have suffered from stress and sadness as a result of numerous life obstacles, which have had a substantial impact on their physical and mental health. It is important to highlight that if less attention is paid to managing the aforementioned health concerns, the affected patients' health may deteriorate and even lead to death. Numerous relaxation techniques have been implemented in an effort to help persons suffering from stress and despair. This method is critical in the stabilization of the patient's health. It slows down the muscle tension, lowers the blood pressure, decreases the heart and breathes rates among other health related benefits. The primary reason as to why this topic appeals to me is because of its usefulness in increasing the individual energy and focus, it takes away the pains and aches, increases problem-solving ability, fights illness and enhances the motivation together with the individual productivity. The mentioned technique uses yoga, meditation, visualization, massage, autogenic training and tai chi to help the victims suffering stress. Prevalently, the methods have effectively and efficiently played a role in the betterment of the individual health. The paper seeks to describe the relaxation techniques and how they are used in the stress management.

Relaxation Techniques

Yoga

Description

Yoga as relaxation techniques uses controlled breathing, physical poses, and meditation in the stress management. In the medical field, it has been considered as one of the mindful body practice that brings together the mental and physical discipline that significantly assist individuals in the attainment of a peacefulness of the mind and body. It, therefore, plays a pivotal role in ensuring that those who used it are able to relax, effectively manage stress and nervousness (Olpin and Margie 349). The health benefits of yoga include its impact on reducing the stress and anxiety, enhancing the mood and improving the sense of the well-being, and improve the physical fitness and the management of the chronic conditions such as the heart diseases and high blood pressure.

Usage in Stress Management

There a number of forms of yoga that are helpful to the body and mind, however, Hatha yoga is the most commonly used, and it is highly recommended for the beginners because of its ability to slower the pace and assist in easy movements. The form of the yoga mentioned above has three major components that are classified into poses, breathing, and Meditation. Notably, the yoga poses connote to a several movements that are designed to increase the flexibility and strength (Olpin and Margie 349). Breathing as part of the yoga that advised on the controlling of the breathing, thereby helping the affected to control their body and relax their mind. Meditation, on the other hand, assists in making the individual more mindful and at the same to be aware of the present moment with devoid of judgment.

Meditation

Description

Meditation is not a new technique in the management of the stress; it has been practiced for an uncounted number of years. It was initially meant to assist in the understanding of the sanctified and the mystical forces of life. Today, it is majorly used for relaxation and in the management of stress. Meditation has a myriad of health benefits. To begin with, it assists in the improvement of the emotional well-being. Notably, during the Meditation, the individuals have the opportunity of clearing away the overloaded information in the mind that has an impact of contributing to the stress. As a result of these emotional benefits, the affected are able to reduce their negative emotions, increase their self-awareness, and gain a new viewpoint of stressful situations and enabling them to focus on the present (Hales 249). 

Usage in Stress Management

This technique is viewed as a type of mind-body harmonizing medicine (Hales 249). A point to note is that it provides a deep state of relaxation and a calm mind. During the Meditation, the individuals are expected to strictly focus their attention and exterminate any unnecessary thought that may have been crowding the mind and causing stress and pain. In this respect, it is arguable that it plays a significant role in the enhancement of the physical and emotional well-being (Hales 249). It is useful in the improvement of the medical conditions that has been aggravated by stress. In essence, it greatly helps individuals in the management of the symptoms of the medical conditions that has been caused by stress such as high blood pressure, sleeping problems, heart diseases, depression, pain and the anxiety disorders.

Tai Chai

Description

Tai Chai as a relaxation technique that plays a critical in the stress management. It primarily uses relaxation in reducing stress and anxiety. This technique is simple and appropriate for the beginners because there is no usage of the physical strength and energy. A point to note is that it works through physical relaxation, emotional relaxation, mental relaxation, and relaxing the nervous system (Manfield 118). In doing so, it assist those who are suffering from the stress-related complication such as the anxiety, pain, blood pressure, and heart beat among others to have a peaceful body, mind and soul.

Usage in Stress Management

Apart from the physical relaxation, tai chai also helps in the relaxation of the nerves. An important point to note is that as the tai chai initiates the greater muscular relaxation, the nervous system becomes firm and stronger and moves more smoothly, therefore, making it easier to establish speed and power within and outside of the individual. Moreover, it also promotes the emotional relaxation of the mind, as it releases and breaks the tension in the body; this would make the individual feel calm and relaxed (Manfield 118).  Furthermore, by allowing people to only focus on the present but not the past of future, this gives the mind space and humble moment of focusing on the task at hand. Owing to this, the mind is able to tranquil.

Visualization

Description

Visualization is another important relaxation technique that is commonly used in stress management. Importantly, it is specifically useful and appropriate to individuals with overactive minds.. A point to note is that various psychologists have continuously supported the use of thoughts and images in the stress management. They argued that its application has a direct impact on stress relief. Also, other studies have revealed that watching threatening images has a negative impact on increasing the level of the stress hormones in the blood streams. On the other hand, viewing a relaxation video has a positive impact on lowering the level of stress hormones, thereby induces relaxation (Mathers 231). Owing to this, it has been, therefore noted to have a variety of physical health benefits for those who are suffering from stress.

Usage in Stress Management

Visualization has played an important role in the stress management. To release the stress, it employs a simple method of utilizing people's senses of smell, touch, and feel among others. For instance, when one is suffering from stress, then he/she can initiate a good, positive, and peaceful imagination scenario. By focus on the mentioned circumstance, the bad memory causing stress is taken away, making the individual to be relieved from the stress (Mathers 231) It has been noted to lower the blood pressure and also to reduce the level of the stress hormone in the blood. In addition to this, it has a possibility of quieting the body and mind, thereby making those who use it to feel full of energy and feeling more relaxed and ready to tackle the life challenges that awaits them (Mathers 231). In this respect, those who are suffering from various stresses should use it because of its simplicity and easy to understand and practice

Massage

Description

Massage is an important technique that is commonly used by many people to feel rejuvenated and also to reduce stress. Prevalently, various studies have revealed that the discussed relaxation technique have numerous health benefits to the users. It has also been recommended for the standard treatments for many medical conditions result from the stress. Massage has been noted to reduce anxiety, insomnia that relates to stress, and headaches that have been caused by stress (Seaward 366). Above all, massage does not only assist in relieving an individual pain and stress, it also provides them with a good moment, though it lasts for a short time, but this makes them to completely forget about the issues that were disturbing their mind and only to focus on the present.

Usage in Stress Management

In the management of stress, massage involves rubbing, pressing, and the manipulation of the skin, muscle, ligaments and tendons. Notably, it may range from the light stroking/rubbing to deep pressure. There are different types of massage that are useful in stress management. To start with, there is the Swedish massage which is a gentle type of massage. It uses the long strokes or rubbing, vibration, deep circular movements, and tapping to help individual to relax and to feel energized (Seaward 366).  On the other hand, the deep massage uses lower and more-forceful rubs in targeting the deeper layers of muscles together with the tissues that connect them; it is largely used to treat injuries but can slightly be used to release tension. 

Autogenic Training

Description

Autogenic Training abbreviated as AT is a relaxation technique that teaches or trains the body on how to effectively respond the verbal commands. The primary goal of this technique is to ensure that those who use it achieve deep relaxation, thereby enabling them to reduce stress (Seaward 497). The discussed technique is only used by a few people because it takes efforts and time for one to completely learn and apply it. For those who have already mastered this skill, they are relief from the symptoms of stress and prevented from the adverse effects of the chronic stress. 

Usage in Stress Management

The training of AT has six standard exercises that ensure the body feels relaxed, warm, and heavy. Notably, the exercises would direct those who want to use the discussed technique to simply sit in a comfortable chair, then concentrate or focus without any goal in mind. At this moment they should use verbal clues and visual imagination to command the body to relax (Seaward 497). A point to note is that through relaxation, the body is able to relax and control heartbeat, body temperature, and blood pressure.

What I have learned/Conclusion

After writing the assignment, I have come to learn that numerous health complications such as insomnia, high blood pressure, unusual heartbeat, depression can be caused by stress. At first, I had thought that stress could only cause anxiety but not adverse complications. The topic of the stress management have been so important to me in the sense that it has enabled me to learn that when a person is faced with stress, he/she does not need to use medical drugs or to seek medication from a physical. The better antidote for this situation is simply to apply the relaxation techniques, and the stress and pain would disappear. Another crucial area that I have learned is that there are several relaxation techniques and individuals should use the ones that they are comfortable with and those that work efficiently for them. I have also realized that our body can efficiently respond to the relaxation techniques if the user clearly knows how to master and practice the art. The question that the topic has raised for me includes can relaxation techniques assist in the stress management? What should I do so that I can effectively master and practice relaxation techniques? Does each relaxation technique use the same principle to release stress?        

Works Cited

Hales, Dianne. Personal Stress Management: Surviving to Thriving. Boston: Cengage Learning, 2013. Print.
Manfield, Alex. Advanced Stress Management. Lulu.com, 2015. Print.
Mathers, Amanda. Stress Management For Busy Women. Amanda L. Mathers, 2012. Print.
Olpin, Michael, and Margie Hesson. Stress management for life: A research-based experiential approach. Nelson Education, 2015.
Seaward, Brian Luke. Managing stress. Burlington: Jones & Bartlett Publishers, 2013.