Relaxation

Most people plod through their lives not realizing they are overloaded, overworked, and overstimulated on a daily basis. They’ve been trained to thrive in chaos, and have come to believe they must have chaos in order to thrive; this just isn’t so. Chaos is stressful! The normal human body cannot thrive on chaos for extended periods of time because it has the same effects on the body as chronic stress.

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Relaxation is necessary for wellness; The Mayo Clinic explains relaxation as “a process that decreases the stress effects on your mind and body” (Mayo Clinic, 2022), and includes techniques such as breath focus, body scan, guided imagery, meditation, and yoga; among many others. The goal is to empty the mind of all conscious thought, pause the body’s sensory system, decrease stimuli, and replace these with non-threatening sensations that promote the relaxation response (Seaward, 2021). Relaxation is how we undo the damage caused by craziness in the world. The benefits of relaxation are well-documented: reduced resting heart rate, reduced blood pressure, less anxiety, improved digestion, reduction in stress hormones, reduced muscle tension, reduced chronic pain, improved mood, sleep quality, and focus, increased energy, and self-confidence (Mayo Clinic, 2022).

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Some of the relaxation techniques suggested by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH, 2021) include:

Progressive Muscle Relaxation: This technique systematically clenches and then releases muscle groups in the body until all of the groups have been addressed, and the body is relaxed.

Autogenic Training: This technique involves autosuggestion, when the person practicing guides themselves through mental exercises while keeping the focus on the body’s experience.

Visualization: Also known as Guided Imagery, in which a person “pictures” images in their mind and creates the relaxation they believe they would feel if they were in that picture.

Breathing Exercises: Paying attention to every breath as it goes in and comes out. The objective is to create a rhythmic, steady flow of oxygen in and out without pausing.

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