Feature Articles
Relax

By Mary L. Peppers

Think about the last time you felt completely, utterly relaxed. No worries, no time pressures, no harsh lights or loud noises. Try to recall that sensation — your body completely at ease, thoughts drifting blissfully across the sky of your mind. If you can’t remember when you felt so at peace, then do yourself a favor. Get ready to relax, because your health is worth it.

In today’s stressful and competitive world, taking time to relax is almost thought of as a sign of weakness. Most of us don’t even know how to relax. While you can’t eliminate stress, you can reduce the damage stress causes by learning to relax.

“Americans tend not to fully understand the link between mental stress and physical stress,” says Jennifer Pollitt Hill, M.S.W., director of public education for the National Mental Health Association. “Stress is most harmful when it’s chronic and ongoing. Relaxation puts breaks between our stress, so it’s not so constant. Relaxing replenishes us.”

If you care at all about your health, you need to understand the damage stress can cause and learn techniques that can help you discover a calmer internal world.

Stress Factors
When we are faced with a threat — physical or emotional, real or imagined — a stress reflex is triggered inside the brain. The brain causes the nervous system to release chemicals that increase our heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate and muscle tension. This is known as the “fight or flight” response. We start feeling anxious, overwhelmed or angry. These emotions increase our stress level, and the cycle continues.

“Stress contributes to 60 to 90 percent of all doctor visits each year,” says Herbert Benson, M.D., president of the Mind/Body Medical Institute. Problems such as heart disease, headaches, muscular and joint pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, repetitive strain injury, PMS, back pain, depression and insomnia are frequently related to stress. Unfortunately, sufferers won’t find a quick and easy cure in the usual places. “Stress-induced symptoms are poorly treated by drugs and surgery,” Benson says.

The Science of Relaxation
For more than 30 years, Benson and his colleagues have been studying how relaxation improves health. When we feel safer and calmer, our stress-hormone level returns to normal, our muscles unclench and our breathing, heart rate and blood pressure decrease. This is known as the “relaxation response.” According to Benson and other experts, regularly experiencing a deep sense of calm is necessary for good health, both physically and mentally.

“The relaxation response has been scientifically proven to produce long-term health benefits when practiced daily,” Benson says. Researchers say exercises that promote the relaxation response can help relieve pain, prevent disease, promote positive attitudes and improve quality of life. “It’s simple and cheap, and unlike medication or surgeries, it’s something you do to yourself, for yourself,” Benson says.

How to Ease Your Body and Mind
Experts say that just 10 to 20 minutes of quiet relaxation per day will relieve stress and build up your tolerance to stress. Relaxation can be as simple as listening to quiet music, spending time alone in your garden, writing in a journal or taking a long, luxurious bubble bath. The goal is to focus on the moment, and let distracting thoughts or feelings pass on through. Need some guidance? Here are some proven relaxation exercises. Try one or all of these techniques and see which works best for you.

• Progressive relaxation. You can use this simple technique to help you get to sleep at night. Start by tensing and tightening one muscle group at a time, moving down your body. (For example, your jaw first, then shoulders, arms, stomach, legs and so on.) Tighten for five seconds, then relax, letting the tension dissolve for 30 seconds. Once you have tightened and released all your muscles, concentrate on the sensation of complete relaxation. Imagine a feeling of warmth flowing through your body.
• Relaxation breathing. Breathing exercises are some of the most effective relaxation techniques. Try this simple breathing exercise: Inhale slowly through your nose to the count of 10. Then exhale slowly and completely through your nose to the count of 10. Focus your mind on your breathing and counting and repeat the cycle five to 10 times. Use this breathing exercise several times a day.
• Visualization. Focusing on pleasing images can help promote relaxation. With your eyes closed, recall a scene where you felt profoundly content and secure. Take a few deep breaths and picture yourself there. Try to imagine the scene clearly, including what you hear, feel and smell. Do this for a few minutes every day rather than for longer periods every so often.
• Meditation. This ancient practice is a process of focusing your concentration to quiet the mind. It can be challenging to practice, but many people find it helpful in their lives beyond just the relaxation it brings. There are different forms of meditation, and it may help to learn from a class, tapes, or books.

  Here is a simple technique to get you started. Find a quiet spot to sit up comfortably, either in a chair or cross-legged on a pillow on the floor. Close your eyes and focus on one thing: your breathing, an image or a word or phrase repeated silently. When your attention strays, gently refocus on your chosen focal point. Start with 10 minutes a day. With practice, you can work up to 20 or 30 minutes daily.

It’s OK to Relax
The greater your stress, the more you need to relax. However, some people feel threatened by the idea of relaxation. They are so conditioned to be on edge and ready for anything that they may feel as though they are somehow letting their guard down. However, learning to relax does not mean you can’t be “on” when you need to be. Others may feel selfish by taking time to relax, when in truth, we all perform better if we allow ourselves time to take it easy.

Finding “down time” can be difficult. To nudge yourself, focus on the ways that relaxation will benefit you, says Nicole Schaffer, Ph.D., staff psychologist at the American Institute for Cognitive Therapy.

“Telling yourself, ‘I should be relaxing, I should be relaxing’ doesn’t work. Nobody wants to be pushed by guilt,” she explains.

“Instead, ask yourself, ‘What are the consequences of my stress, and what are the positive effects of my relaxation?’ ”Schaffer offers these additional tips:

• If you don’t have much time…
  Start small. Schedule in just five or 10 minutes of relaxation. Try lunch hours or early-morning time. After a few days, ask yourself, “Can I increase this? What else can I do?”
• If you’re feeling overwhelmed…
  Choose an activity or technique you find soothing. You don’t need a big chunk of time in your day to relax. You can practice relaxation at home, at work, or while stuck in traffic. “Practicing relaxation gives you a sense of control and mastery over your life,” Schaffer says.
• If you still aren’t convinced…
  Seeing is believing. List the pros and cons of keeping your life exactly the same versus changing it with a regular relaxation practice. Then try one relaxation technique just once. Before you begin, write down how tense you feel, using a scale of zero to 10. Then rate any pain or muscle tension you feel. After your relaxation time, note how these numbers have changed. The results may surprise you.

Can Relaxation Help You?
When you’re worn out and anxious, it’s easy to feel stuck and unable to move forward. Could relaxation make a difference for you? To find out, read each statement below and check the box if you agree.

The more boxes you have checked off, the more you have to gain by making relaxation part of your daily routine.

Take the Next Step
These resources offer information on stress management and relaxation.

Mind/Body Medical Institute
1-617-632-9530
www.mbmi.org

intelihealth.com,
featuring Harvard Medical School’s Consumer Health Information
www.intelihealth.com

National Mental Health Association
1-800-969-6642
www.nmha.org

The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook, 5th ed., by Martha Davis, Elizabeth Eshelman and Matthew McKay (New Harbinger Publications)

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