MHVI Owners Manual . Lifestyle Management . Managing Stress . Techniques

By breathing deeply and allowing our abdomen to rise with each inhalation and fall with each exhalation, you can create a rhythmic pattern that is very soothing. Focusing on the breathing process helps you control your scattered thoughts and redirect your attention to a nonstressful activity.

Focused Diaphragmatic Breathing
The simple act of breathing in and breathing out can be a powerful stress management tool. The key is to increase your awareness of your breathing and learn to focus your attention on this normally unconscious action. For most of us, breathing typically involves only chest movement as we inhale and exhale air from our lungs. In diaphragmatic breathing, the abdomen is also involved.

Try the following:

Sit comfortably in a chair with your back straight, legs uncrossed, feet flat on the floor, slightly apart.
Loosen any clothing that is tight around your waist.
Place one hand on your abdomen, just below your navel and your other hand on your chest.
Close your eyes.
Breathe in your normal pattern, inhaling and exhaling through your nose. Concentrate on your breathing, following each breath as the air enters your nostrils and travels to your lungs, then travels back out your nostrils. Note which hand is rising and falling as you breathe.
Once you are comfortable with your usual breathing pattern, take one deep breath and gently exhale as much air as you can.
Inhale, counting slowly to four, and allow your abdomen to rise. You will feel this with the hand that is resting below your navel. Be aware of the air as it enters your nostrils and imagine that it is flowing through your entire body, upward to the top of your head and downward to the tips of your fingers and toes.
Hold your breath for about one second before you begin exhaling.
Slowly breathe out, again to the count of four. Feel your abdomen gently fall back to its usual position. As you exhale, release tensions into the breath and allow your body to relax.
Wait about one second before you begin the next inhalation.
Repeat, constantly focusing on the act of breathing in and out. If your attention begins to wander, gently bring it back to your breathing.

Practice about ten breaths. When you are done, pause to notice any change in how you feel. Have any muscles loosened? Are you feeling more relaxed? Repeat the ten breaths several times a day until you are comfortable with the process. Once you have mastered this technique while sitting, try it while lying down on your back or while you are standing. Eventually, you will be able to call upon this strategy during your day when you need to stop for a moment and regroup. Sound too simple? Try it!

Progressive Relaxation
The purpose of this exercise is to focus your attention on the various muscles of your body as you consciously relax them in an organized pattern from your toes to your head. The attention you bring and the sense of comfort that results as you feel your muscles release and become less tense, make this exercise an excellent stress management tool.

Progressive relaxation can be done while sitting or lying down. The best way to learn is lying down, if this is possible for you. Once you are comfortable with the technique, you can use it while sitting.

Stretch out flat on your back, arms at your sides, hands with palms up, either on a carpeted floor, bed or sofa, with your head comfortably supported by a blanket or pillow. A rolled up blanket can also be used for support under the knees. Some people find that a recliner works very well.
Close your eyes and slowly take two deep breaths, inhaling deeply and exhaling as much air as you can. Let your breathing return to normal and your body settle into the reclining position.
Bring the focus of your attention to your feet. Notice their position and whether there is tension or tightness in them.
Slowly relax as many of the muscles in your feet as you are aware of, beginning with your toes. As your muscles relax, you should be able to feel a difference. Your toes may not be so pointed, and your feet may fall somewhat apart. That is fine.
Next, relax your ankles.
Relax your lower legs. Allow gravity to pull your calf muscles towards the floor. Let go of any resistance that you are feeling.
Focus on your knees and allow the muscles around the joints to relax.
Relax your upper legs. As you relax more fully, your legs will most likely fall open a bit. This indicates that the muscles really are untensing. Allow the relaxation to extend up into the hip joint. Notice how it feels to have the lower half of your body without muscle tension.
Bring your attention to your abdomen. Relax the belly muscles with no thought to holding the muscles tight as you may do when you stand up. Feel your breath moving in and out.
Allow your buttock muscles to relax and settle into the floor.
Relax your chest, noticing how much more you can feel your breath.
Continue with the relaxation of your hands and arms in the same process as you did with your legs and feet. Begin with your fingers and then the hands.
Move to your wrists and let the muscles fully relax. Continue up the forearm, elbow, and upper arm, slowly relaxing each muscle group in its turn.
Relax your shoulders, allowing them to open up wider onto the surface beneath you. Notice how it feels to have the tension slowly flow out of this area of your body that holds so much of your stiffness and rigidity.
Allow the muscles in your neck to relax. Your chin may sag a bit and you may feel your neck sink back towards the floor or bed.
Relax the muscles of your face. Let gravity pull them toward the floor or bed. Allow your lips and mouth to soften and open a bit. Feel the difference in your eyes, cheeks, and forehead as the muscles relax.
Be aware of your entire body in this relaxed state. Do not allow relaxed muscles in one area to tense up as you concentrate on other areas.
Rest quietly and follow your breathing in and out.

This exercise can be done in its entirety or by selecting one extremity or muscle group that you discover is where you carry your stress. It can be done at work, as a brief pause in a busy and stressful day, while riding in a plane or car, or anyplace that works for you.

Stress is everywhere, and it can bring both good and bad reactions. Learning about its role in your life and medical condition may be difficult and in some cases require help from your doctor or a mental health care professional. It is worth the effort!

Visualization
Visualization is the process of creating a mental image that is soothing and pleasant for you that can be used as a focus to help reduce stress. Visualization is a stress management tool that can be employed any time or place that you need it. While you are learning to use it, you may want to find a quiet place where you will not be interrupted. As you become more familiar with the technique, you can call the images to mind whenever you need them.

Find a comfortable position, either lying down or sitting in a chair. Make sure you have good body alignment. If you are sitting, have your back straight and feet flat on the floor. If you are lying down, try lying flat on your back with your head comfortably supported until you have learned the technique.
Close your eyes and take two deep breaths, inhaling into your abdomen and exhaling as much air as you can. Let you breath return to normal.
Allow your mind to create an image of a place or situation that is especially peaceful and relaxing for you. It may be a sunset on a beach, a snow covered mountain, a beautiful forest or some other scene from your travels or pictures you have seen.
Bring this picture fully into focus. Imagine the sights and sounds that accompany the scene. Do this carefully, bringing your attention to each sight and sound individually, and savor the beauty and serenity of the image.
As you do this more often, you may want to add intentional movement such as wading in the ocean or hiking through the woods.

There are many guided imagery tapes available. They are very helpful in teaching the technique and creating the images that will be most effective for you. However, you can also learn to use visualization as an immediate method of quickly removing yourself from a stressful situation without ever leaving the room. By briefly diverting your attention from the stress to something pleasant, you create a space that allows you to return to the current situation with a different perspective.

Choose a topic at left and click for more information on Managing Stress.