General techniques

● Keep a positive attitude.

● Accept that there are events that you cannot control.

● Be assertive instead of aggressive. Assert your feelings, opinions, or beliefs instead of becoming angry, defensive, or passive.

● Learn and practice relaxation techniques; try meditation, yoga, or tai-chi for stress management.

● Exercise regularly. Your body can fight stress better when it is fit.

● Eat healthy, well-balanced meals.

● Learn to manage your time more effectively.

● Set limits appropriately and learn to say no to requests that would create excessive stress in your life.

● Make time for hobbies, interests, and relaxation.

● Get enough rest and sleep. Your body needs time to recover from stressful events.

● Don't rely on alcohol, drugs, or compulsive behaviors to reduce stress.

● Seek out social support. Spend enough time with those you enjoy.

● Seek treatment with a psychologist or other mental health professional trained in stress management or biofeedback techniques to learn healthy ways of dealing with the stress in your life.

(Adapted from: https://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/stress-management)

Deep Breathing

Purpose

The purpose of deep breathing is to relax the body by helping the nervous system believe that it is no longer in a stress state (or the state known as fight, flight or freeze). In addition, more oxygen is available in the bloodstream, blood flows better and blood pressure is reduced, as well as releasing toxins from the body and aiding in better sleep.

Breathing Instructions

This breathing technique can be done anywhere in five steps. Although you can do the exercise in any position, it’s recommended to sit with your back straight while learning the exercise. Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth and keep it there through the entire exercise. You will be exhaling through your mouth around your tongue; try pursing your lips slightly if this seems awkward. This is followed by the five-step procedure listed below:

1. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
2. Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.
3. Hold your breath for a count of seven.
4. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.
5. This is one breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.

This breathing technique was developed by Dr. Andrew Weil, a Harvard trained medical doctor. Weil emphasizes the most important part of this process is holding your breath for eight seconds. This is because keeping the breath in will allow oxygen to fill your lungs and then circulate throughout the body. It is this that produces a relaxing effect in the body.

Five Finger Exercise

1. Touch the tip of your index finger with your thumb. While doing so, think back to when you had just enjoyed a healthy physical activity, were pleasantly tired and felt great simultaneously; maybe you finished a hike or a bike ride, or competed in a soccer match or swim meet. Enjoy the memory and the feeling.
2. Touch the end of your middle finger with your thumb. Think back to a moment or experience that was loving in nature; this could be the thought of a family gathering or an intimate moment with a friend, child, or partner. Let yourself enjoy the warmth of the memory.
3. Now, touch your fourth or ring finger with your thumb. This time, think of the best compliment anyone has given you; even if you had trouble accepting the compliment then, open to it now and enjoy being appreciated. You can even send silent appreciation back to the person(s) who gave you the compliment.
4. Finally, touch your little finger with your thumb. Think of the most lovely place you have been to and enjoy it again; imagine not only the sights but also the sounds, smells, tastes, and textures associated with this place. Breathe deeply of the beauty.

The Five Finger Exercise takes less than 10 minutes, but it pays off with increased vitality, inner peace, self-esteem and is very effective for relaxation. This exercise can be done at any time you feel tension.

(Reproduced from: http://www.livingwithanxiety.com/lifestyle/anxiety/a-simple-handy-way-to-de-stress)

HeartMath

HeartMath™ was designed to help individuals self-regulate their emotions and behaviors, to reduce stress, increase resilience, and unlock their natural intuitive guidance to for making more effective choices. HeartMath™ is a process of learning to breathe through one’s heart, activate a regenerative feeling such as appreciation, care, or compassion, and radiating that feeling out onto one’s self and others. All of this is completed while measuring the pulse and regulating the pulse to the breath.

Studies conducted with over 11,500*people have shown improvements in mental & emotional well-being in just 6-9 weeks using HeartMath training and technology:

• 24% improvement in the ability to focus
• 30% improvement in sleep
• 38% improvement in calmness
• 46% drop in anxiety
• 48% drop in fatigue
• 56% drop in depression

* N= 11,903

Percent of individuals responding often to always on normed and validated pre and post Personal and Organizational Quality Assessment (POQA-R)

Reproduced from: https://www.heartmath.com