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 One of the first changes during stress is the rate of breathing. It becomes shallow and more rapid, coming mostly from the chest rather than upper stomach or diaphragm. This alters the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood which can lead to hyperventilation and panic attacks. Clearly then one way of overcoming and even preventing many stress related problem to learn to control and slow down your breathing during times of stress.
Relaxation
Establishing normal breathing is the simple method to learn to over exaggerate the movement of the breath. Lie in a quiet room where you are unlikely to be disturbed. Place one hand on your abdomen and the other on your upper chest. Take a slow, deep breath in through your mouth, making sure it bypasses the upper hand so that it reaches the lower hand on your upper abdomen. Hold the breath for a few second and slowly release the breath out through your mouth in a controlled way. Wait a couple a second before repeating the process. Initially only practice this for five breaths, as any more may leave you feeling lightheaded.
Visualization Visualization technique use images you create in your mind to bring about physiological changes in your body. If you are in a stressful situation where you find your heart racing, a quick way of calming yourself is to” switch off” for a few second and imagine your heartbeat slowing.
 You can use visualization to help remove pain. Focus on the pain, imaging that the pain is read and hot. Gradually, visualize the color changing to a cool blue. Preparing For Stressful Event If you are worried about a forthcoming event such an exam, picture the scene in your mind. Begin with the day of the exam, traveling to the exam, five minute before it, sitting down, etc. If at any time your breathing increases, replay that time over until your breathing calm down. This method may also be used if you dealt badly with an event. Relieve it in your mind and imagine how you would have liked to handle it. This may help you del with similar situatuon more positively in the future. Sleeping Difficulties Using the basic breathing technique, count one mentally as you inhale. Then count two as you exhale, continuing until you reach five. Everytime you have an incoming thought, return to one. This sound simple, but few people get beyond three before falling asleep. You can also try visualizing yourself in a place that you love, perhaps the beach or mountain. This can be very effetive cure for insomnia. Recommended Book To Read 30 Scripts for Relaxation Imagery & Inner Healing (Paperback)
by Julie T. Lusk
Relaxation and visualization can heal the body, mind, and spirit. Julie Lusk has gathered these exercises from physicians, psychologists, therapists, and educators-leaders in the field of guided imagery-who have developed and fine-tuned each script.People just beginning to use imagery and visualization will find here the help they need to get started-a wide variety of scripts on a broad range of themes, plus helpful information on how to use guided imagery.Experienced leaders will find new ideas that will expand their repertoire and renew their creativity. |
Relaxation & Visualization 