Relaxation Station
DID YOU KNOW?
Integrated treatment approaches are gaining mainstream acceptance to address anxiety and stress relief. Many of these mind-body practices offer a therapeutic positive outlet, promoting an overall sense of calm.
Have you ever considered any of the following to help reduce stress?
Aromatherapy
Meditation
Breathwork
Yoga
Guided Imagery/ Visualization
Creative Art Therapy
Music Therapy
Mindful Movement
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
There are many alternative mind-body practices that can be offered in conjunction with traditional counseling as a complementary approach to stress relief.
Essential oils can be used in many forms. Aromatherapy can mean enjoying an essential oil diffuser or inhaling a calming or energizing aroma from the bottle. Another option is aromatherapy bracelets which are made with absorbent materials where essential oils can be applied to enjoy throughout the day. Some prefer applying oils topically or placing a few drops in the bath. When inhaled, the scent molecules in essential oils travel from the olfactory nerves directly to the brain and impact the amygdala, the emotional center of the brain. As you breathe in, the oil's aroma immediately stimulates your central nervous system and sends chemical messages to parts of the brain that affect mood and emotion. Essential oils may boost your mood, improve your sleep, reduce pain, headaches and anxiety.
Meditation, guided imagery, yoga and breathwork all go hand in hand. Taking a few minutes out of your day for deep breathing helps to regulate your stress response and calms the nervous system. This helps you to stop and think before reacting to a stressful situation. Consciously deciding to take a few deep breaths and then calmly responding, instead of reacting to a stressful situation can offer positive outcomes. Controlled slow deep belly breaths can cause physiological changes that include lowered blood pressure and heart rate along with reduced levels of stress hormones in the blood. Deep breathing helps your body calm down, and improves your focus so you can think more clearly. Breathing techniques include alternate nostril breathing which provides equal amounts of oxygen to both the left and right hemispheres of the brain, improving brain function, memory and focus. Square breathing includes breathing in for 4 seconds, holding 4 seconds, breathing out 4 seconds and pausing 4 seconds before beginning again. It’s helpful to keep 1 hand on the chest and the other hand on the belly. We are used to taking deep breaths and feeling our chest rise, however deep belly breathing allows us to breath slowly letting air in deeply toward the lower belly by engaging in diaphragmatic breathing. This helps to control the nervous system, decrease cortisol levels and encourages the body to relax.
Meditation, guided imagery and yoga all incorporate breathing practices. Yoga, a form of mind-body exercise, has become an increasingly widespread option used to maintain balance and wellbeing. Practicing yoga improves balance, endurance, flexibility, and strength, while meditation and visualization can relieve stress and anxiety.
Art and music therapies offer a positive creative outlet. The process of expression and creativity is the central focus of art therapy, rather than the final product. Becoming completely engaged with music or art can become meditative and cathartic and can lower stress levels similar to the way meditation improves focus. Art and music therapy can help to boost your mood and decrease the levels of cortisol, the body's main stress hormones.
Progressive muscle relaxation involves tensing and relaxing one muscle group at a time from top to bottom or bottom to top. Visualization can be paired with this technique, imagining that your body is relaxing and slowly sinking into a soft marshmallow. You can practice this technique seated or lying down, preferably in a quiet place free of all distractions. This technique can help to decrease stress, reduce headaches and improve sleep.
Consider incorporating one or more of these techniques into your daily routine to promote well-being and relieve stress.