Stress Management Techniques

Stress has become an unavoidable and inseparable part of human life. All the challenges, difficulties, and problems that arise in an individual’s life lead to stress. The right amount of stress can motivate people and drive them to do their best. However, if the stress level is too high for a person to handle, it can lead to physiological changes in the body, causing health issues that can adversely affect the quality of life.

Stress management techniques

One must know how to manage stress when things go out of hand. This is where stress management techniques come into the picture. So, let’s see what are the five stress management techniques successfully used in managing stress.

Relaxation

This technique is highly effective in managing stress when an individual is not feeling his best. In this technique, the person is supposed to actively calm his mind and body. Relaxation, along with proper breathing techniques, is highly effective in reducing stress. To practice this technique, a person starts by relaxing his lower extremities and gradually reaches his face, relaxing every muscle of the body. Here the mind acts as a guide to help the body relax, one body part at a time, and then proceed to the next. This way, the entire body is guided to relax. Practising relaxation techniques helps in reducing symptoms associated with stress. This, in turn, lowers the incidence of stress-induced health conditions like high blood pressure and various heart diseases. 

Meditation 

A very powerful tool to manage stress is the ancient yogic practice of meditation. Meditation calms the mind and body and helps develop a sense of inner peace in an individual. Meditation is practised by sitting in a ‘Dhyana’ position and bringing your focus to a particular state of mind. This distracts the mind from negative thoughts and external circumstances leading to stress. Regular practice of meditation is extremely helpful in bringing down stress levels in an individual. Several guided meditation courses are available on the internet to help a stressed mind.

Creative Visualisation

This technique uses the imagination power of an individual to deal with stress. When a person uses imagination to create an image in his mind about positive things in life, he consciously shifts attention to positive things. This cognitive process changes the way of thinking and pushes the person to visualise happiness and positivity in the future. The best way to practice this technique is to sit in a peaceful place with a quiet mind, relaxed body, and eyes closed. Creative visualisation helps in dealing with stress and is also beneficial for the management of anxiety and sadness. 

Biofeedback

It is a non-drug therapy that involves monitoring physiological aspects of stress in an individual and using subtle ways to reduce and control them. Several physiological changes occur in the body in stressful situations like increased heart rate, high blood pressure, tensed muscles, etc. To get these changes back to normal following steps are followed-

• First, creating awareness and monitoring the physiological changes and their extent.
• Secondly, learning ways to control these changes.
• Thirdly, practising these ways in daily life to improve quality of life.

Electromyography (EMG), Thermal biofeedback, Neurofeedback or electroencephalography (EEG) are most commonly used for biofeedback therapy.

Cognitive Behavioural Techniques

CBT or Cognitive Behavioural Technique was developed by Meichenbaum, which aims to inoculate individuals against stress. This form of therapy has gained significant popularity as it is one of the most effective stress management techniques. This technique also follows a three-step process. 

• • Assessment of a person’s mental health

• Providing effective stress management techniques 

• Practising the techniques regularly and examining the progress, and follow-up when necessary.

The main idea of the Cognitive Behavioural Technique is to reduce negative thoughts and bring positive thoughts to the forefront. 

Conclusion

Proper utilisation of stress management techniques is only possible when an individual releases the stress and is willing to minimise it. Symptoms of stress vary in individuals as each person responds differently depending on their personality and life experiences. Symptoms of stress can be emotional, physical, and behavioural. Identifying these symptoms at the right time can help bring about a positive change in one’s life. For self-help, one can download any stress management techniques pdf available on the web to take the first step towards a better life. One can always consult a doctor. If this does not get you desired results.