Mindful Awareness Tips You Can Use

The consequences of chronic stress can be serious. An extensive body of research suggests that long-term stress, with its flood of stress hormones, can increase risk for many physical disorders.

Long-term stress can cause cognitive and mood problems as well: confusion, poor concentration, poor memory, depression, anxiety, anger and irritability are often linked to chronic stress.

But research has shown that certain stress reduction techniques can effectively eliminate these problems.

This is the second in a four part series of newsletters about how to reverse the harmful effects of stress on your body.

THE RELAXATION RESPONSE

Research has shown that the harmful effects of stress can be mitigated. You can do this on your own, simply by harnessing protective mechanisms that are part of the relaxation response, the physiological opposite of the stress response.

The relaxation response is a physical state of deep rest that changes your physical and emotional responses to stress.

The relaxation response decreases your metabolism, rate of breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure, and relaxes your muscles.

There are a number of ways to achieve the relaxation response. Choose the technique that is most effective or combine two or three techniques if that works best for you.

The fourth technique is Guided Imagery.

This technique involves focusing your awareness on a peaceful place where you feel completely relaxed and happy.

1. Sit or lie comfortably in a quiet place. Close your eyes and relax, breathing deeply.
2. Imagine yourself in a peaceful place far from the stresses of everyday life, in a setting where you feel completely relaxed and happy for example, lying in the warm sun on a deserted beach, or sitting on the front porch of your grandmother's house.
3. Put yourself completely into the scene. Feel the sand on the beach. Hear your grandmother's voice. Use all your senses to conjure up a vivid image.
4. Spend 10 to 20 minutes immersed in this relaxing environment.
5. When you are ready to finish, slowly count backwards from 20, feeling the peace and strength you have absorbed from your image.
6. Open your eyes and lie quietly for a moment before resuming your normal activities.

Try this technique for the next week and see how it works.

The techniques outlined for the past 4 weeks are very effective in reducing stress and they work especially well when coupled with efforts to adjust your attitudes and reactions to challenges in a way that promotes resiliency. Working to eliminate negative attitudes and focus on positive outcomes seeing the glass as half full rather than half empty can help you strengthen your ability to cope with stress and rebound from it.

Exercise, a healthy diet of nourishing low-fat foods, and weight control are other good ways to minimize the damaging effects of long-term stress. Talking things out with friends or loved ones can also relieve stress.

Many factors can impact your emotions and your body. If you find you can't manage your emotions on your own, it's important to get help. There are effective therapies available that can help you reduce unhealthy stress and restore a sense of calm and control to your life.

If you think you may be experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, you should contact a licensed mental health clinician and be evaluated. You could be experiencing an anxiety disorder or some other mental health problem, such as depression.