Relaxation
Relaxation
Mother Nature's
Secret Life Enhancer
In your dreams, you lie in a lounge chair on a balmy beach next to a serene, turquoise sea. In reality, you can't remember the last time you've been to the beach or just had a moment when you didn't need to be anywhere or do anything.
But relaxation is something that you cannot afford to forgo until your next vacation, whenever that will be. In fact, taking a few minutes each day to relax and let life's strains roll off isn't a luxury; it's a necessity if you want to stay vigorous, productive and healthy.
"There are three main things you can do to prolong your life. One is to exercise, one is to maintain proper nutrition and the other is to relax. Relaxation can definitely help you age better. It's important for preventing a wide variety of disorders and for increasing your effectiveness and efficiency in life," says Frank J. McGuigan, Ph.D., director of the Institute for Stress Management at United States International University in San Diego. "I don't think there's any question that relaxation can have a positive effect on phobias, depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, ulcers, colitis, headaches and lower back pain."
Slow Down, You Move Too Fast
For many of us, relaxing means shopping, talking with a friend or playing an enjoyable round of golf.
But while those activities can be stress relieving, they also can trigger competition and frustration, two things that actually make it harder to relax, says Richard Friedman, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.
"We know from carefully conducted experiments that most people don't really get into a relaxed physiological state when they're doing things that society generally considers relaxing, like reading a newspaper, playing sports or watching television," Dr. Friedman says. "The true way to get into a relaxed physiological state is essentially to let your mind go into neutral."
Popping your brain out of gear momentarily frees your mind so you're not judging anything or pondering weighty decisions. For a few seconds or minutes, you're not thinking about what you could have done yesterday or what might happen tomorrow. Taking several of these mental rest stops each day lessens anxiety and helps you let go of stress and tension, Dr. Friedman says. This physiological state, called the relaxation response, has been shown to lower heart rate, metabolism, blood pressure and breath rate, slow brain waves and elicit feelings of peace and tranquillity, says Herbert Benson, M.D., associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, chief of the Behavioral Medicine Division at the New England Deaconess Hospital, both in Boston, and author of The Relaxation Response.
Sometimes relaxation or a feeling of ease and well-being arises naturally, like after a long, enjoyable run or an intimate conversation with a close friend. But if you've ever had anyone tell you to "relax" when you've felt stressed, besides making you more frustrated or upset, you know how difficult it is to consciously allow yourself to regain a sense of stability and calm.
"To relax, you really can't try too hard. This is similar to trying to fall asleep. Often the effort involved in attempting to make yourself go to sleep will probably keep you awake all night," says Saki Santorelli, Ed.D., associate director of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester.
To truly unwind, Dr. Santorelli says, you actually need to concentrate or focus your attention on your breath or some other sensation that will allow your mind to settle into an inherent sense of stillness. There are plenty of ways to unwind, but before we talk about them, let's find out a bit more about the physical and psychological benefits of relaxation.
Mellow Out for Better Health
When you're stuck in traffic, struggling to meet a deadline or facing any other stressful situation, your muscles tense, you breathe faster and deeper, your heart beats more rapidly, blood vessels constrict and blood pressure rises, the digestive tract shuts down and perspiration increases. Over time, constant stress elevates blood pressure, total blood cholesterol and blood platelet counts, all of which can lead to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and heart attacks. Add to that the other hazards of a modern lifestyle, such as a high-fat diet and too little exercise, and you're a disaster waiting to happen.
In a study of monkeys, whose cardiovascular systems are similar to ours, researchers at Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, found that emotional stress (caused by the disruption of the animals' social bonds) significantly increased coronary blockages. And these blockages occurred regardless of diet and blood cholesterol levels--two of the major risk factors for heart disease. When the monkeys were fed a typical high-fat diet, emotional stress magnified the process of atherosclerosis 30 times.
Stress is also linked to ulcers and colitis and can trigger backaches, headaches, leg pain, chronic fatigue, depression, anxiety and insomnia. It also can aggravate arthritis and diabetes, Dr. McGuigan says.
In fact, eight of ten people seen by primary care physicians have some stress-related symptoms, says Robert S. Eliot, M.D., director of the Institute of Stress Medicine in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and author of From Stress to Strength: How to Lighten Your Load and Save Your Life.
Fortunately, practicing relaxation techniques can relieve or prevent almost all of the harmful effects of chronic stress, Dr. Benson says.
Relaxation training, for instance, is a core element in a successful program to clear clogged arteries and reverse heart disease without surgery pioneered by Dean Ornish, M.D., president and director of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California. While Dr. Ornish believes that all of the components of his program are important--including regular exercise and a nearly fat-free vegetarian diet--he says that relaxation training is probably one of its most powerful components.
"We have shown, using PET scans and angiograms, that people who practice some form of relaxation like yoga or meditation and who meet regularly with a support group experience a greater degree of heart disease reversal than if they only attack the problem at the physical level, say just with diet or cholesterol-lowering drugs," Dr. Ornish says. A PET scan is positron emission tomography, a three-dimensional imaging technique that measures heart blood flow.
Studies by Dr. Benson and other researchers have also consistently shown that relaxation techniques significantly relieve high blood pressure, another risk factor for heart disease.
In addition, relaxation techniques can relieve even the most severe symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), according to Harvard Medical School researchers. In a five-month study of 46 women, the researchers found that women who meditated for 15 to 20 minutes twice a day reduced their symptoms of PMS by 58 percent. That was more than twice the improvement perceived by women who read twice a day and nearly 31/2 times better than women who merely kept a diary of their symptoms.
Relaxation can also short-circuit low back pain and headaches. Muscle relaxation, for example, helped 21 people whose severe chronic tension headaches weren't relieved by drugs reduce the number and severity of their headaches by 42 percent, according to researchers from the Center for Stress and Anxiety Disorders at State University of New York at Albany. Another group of people who simply tracked their headache activity showed no improvement at all.
Getting Down to Basics
You probably first experienced fight or flight, the two basic responses to stress, at a young age--particularly if you were ever caught wearing your sister's favorite dress without permission. But Dr. Eliot suggests we might be better off if we learned another approach.
"When you can't fight and you can't flee, then flow," he says.
While learning to be more relaxed and at ease takes time and attention, it can be done. "I look at relaxation as being comfortable in your own skin," Dr. Santorelli says. "That's tough for all of us at times, but it's possible to begin cultivating that capacity at any age."
Here are a few basics to help you mellow out.
Snuff out the smokes. "Our studies show that smoking causes blood vessels to clamp down and restrict blood flow," Dr. Eliot says. "That's like trying to drive with your foot pressed down on the brake. If there's a single thing that people can do to feel less stressed and more relaxed, it's kicking the habit."
Whittle your weight. "It's hard to feel relaxed if you're carrying around extra weight," Dr. Eliot says. "Your clothes don't feel comfortable and your body image suffers." Being overweight also contributes to high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. Ask your doctor if losing weight could help you.
Team up with carbs. "Protein seems to raise energy levels and keep you alert," Dr. Eliot says. "So if you have a hamburger late at night, you'll probably be rehashing yesterday's sales meeting until dawn." Carbohydrates, on the other hand, trigger the release of hormones that will relax you. So if you want to unwind at night, eat a plate of spaghetti, baked beans or other complex carbohydrates for dinner.
Write it down. Over a dozen studies have shown that if you write about your problems you can help relieve stress, improve your immunity, make fewer visits to the doctor and have a more optimistic view of life, says James Pennebaker, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Spend 20 minutes a day writing about your deepest thoughts and feelings, Dr. Pennebaker suggests. Don't worry about grammar or style; just write how you feel about things that are really upsetting you. Then when you're done, throw the paper away. You may feel a sense of relief when you're done.
Time is on your side. "Every time after you look at a clock or your watch during a day, take a deep breath while consciously raising and lowering your shoulders or dropping your jaw," Dr. Santorelli says. "That probably takes ten seconds and will serve as a reminder to you that you can be at ease while going about your daily schedule."
Laugh it off. Humor is a powerful relaxation technique, Dr. Eliot says. Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that produce feelings of euphoria. It also suppresses the production of cortisol, a hormone released when you're under stress that indirectly raises blood pressure by causing the body to retain salt. So share a good laugh with a friend or keep a handy file of humorous anecdotes and drawings in a drawer that you can quickly pull out.
Make time for others. "Take a moment to practice basic kindness," Dr. Santorelli says. "Smile and say hello to a co-worker, play with a pet or talk to a close friend. If you do, you might feel better and more relaxed and possibly be more productive."
Snooze away. Get plenty of uninterrupted sleep, Dr. Eliot advises. If you get less sleep than you need, you might wake feeling tense and incapable of coping with life's basic hassles. Try to get at least six to eight hours of sleep each night. Avoid alcohol or sleeping pills. Although they can help put you to sleep, they can also interfere with your natural sleeping patterns and actually cause you to have a less restful night, Dr. Eliot says.
Going with the Flow
There are many methods available for the development of calmness and stability. No single method is right for everyone. The key is finding one that feels comfortable to you. "I feel that it is important to set aside a block of time each day to practice these methods and then incorporate them into your daily life. Often these can be so unobtrusive that most people won't know that you're doing anything special," says Dr. Santorelli. Here are some ideas.
Pay attention to your breath. Paying attention to your own breathing is a simple form of meditation that can be very calming, Dr. Santorelli says. Sit in a comfortable chair or on the floor so that your back, neck and head are straight but not rigid. Exhaling deeply, allow the inhalation to come naturally. Simply pay attention to the gentle rising and falling of your abdomen, the movement of your ribs or the sensation of the breath moving through your nostrils. There is no need to try "relaxing." Just focus your mind on your breathing. If your mind starts to wander, gently escort your mind back to your breathing.
As an alternative, lie on the floor, put a book on your abdomen and take several slow, deep breaths, Dr. Eliot suggests. Focus on the book moving up and down on your belly. As you breathe in, think to yourself "Cool, clear mind." Then as you blow out, think "Calm, relaxed body."
Take a slice of life. Another way of cultivating moment-to-moment awareness is to focus your attention on a food, Dr. Santorelli says. Take a single slice of orange or apple, or an almond or raisin or some other food you like. Look at it carefully. Roll it around in your fingers. Focus your mind on its color, texture or fragrance. Then after a few moments, consciously decide to take one small bite. Chew it slowly, paying attention to its taste and what happens to it in your mouth. Feel your tongue engulf it. Then slowly and consciously swallow it.
As an alternative, try focusing intently on an everyday activity like showering or washing dishes. "Some people say that they feel much more at ease after practicing in this way," Dr. Santorelli says.
Climb every mountain. Visualizations and imagery can encourage the development of calmness and well-being, Dr. Santorelli says. Closing your eyes, once again become aware of your breath and bring to mind a favorite mountain in your life. It could be one you've climbed or yearned to visit. Allow your body to become the stable foundation, sloping sides and summit. Feel yourself steady, solid, grounded. As your sense of stability and steadiness grows, allow the weather to vary--some days the mountain will be covered in sunlight, other times with rain, snow, sleet or hail. Although the weather changes, notice that the mountain remains steady and dignified. "This image helps you realize that you can feel stable and secure and endure any storm that life has in store for you, like being stuck in a traffic jam, facing a deadline or living with the death of a loved one," Dr. Santorelli says.
Move that body. Exercise triggers the release of endorphins, but exercising the mind and body simultaneously may produce even better results, according to researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester. They asked 40 sedentary people to begin walking 35 to 40 minutes a day, three times a week, while listening to relaxation tapes. The tapes guided the walkers through a meditation that helped them focus on the one-two rhythm of their steps. The researchers concluded that this routine provoked more feelings of euphoria and reduced anxiety than in a matched group who exercised at the same intensity but didn't listen to the tapes.
"If you focus your mind on an unchanging, repetitive rhythm like exercise, the mind tends to go blank. That blankness is what you're shooting for," Dr. Friedman says. "It gives the brain a chance to restore itself and calm down."
To try it, pick an exercise (such as walking, running, swimming, climbing stairs or jumping rope) that has a natural rhythm. Focus your attention on that rhythm--even to the point of repeating the words "one, two" in your head in cadence with the exercise. Try to stay in that rhythm. As with breathing or other types of meditation, your mind may start to wander after a couple of minutes. If it does, refocus your attention on the repetitive movement of the exercise, Dr. Benson says.
Try doing this 20 minutes a day, three times a week, Dr. Benson suggests.
Unleash those muscles. There are about 1,030 skeletal muscles in the body. When you feel under stress, these muscles naturally contract and create tension, Dr. McGuigan says. One way to counteract that is progressive relaxation. By systematically flexing and releasing muscles, progressive relaxation can whisk that tension right out of your body.
"It's a good technique for beginners because it's practical and doesn't depend on imagination," says Martha Davis, Ph.D., a psychologist at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Santa Clara, California, and co-author of The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook. "It works because it exaggerates the tension in the muscle so that you become more aware of what tension feels like. Secondly, you fatigue the muscle so that when you let go, the muscle is more than ready to relax," she says.
Although there are many variations, Dr. Davis suggests this approach: Clench your right fist as tightly as you can. Keep it clenched for about ten seconds, then release. Feel the looseness in your right hand and notice how much more relaxed it feels than when you tensed it. Do the same thing with your left hand, then clench both fists at the same time. Bend your elbows and tense your arms. Release and let your arms hang at your sides. Continue this process by tensing then relaxing your shoulders and neck and wrinkling then relaxing your forehead and brows. Then squeeze your eyes and clench your jaw before moving on to tense then relax your stomach, lower back, thighs, buttocks, calves and feet. It should take about ten minutes to complete the entire sequence. Try to do these exercises twice a day.
Stretch them, too. Unlike progressive relaxation, which contracts muscles, gentle stretching allows muscles to stretch and relax. That's better for some people, particularly those with chronic muscle pain, says Charles Carlson, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of Kentucky in Lexington.
"If you tense a muscle that is already in pain, you'll likely just create more pain. That doesn't help you relax," Dr. Carlson says. "Gentle stretching does two things. First, if you gently stretch a muscle and release it, it will generally relax. But secondly, when you focus your attention on doing the stretch, it also helps the mind relax. Muscle stretching should always be done slowly and without pain. There should be no overstretching or bouncing of muscles."
As an example of stretch-based relaxation, begin by pushing your eyebrows up with your index fingers and pushing down on your cheeks with your thumbs. (While doing any of these stretching exercises, note what the tension feels like so you'll learn to monitor your muscle tension, Dr. Carlson advises). Hold that position for about ten seconds, then release and let the muscles around your eyes relax. After a minute of relaxing your muscles, let your head slowly sag toward your right shoulder for about ten seconds, then slowly sag your head toward the left shoulder for another ten seconds.
Next, at chest height, place your hands together as if you were praying. Then, keeping your fingertips and palms together, spread your fingers as if you were creating a fan. Move your thumbs down along the midline of your body until you feel a light stretch in the lower arms. Hold that position for ten seconds. Then relax.
Next, interlock your fingers and raise your hands over your head. Straighten your elbows and rotate your palms outward. Let your arms fall back over your head until you feel resistance. Hold that position for ten seconds, then quickly release and let your arms rest at your sides for one minute.
Do these exercises at least once a day or whenever you feel tense.