There’s no avoiding it – stress is
a fact of life. Learning to relax
could be the strongest defence
against its debilitating effects.
We all experience some form of stress at some stage of
our lives.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines
stress as ‘the reaction people may have when presented
with demands and pressures that are not matched to
their knowledge and abilities and which challenge their ability to cope.’
In other words, when you are stressed, you are pushing yourself, or
being pushed, beyond the limits of your resources.
While completely banishing stress from your life is an unattainable
goal for most people, developing coping strategies will provide you with
a sense of control over your life.
Learning how to and being able to relax
will help you manage both physical and emotional stress.
ence as stress.
Just as there are many
stressors that evoke different reactions,
there are many ways to relax that, de-
pending on your personal make-up,
provide varying degrees of relaxation.
Some strategies are more effective
than others, but anything that helps
you to unwind can count as relaxation.
Research from the University of Essex
suggests that exercising in nature is
especially beneficial to mood and
self-esteem.
Benefits were found to be
greatest after just five minutes of such
‘green exercise’, with light-intensity
exercise having the biggest effect on
self-esteem and light- and vigorous-
intensity workouts the biggest effect
on mood.
Walking, jogging, cycling,
boating, horse riding, gardening and
swimming in the ocean, lakes and
rivers are all good options for mood-
enhancing outdoor exercises.
Not only
will they combat stress, they will also
improve your physical fitness.
a fact of life. Learning to relax
could be the strongest defence
against its debilitating effects.
We all experience some form of stress at some stage of
our lives.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines
stress as ‘the reaction people may have when presented
with demands and pressures that are not matched to
their knowledge and abilities and which challenge their ability to cope.’
In other words, when you are stressed, you are pushing yourself, or
being pushed, beyond the limits of your resources.
While completely banishing stress from your life is an unattainable
goal for most people, developing coping strategies will provide you with
a sense of control over your life.
Learning how to and being able to relax
will help you manage both physical and emotional stress.
Different Ways of Relaxing
Relaxation is as subjective an experi-ence as stress.
Just as there are many
stressors that evoke different reactions,
there are many ways to relax that, de-
pending on your personal make-up,
provide varying degrees of relaxation.
Some strategies are more effective
than others, but anything that helps
you to unwind can count as relaxation.
MAKE YOUR EXERCISE ‘GREEN’
Research from the University of Essex
suggests that exercising in nature is
especially beneficial to mood and
self-esteem.
Benefits were found to be
greatest after just five minutes of such
‘green exercise’, with light-intensity
exercise having the biggest effect on
self-esteem and light- and vigorous-
intensity workouts the biggest effect
on mood.
Walking, jogging, cycling,
boating, horse riding, gardening and
swimming in the ocean, lakes and
rivers are all good options for mood-
enhancing outdoor exercises.
Not only
will they combat stress, they will also
improve your physical fitness.
PHYSICAL RESPONSES AS YOU RELAX
- Brain wave patterns change as the brain calms, bringing about a positive feeling of wellbeing.
- Saliva production increases, stimulating the digestive system, which had been suppressed by the ‘flight, fight or freeze’ response.
- Heart rate decreases, causing a drop in blood pressure.
- Stomach – the blood supply diverted away from the digestive system returns to normal.
- Muscle tension eases and skin temperature rises as the flow of blood returns to normal.