Relaxation Response to Stress
Stress, we all deal with it on a regular basis. It can be good or bad. Fundamentally it is a survival mechanism, without it we wouldn’t have survived this long because when we saw the sabretooth tiger, we would not have been stressed then we would have been lunch.
What is stress?
Basically, it is the body’s response to anything that alters it’s homeostasis or balance. It can be external or internal or even self-generated.
When is stress an issue?
We are meant to exist in a relaxed, calm, happy state. When there is something challenging or threatening to us, we experience the stress response which causes us to react to the stress. Example: it may be something dangerous that we need to avoid or we may just need food or water etc. Then we return to our natural relaxed state.
But stress becomes an issue when we experience stress after stress after stress and never give the body time to return to the relaxed state where growth and repair occur.
What is the stress response (sometimes called Fight or Flight response)?
This is the body’s physiological response to stress which includes;
- Increasing heart rate
- Increasing breathing rate
- Increasing blood pressure
- Increased sweating to cool the body
- Release of hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol
- Diverting blood to the muscles and away from some vital organs like digestive organs
What is the relaxation response?
It is the opposite of the stress response. It has all the opposite physiological responses to the stress response as listed above. It brings the body back into a state of calm relaxation.
How do I get the relaxation response?
There are many ways to develop the relaxation response:
- It can be simply focusing on your breath
- Doing meditation
- Tai Chi
- Yoga
- Qi Gong
- Doing gentle slow, rhythmic body exercises.
- Going outside and getting your feet on the natural earth will help a lot as well.
A great example would be to stand outside in bare feet on the grass, close your eyes, take slow, deep diaphragm/abdominal breaths for 1-2 minutes and focus on a calming word or phrase. Alternatively count your breaths in 1-2-3, hold 1-2-3, out 1-2-3, hold 1-2-3. If you can’t go outside, then do it at your desk. The main thing is to just do it.
All of these things will help bring your body’s physiology back into balance and help you handle the stress much better.
Yours in good health
Brad Corbett
Osteopath
Personal trainer
Holistic exercise & lifestyle coach