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[A548]Anger And Stress Management

by Ana Holub, Ana

It's holiday time again, and some of us are ecstatic....and some of us are not. Holidays are usually a time when memories and emotions reappear from childhood, and they aren't always the easiest ones to negotiate. Even if we are not consciously aware of it, longings and expectations about what "family" is, or what "Christmas" or "New Year" are supposed to be, can feel heavy and affect our emotional lives.

Many of us experience a lot of stress around this time of year - triggered by lack of sunlight during the dark winter solstice, or our mounting credit card bills, or from family dynamics that often play out during "festive" gatherings. Fortunately, there is help, and it is easy. All it takes is using something we already have - our breath.

As a peace educator, I have a lot of respect for using breath as a tool to center ourselves. Conscious breathing will help you feel more grounded and calm.

If you notice that you are feeling anxious in any way, take some time...a few moments...to become aware of your breath. Notice yourself, your body, your thoughts. Probably, you are holding your breath or not breathing very deeply. So stop your busyness - and give yourself the gift of a deep breath. Or two. Or five. Fill your belly and your lungs. Allow your entire torso to fill with good oxygen on the inhale and empty fully on the exhale.

One really important point about tuning in to your breath is to be especially aware of the difference between your inhale and your exhale. They are two separate parts of one breath, and you can use them for different needs.

For relaxation and stress reduction, use the exhale as your point of focus. Try breathing out about twice as long as you breathe in. So if you inhale for two counts, exhale for four. Next breath, experiment with inhaling for three counts and exhaling for six. Remember to exhale very slowly and evenly. Take as long as you want to get to the end of your breath.

While you are relaxing into your breath, begin letting go of any tension that has built up in your head, neck, jaw and shoulders. Consciously release the grip in your mind and body, thoughts and muscles and allow the tension to drop down towards the ground. Inhale some good, fresh oxygen and positivity as a replacement for the tension you've just released.

During your exhale, you will be lowering your heart rate and releasing tension from your muscles. Your inhale brings nutrients to your body, newness to your mind and enlivens your blood. Your head will clear, and you'll be able to handle your holiday gathering much, much better.

Hope this helps. When I teach the good men in San Quentin Prison, they often remark upon how much this simple relaxing breath technique helps them. I figure if it works for them, in an intense place like San Quentin, it can work for you and me.

Happy Holidays!

Most of us know that stress is bad for us and that it has all kinds of negative effects on health. In fact, it has been estimated that 80% of modern diseases can be linked to stress and that stress-related complaints account for a significant portion of G.P consultations. More and more people are seeking ways to manage their stress and you may have found that setting time aside to sit down and 'do nothing' does not actually lead to you feeling relaxed, as you still have thoughts and worries whirring in your head.

A non-drug method of achieving relaxation, which is widely advocated by healthcare professionals, is relaxation training. The aim of relaxation training is for the individuals to be able to achieve both a relaxed body, with muscles free from tension and also peaceful thoughts, so that the mind too is relaxed.

Relaxation training can work as a preventative measure (to protect the body from stress related damage), as a coping strategy (to be employed in times of stress and thus reduce the effect of stress) and as a treatment for stress related illnesses such as high blood pressure, tension headaches, Irritable Bowel syndrome and much more.

Relaxation training refers to learning formal techniques. These usually take two forms, physical and psychological. The physical techniques work directly on the body and aim to educate the individual to recognise and reduce muscle tension. The techniques differ and may involve stretching, tensing and releasing individual muscle groups, learning to breathe in a way that encourages relaxation, moving body parts out of defensive tense positioning into relaxed positioning, reviewing each muscle group in the body, identifying any tension and then releasing it, practising the posture of a relaxed person. Psychological techniques focus on relaxing the mind. Psychological techniques vary and may involve visualisation, meditation, guided goal directed visualisation, self-awareness, autogenic training and imagery. Since the body and mind are interconnected, techniques which encourage physical relaxation, also work on the mind and techniques which encourage peaceful thoughts, also result in the body being more relaxed.

Once you have learnt such techniques they are a life-long skill and can be applied both formally to achieve a deep state of relaxation and "on the spot' when you need to quickly release tension as you go about your daily life. Relaxation training is taught by various healthcare professionals, such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nurses, social workers and sports professionals such as exercise coaches. With a good relaxation book, it is also possible to teach yourself techniques. Like most things worth doing, learning to relax takes commitment and practice and it will only be effective if you practice it regularly and build it into your routine.

For now, why not try the following simple technique, known as peripheral vision. It's quick and simple to learn and is very effective at activating the part of the nervous system, which is responsible for helping us feel calm.

Get comfortable in a chair and find a spot on the wall, straight in front of you and slightly above eye level. Throughout this process just keep focusing on the spot. Just continue to look at that same point, perhaps in soft focus, after a while begin to broaden out your field of vision, wider and wider until your really paying attention to what you can see out of the corners of your eyes. Keeping your eyes on the spot, extend your awareness all around you, become aware of all the other things in the room that you can see by using your imagination. Perhaps, imagine a tennis ball hovering just behind the back of your head. What else can you see behind your head? You may have noticed that your breathing has slowed down and that the muscles of your face have relaxed.

Keep practising this technique; it may help to play some relaxing music at the same time. You will notice that is impossible to feel tense or worried whilst you are in peripheral vision.

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About Author

Both Ana Holub & Karen Hastings, Hertfordshire are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Ana Holub has sinced written about articles on various topics from Anger Control, Religion and self improvement and motivation. Ana Holub, MA is a forgiveness counselor and peace educator based in Mount Shasta, CA. Over the past 20 years, Ana has worked with individuals, couples, prison inmates, non-profit organizations, businesses, and schools. Get free downloads and learn more a. Ana Holub's top article generates over 6600 views. to your Favourites.

Karen Hastings, Hertfordshire has sinced written about articles on various topics from Anger Control, Hypnotherapy and Cure Anxiety. Karen Hastings is an NHS experienced occupational therapist. She has worked in the NHS with people with acute and chronic mental health problems. Karen is also a master NLP practitioner and also practices more traditional cognitive behavioural appro. Karen Hastings, Hertfordshire's top article generates over 8100 views. to your Favourites.