Stress - Part 5 – What to do about it - Yoga, Qi Gong, Tai Chi, Deep Breathing and Meditation
Over the last weeks we looked at stress, the effects it has and why it occurs. This week, we'll look into ways to manage stress.
This week will be a quick look at a few techniques. These are drawn from Donatelle’s book, “Health: The Basics” and is not an exhaustive list but we hope this way you can look into them further.[i]
Yoga
This is an ancient practice that combines stretching, meditation and breathing exercises. It comes in many varieties and combines breathing with movements and stretching.[ii]
This is something that we obviously have some experience. Initial research has shown that yoga can reduce stress by improving attention and emotional regulation as well as calming the nervous system.[iii]
Qi Gong
This involves becoming aware of and controlling your qi, incorporates a series of breath techniques, flowing movements and is designed to refresh the mind and body. [iv]
I must say this isn't one I've personally tried before but maybe one to look into.
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Tai Chi
This is often described as mediation in motion and involves performing a defined set of postures and movements in a grace and slow manner. Its benefits include greater balance, stress reduction and increased flexibility. [v]
Again, not one I've tried.
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Diaphragmatic or Deep Breathing
This is breathing that maximally fills the lungs and involves the movement of the lower abdomen and the diaphragm. This is used in meditative practices and yoga. [vi]
This is great because you can do it almost anywhere and anytime. Before an exam in the exam hall. In a tense meeting. In traffic. When something is frustrating you. Just take a few deep diaphragmatic breaths and feel the stress melt away.
This is because breathing is one of the few things that are both consciously controlled and unconsciously controlled giving us an ability to influence the autonomic nervous system (the involuntary nervous system). Thus, breathing techniques largely work by balancing the sympathetic nervous system (the accelerator / fight or flight system) with the parasympathetic nervous system (the brakes / rest and digest system).
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This comes in many forms. You can focus on a particular word or symbol, or you breath. It has been found to lower blood pressure, reduce symptoms of gain. It has been used for anxiety and depression.
As we looked at early, meditation has been found to be associated with actual changes in the brain including increases in areas used for attention regulation and emotion regulation.[vii]
I hope that helps improve your life and reduce the amount of stress you have.
Next we will look at
Visualisation
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Massage Therapy
Biofeedback
Hypnosis
In the meantime, do you want to try yoga, meditation or deep breathing?
Move Beyond the Everyday at Recharge
[i] Donatelle, R. J., & Davis, L. G. (2011). Health: the basics. Benjamin Cummings.
[ii] Donatelle, R. J., & Davis, L. G. (2011).
[iii] Hölzel, B. K., Lazar, S. W., Gard, T., Schuman-Olivier, Z., Vago, D. R., & Ott, U. (2011). How does mindfulness meditation work? Proposing mechanisms of action from a conceptual and neural perspective. Perspectives on psychological science, 6(6), 537-559.
[iv] Donatelle, R. J., & Davis, L. G. (2011).
[v] Donatelle, R. J., & Davis, L. G. (2011).
[vi] Donatelle, R. J., & Davis, L. G. (2011).
[vii] Hölzel, B. K., Lazar, S. W., Gard, T., Schuman-Olivier, Z., Vago, D. R., & Ott, U. (2011).