HEALTH
Simple ways to bust tension
25/06/2013
Dr Dittakarn Boriboonhirunsarn
You have to get up early and get the children ready for school. You also have to attend an unplanned meeting in the morning. Your friend calls and needs your help desperately. All at the same time. You are tense and you need some relaxation, but you don't think you have enough time. And worst of all you have forgotten how to relax.
If your hectic lifestyle has got you down, you need some relaxation techniques to bring you back into balance. Too much stress is bad for your mental and physical health and relaxation can restore balance in your life. Here are some easy relaxation techniques you can use any time and almost anywhere to reduce tension.
BREATHE DEEPLY
Feeling stressed causes tense and shallow breathing, while calmness is associated with relaxed breathing. Therefore, changing the way you breathe can reverse the tension. Try the following technique: Let out a big sigh, dropping your chest, and exhaling through gently pursed lips. Inhale, feeling your entire belly, sides and lower back expand. Exhale, sighing again as you drop your chest, and feeling your belly, back and sides contract. Repeat five to 10 times and you will be more relaxed.
MEDITATE
Experts say that any repetitive action can be a source of meditation. Such activities include walking, swimming, painting, knitting or any activity that helps keep your attention calmly in the present moment. So, whenever you catch yourself thinking about busy things in your life or work, try to let the thought go, and bring your mind back to the repetition of the activity. Try it for just five to 10 minutes a day and watch stress levels drop.
DRINK HOT TEA
Some studies have shown that those who drank tea displayed lower levels of stress hormones, and reported feeling calmer during six weeks of stressful situations compared to those who drank a placebo with the same amount of caffeine. Camomile tea is a favourite for calming the mind and reducing stress. Black tea is also a good choice. On the other hand, coffee can raise the stress hormone. So you may consider going green when it comes to relaxation.
CLASSICAL MUSIC
Among other benefits, music can calm the heart rate and soothe the soul. Music will align your heartbeat with the slow tempo of a relaxing song, especially a classical tune. Research shows that listening to 30 minutes of classical music may produce calming effects equivalent to taking 10mg of Valium.
Anyway, you can choose other types of music you like. So, take a musical stress detour when the going gets rough.
SELF-MASSAGE
Try this simple self-massage technique: Place both hands on your shoulders and neck and then squeeze with your fingers and palms. Rub vigorously, keeping your shoulders relaxed.
Then wrap one hand around the other forearm and squeeze the muscles with thumb and fingers. Move up and down from your elbow to fingertips and back again. You can repeat it whenever you need to relieve your tension
Assoc Prof Dittakarn Boriboonhirunsarn is a member of the Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital.
(Source: Bangkok Post, HEALTH, Simple ways to bust tension, 25/06/2013, Dr Dittakarn Boriboonhirunsarn, link)