3 Techniques To Reduce Stress Now

3 Techniques To Reduce Stress Now

Have you ever had someone tell you to ‘breathe’ when you were upset and wonder why, exactly?  Well, the reason is that certain breathing practices are effective ways to reduce anxiety and stress.

In fact, I often use breathing methods, along with other relaxation and visualization techniques, to begin a hypnotherapy session because they bring on a state of deep, focused awareness. Once learned, these calm-producing practices can be used on one’s own. Exam jitters, performance anxiety, mind racing and insomnia are only a few of the troubles that can be alleviated – either during a stressful event or naturally throughout the day.

Why does breathing deeply help? Very simply, it triggers the relaxation response in the brain thus counteracting the ‘fight and flight’ rush of adrenaline that comes on when nervous or panicked. Here are three things to try on your own when you need to reduce stress now.

1- Balanced Breathing

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When we are stressed or anxious this is a great way to calm down and feel more, well, balanced.  To start, inhale for a count of four, then exhale for a count of four: all through the nose. Do this for a few minutes. For variation you can increase the count of the inhale and the exhale. Then, try holding the breath at the top of the inhale and the bottom of the exhale. Practicing this balanced slow breathing makes it more natural to use in any situation but also helps reduce stress for the long term.

2- Move The Body

The saying ‘move a muscle, change a thought’ is spot on. Brining your awareness away from racing or anxious thoughts and onto or into the body is a great way to relax. Borrowing from some easy yoga poses here are few moves to do – repeat them all for at least five breaths.

-        Cat/Cow: Sit straight in a chair with both feet flat on the floor. Exhale as you round your spine forward into a cow pose; then inhale as you arch your back into a cat pose.

-        Side to Side: Inhale and extend your arms straight up. Stretch to the right as you exhale. Inhale to come back to the center, and then exhale to the left.

-        Twist: With arms bent by your side, exhale and rotate your torso to the right. Inhale back to the center and twist to the left.

3 - Self-Directed Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity is the idea that a person’s brain is capable of changing its function in response to environment, thinking, emotions, behavior and even injury. Self-directed neuroplasticity allows us to consciously control how we want our brains to work. Below are some steps to help you harness the power of self-directed brain change.

Step 1. Awareness: Identify, or become aware of the particular habit, mood, etc. that you’d like to change.

Step 2. Attention: Focus all of your attention on implementing a more healthy thought pattern and behavior. Don’t let your attention drift away.

Step 3. Stay with it: Have the caveat that practicing a new thought pattern is going to be uncomfortable at first and you may face some degree of resistance. With willpower and keeping your focus on the new thought your brain will eventually adapt.

Step 4. Practice: Try to engage the newer neural pathways for at least 15 minutes every time the unwanted thought that you are working on changing, occurs. This shifts focus away from the old and into the new.

The newest neuroscience indicates that the brain can change: not only in the moment but in the longer term. I not only believe this to be true I’ve seen it, even helped make it, happen.  These relaxation techniques are powerful when self-directed and even more so when combined with hypnotherapy and neuro-linguistic reprogramming. Learn more today at www.bethsnyderhypnosis.com. Beth A. Snyder is a Clinical Hypnotherapist practicing in Sarasota, Fl.