Stress Reduction Techniques and Affirmations for Radical Success

Stress Reduction Techniques, Affirmations and Success Success!

The difference that a statement can make in the life of a man, woman, or child is nothing short of phenomenal.

Change your mind - change your life!

Stress Reduction Techniques.

Stress reduction techniques are a fresh spring rain for parched ground. Stress is a bizarre mental state because quite often we are not even aware that what we are experiencing is in fact stress. Recognizing that you are under stress is a huge step in the right direction. This is because if you are living in a habitual state of high stress, you are exposing yourself to unnecessary risk.

What's at risk? Your physical health, your emotional health, and your mental health. The purpose of stress reduction techniques is to create balance physically, emotionally, and mentally. By changing your mind, learning new methods of coping, and altering how you deal with stress you can shake it's hold on your life.

Our world is going crazy. It demands action, a frantic pace just to maintain the status quo. We have to deal with cramped schedules, tight time lines, dead lines, critical bosses, slacker subordinates, ridiculous traffic, escalating costs, family demands, and the list goes on and on. Add a highly sensitive personality type to the mix or a 'type A personality' and we find someone who is stretched to the breaking point.

At times it may seem like there is nothing you can do about it. The situations you find yourself in aren't going to change, the bills are going to keep arriving, the deadlines will remain, no one is going to add more hours to the day. But wait! There is hope! You actually have much more power and control over your life and your stress levels that you might be aware of. This is where stress reduction techniques come in.

It's all about control

Managing stress is all about control. It's about taking control of your thoughts, your emotions, your health, your schedule, in fact your very life. The way you deal with problems is a habit. Very little thought goes into dealing with problems. We gain experience as we grow and rely on that experience to provide us with the means to solve our problems. Managing stress is about controlling our problems.

The end result, the goal of stress reduction techniques, is to find equilibrium - balance. Balance between home and work, between tasks and entertainment, between calm and the storm. The end result will be a new found strength to stand up under pressure and take troubles head on. The good news is that simply becoming aware that you are in control of your life is fundamental to dealing with stress.

Techniques

The truth is wonderful: you are in control. You are in the driver's seat. You have the power. Your life is in your hands. You can choose to do something about your stress or you can wait until you stress destroys your health and sidelines you. You can reduce your levels of stress by learning to create a state of restfulness. By invoking your body's natural relaxation response, you create a state that is the exact opposite of a stress state. When you master these techniques, stress levels will subside and you will become calm and peaceful.

Stress reduction technique #1: Routine.

How much time you set aside for reducing stress depends on how much stress you experience. The more stress you experience the more time you will need to allocate for stress reduction. A minimum of 10 minutes a day is required. Twenty minutes is better and if your stress levels are very high 30 minutes is optimal. The point you need to take away here is that regardless of which technique you use it will not benefit you if it is not a habitually practiced technique.

Stress reduction technique #2 Deep Breathing

The relaxing effect of deep breathing has been recognized by many as a great place to start. Deep breathing means using your lungs, abdomen and diaphragm. Under stress our breathing becomes shallower and shallower. This means that we are not up taking enough oxygen which makes us feel tense, anxious, and short of breath. Adding to the tension we are already feeling. Here's how it is done:

Sit upright with good posture. Put one hand on your chest, the other on your stomach.

Inhale through your nose. The hand on your stomach should rise, the hand on your chest should move little if at all.

Breathe out through your mouth, push out as much air as possible while you tighten your stomach muscles. The hand on your stomach should move inwardly as you breathe out and the hand on your chest should move hardly at all.

Continue to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth focusing on your stomach to make sure your abdomen rises and falls with each breath.

You can practice this anywhere any time. You can do it in the office, in your car, at the table or anywhere you want. It can also be combined with other techniques.

Stress reduction technique #3 Progressive muscle relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation is a technique where you alternately and systematically tense and relax the major muscle groups in your body. Here is how it's done:

Loosen or wear lose clothes, take off belts, shoes or anything tight.

Take a few deep breaths like you learned above

Start with your left foot - tense the muscles in your foot - contract the muscles as tight as you can and hold for a 10 count

Now focus on relaxing that foot. Feel the muscle contraction fade and be conscious of how your foot feels as it becomes relaxed

Now focus on the right foot. Do the same thing for your right foot that you did for the left.

Remembering to deep breath, follow this pattern for all your muscle groups: left and right calves, left and right thighs, buttocks, abdomen (don't forget to breathe), chest, back and shoulders, right and left arms and hands, neck, and face.

When you've completed this technique you should be very relaxed.

Stress reduction technique #4 Meditation

Meditation has a long history in eastern religions. Meditation is commonly used as a 'spiritual' practice but it has a profound impact on stress levels. The methodology of meditation is to focus on a single thing. That thing could be a word, a sound, a symbol, an object or your own breathing. The idea is to create a state of deep relaxation, peace and calmness, while strengthening mental focus.

Stress reduction technique #5 Exercise

Exercise has been proven to reduce stress as well as the effects of stress. Twenty minutes of exercise daily can have a significant impact on your stress levels as well as your health. Exercise benefits are as follows:

It makes you feel good

It burns off stress hormones and adrenalin

It helps you sleep better

It relaxes your muscles and slows your heart

It helps the body release tension created by stress

The best type of exercises are those that are repetitive like walking, jogging, running, rowing, cycling, swimming, stair climbing, elliptical trainers, etc.

Stress reduction technique #6 Massage

Massage is best if your partner will help you with it. If not you can also massage yourself. The stress busting results of massage are self evident. You can start with a hand held massage device or you can just use your fingers. Use some kind of massage oil if you are rubbing bare skin. Sit in a chair or on the floor, or lie down with your knees bent and your feet on the floor.

Massage your scalp: Put your your thumbs behind your ears and spread your fingers across the top of your head. Massage your scalp by making circles with your fingertips for 15-20 seconds.

Massage your shoulders:

Rub your right shoulder with your left hand. Starting at the top of your neck, rub down the side of your neck, over your shoulder and down your arm to the elbow. Slide your hand and back to your neck and repeat at least three times. Now do the left side.

Make small circular motions with your finger tips on both sides of your spine. Rub up your neck to the bottom of your skull

With a fist gently thump your right shoulder your wrist should be limp and relaxed. Now do the left shoulder

Massage your feet:

Put one hand on the top and one hand on the bottom of your foot. With both hands gently rub from your toes to your ankles.

Squeeze each toe firmly, then stretch it gently by pulling on it.

Press firmly with your thumbs along a line down the center of your sole and then either side

With one thumb press in a circular motion on the arch then the ball of your foot

Rub a tennis ball on any tight spots

A hand held massage device can be used here as well

Stress is a habit and so is relaxation. In order to counteract the effects of the 'stress habit' you will need to cultivate the 'relaxation habit'. Doing one or all of these techniques for a few days will start you on the right road toward cultivation the stress reduction habit.

The Best Technique

Stress is a product of the mind. It is a result of your mind's response to the stimulus that you face in your daily life. Is there one technique that is superior? Yes, the technique that works for your is the technique that is superior. However, there is one thing that you can do, one thing that will make your stress levels tank in short order - relaxing with with brainwave entrainment. Stress is something that happens inside your mind. All the techniques listed above will work by invoking your body's natural relaxation response. But their effectiveness will be determined by how often you use them and how well you perform them. Brainwave entrainment works whether you believe it or not, whether you care or not, it works anywhere, any time and all you have to do is plug in a pair of headphones. Anywhere you can listen to headphones you can use brainwave entrainment to lower your stress levels.

Power

You can super charge your stress reduction techniques with brainwave entrainment. You can also create the power to stand up under pressure by using affirmations with brainwave entrainment to increase your self confidence, self esteem, goal setting ability. You can become more organized, eliminate procrastination, and become highly motivated. All these character traits can be programmed into your mind. The net result is a radical dropping of your stress levels because you have become empowered. Life no longer controls you - you control life!