Chapter 10
Relax: Using Relaxation
Techniques to Offset the
Effects of Stress
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McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Copyright © 2012 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
The Stressed State
Compared to the Relaxed
State
Relaxation is the opposite of stress
Heart rate slows down
Blood pressure decreases
Breathing rate decreases
Breathing becomes deeper, includes
entire lung volume
Muscles relax
Mind is clearer, not threatened
The stressed state: A quick review
10-2
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The Relaxed State
The body’s response to relaxation
when we simply cannot be stressed
Passive mental state: allowing
your mind to slow down
Relaxed state: a state
characterized by the decrease of
key physiological processes,
accompanied by a passive mental
state
10-3
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Breathing and
Relaxation
 Breathing is the basis of both life and
relaxation
 Rapid, shallow breathing disrupts
relaxation
 Intentionally slowing and deepening
one’s breathing can induce relaxation and
cancel out the stress response (3X3)
Diaphragmatic breathing: a deep
breathing technique that uses the
diaphragm to assist in completely
filling the lungs from the bottom up
10-4
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Meditation
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 The process by which we go about
deepening our attention and awareness by
refining them and putting them to greater
practical use in our lives. Altered state of
consciousness?
 Benefits of meditation:
Decreased metabolic rate and oxygen
consumption
Increased intensity and frequency of
alpha brain waves (associated with the
restful awake state)
Slower heart and respiration rates
A calmer, more peaceful view of the10-5
world
Meditation (Cont’d)
Focused meditation: A mental
exercise using a focal point to
direct one’s attention to
Open meditation: Nonfocused or mindful meditation
that directs one’s full attention
to awareness of the present
moment
10-6
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Meditation (Cont’d)
Four kinds of focused
meditation practices:
Object meditation
Word/phrase meditation
Sound meditation
Breath meditation
10-7
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Applying Focused
Meditation: Benson’s
Relaxation Response
Four elements of Benson’s
relaxation response (an easy,
popular form of focused
meditation):
A quiet environment
A mental device
A passive attitude
A comfortable position
10-8
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Meditation (Cont’d)
Two kinds of open meditation:
Formal mindfulness meditation:
a type of mindfulness meditation
training implemented over 8 weeks
and designed to have people
practice 45 minutes per day
Informal mindfulness meditation:
the application of mindful behavior
into daily experiences
10-9
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Visualization
 Mental creation of relaxing visual images
and scenes
 Works by using images to facilitate a
relaxation response
 May be used alone or in conjunction with
other techniques such as deep breathing,
yoga, stretching, or meditation
 Instructions for creating personal
visualization scripts are given in the text
10-10
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The Quieting Reflex and the
Calming Response
 The quieting reflex: a 6-second relaxation technique
developed by Stroebel
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Think about what is making you stressed.
Smile to relax facial muscles
Repeat “I can keep a calm body and an alert mind”
Take a quiet, easy breath.
Exhale through parted teeth, allowing your jaw to go slack.
Visualize heaviness and warmth flowing through your body.
 The calming response: a modification of the quieting
reflex developed by Segal
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 Take a personal inventory of stressors.
 Whenever you are stressed or are about to be confronted with any
of your stressors, stop what you focusing on and get in touch with
the depth and pace of you breathing.
 Think of a relaxing, warming word and visual image.
 Take 3 deep abdominal breaths. On the 1st state “I will not let my
body get involved.”
 Pm the 2nd identify any muscle that is tense and contract for 3
seconds.
 On the 3rd breath, close your eyes and think of your calming10-11
word
and relaxing image.
Biofeedback
Employs instruments that
measure body functions
associated with stress
The instruments help you
recognize stress and relax your
body
With experience you can wean
yourself off the machine
10-12
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Biofeedback (Cont’d)
Four main types of biofeedback
machines
EEG (electroencephalographic):
measures brain waves
Thermal: measures temperature at
the extremities
EMG (electromyographic):
measures tension in striated muscles
EDR (electrodermal): measures the
body’s electrical activity
10-13
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Hobbies, Entertainment,
Recreational Activities, and
Stress
Relaxation: engaging in activities
capable of inducing a truly relaxed
state if done properly and practiced
regularly
Entertainment: engaging in
activities that are enjoyable
(usually) and provide a certain level
of relief from the demands of the
day but that fail to induce the same
deeply relaxing state as relaxation
activities
10-14
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Hobbies, Entertainment,
Recreational Activities, and
Stress (Cont’d)
 Many confuse being entertained and
engaging in non-physical hobbies and
recreational activities with true
relaxation
 Hobbies, entertainment, and
recreational pursuits sometimes can
stimulate the brain and trigger
behavior that is neither healthy nor
conducive to mindfulness—in fact,
sometimes just the opposite of
mindfulness. Golf?
10-15
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