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- Therapy Glossary
The ability to relax is important in effectively managing stress and anxiety. When we feel stressed, our bodies react with what is called the "fight or flight" response. Our muscles become tense, our heart and respiration rates increase, and other physiological systems become taxed. Without the ability to relax, chronic stress or anxiety can lead to burnout, anger, irritability, depression, medical problems, and more.
Allowing yourself to deeply relax is the exact opposite of the "fight or flight" response. In 1975, Herbert Benson described what he referred to as the "relaxation response." This is the body's ability to experience a decrease in heart rate, respiration rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, and oxygen consumption.
How Relaxation Exercises Can Help
There are many benefits to being able to induce the "relaxation response" in your own body. Some benefits include a reduction of generalized anxiety, prevention of cumulative stress, increased energy, improved concentration, reduction of some physical problems, and increased self-confidence (Bourne, 2000).
Relaxation exercises can be a powerful weapon against stress. The following are some important facts about stress:
- 43% of adults experienced adverse health effects from stress
- 75-90% of visits to a physician's office are for stress-related conditions and complaints
- Stress has been linked to the 6 leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver, and suicide
- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has declared stress a hazard of the workplace
- In the workplace, stress may be related to lost hours due to absenteeism, reduced productivity, and worker's compensation benefits. This costs the American industry more than $300 billion annually.
Source: Miller, Smith & Rothstein, 1994
It's a Skill!
Utilizing a relaxation exercise to help reduce stress or anxiety is like learning to ride a bicycle for the first time. It is a skill that takes time and practice to do it effectively! We cannot expect to develop a relaxation skill after trying it one or two times, just as we cannot ride a bike well when we first try. Relaxation exercises can seem deceptively simple at first, but using them well when stress is high requires practice.
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