Stress Management

Stressed?

The American Psychological Association (APA) Dictionary of Psychology states that stress is a physical or mental reaction that emerges due to internal or external stressors (APA Dictionary of Psychology, 2018). Health psychologist Brian Seaward explains how the total negative response from distress can be separated into three phases: the alarm reaction, resistance, and exhaustion (2023). Initially, when individuals encounter a stressor, they may be caught off guard. Then, they try to resist the change, and eventually surrender to exhaustion in battling the stressor.

Distress is a negative form of stress that can arise from various life situations. It is characterized by feelings of helplessness and/or a perception that one no longer can cope with the situation at hand. It is a state of psychological and/or physical suffering. It is vital to address distress to improve one’s overall wellbeing. Examples of distress may be academic in nature, health factors, social isolation, major life changes and/or environmental factors.

Eustress is a form of stress whereby situations are perceived positively. Eustress provides motivation to complete a task or experience change. The perception of the stressor as positive is what makes it eustress rather than distress. Examples of eustress include and are not limited to: moving, traveling, getting married, having a baby and/or starting a new job.

Stress may be experienced short term or long term. Acute stress is a short-term stress response related to a particular situation or event. It is often immediate and intense but subsides quickly once the stressor is removed. It is known as the fight or flight mode when the body prepares to defend itself from the stressor. It takes approximately 90 minutes for your metabolism to return to its normal state (APA Dictionary of Psychology, 2018).

Click here to take the stress questionnaire and learn more about yourself!

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), also known as Jacobson's relaxation technique, is a systematic method of tension and release to release physical tension from the muscles. It entails tensing and relaxing specific muscle groups throughout the body in a prescribed pattern. The process calls for tensing each muscle group for about 5-10 seconds while inhaling, then releasing the tension while exhaling, allowing the muscles to relax. This process is repeated for different muscle groups starting from the feet, and moving upwards to the head. By focusing on one muscle group at a time, PMR allows individuals to become more aware of physical sensations and learn to consciously relax their muscles, potentially leading to reduced stress.

Potential Benefits of PMR for Those Looking to:

· Lower cortisol levels raised and reduce the body's stress response

· Decrease anxiety

· Enhance sleep quality

· Attain pain Relief

· Ease neck pain associated with mental and emotional stress

· Reduce low back pain.

· Lower heart rate and blood pressure

· Reduce the severity of depression in patients with various conditions

· Reduce frequency and duration of panic attacks

· Improve concentration

*PMR is generally safe for most people, yet people with certain medical conditions ought to seek medical supervision or avoid the technique all together:

Hypertensive patients, individuals in physical pain or with muscle injury, pregnant women, patients recovering from a recent surgery

https://www.consciousmovements.com/body-mind-blog/progressive-muscle-relaxation-stress-pain

PMR Step by Step Directions:

Right Foot & Calf: Flex your toes towards the sole of your feet. Extend your toes and engage your calf muscles.
Right Thigh: Tense your quadriceps, taking care not to engage your abdominal or gluteal muscles.
Left Foot, Calf, Thigh: Repeat steps 1 & 2.
Glutes, Lower back & Abs: Clench your gluteal muscles firmly. Then gently tighten the muscles in your lumbar region to a comfortable level.

Abdominals: Contract your core muscles. If you find this challenging, try drawing your navel towards your spine.

Right hand and forearm: Form a tight fist, focusing on the tension in your hands and forearms.
Right Arm (biceps): Flex your elbows and contract your biceps muscles.

Right arm (triceps): Extend your arms fully and engage the muscles at the back of your upper arms.

Right shoulder: Elevate your shoulders towards your ears. Draw your shoulder blades together, focusing on the muscles between them.
Left hand, forearm and shoulder: Repeat steps 5-7.
Chest: Inhale deeply. Hold. Exhale slowly. (4-4-7)
Neck: Gently roll your head to one side. Hold. Repeat with other side.
Jaw: Firmly close your jaw, feeling the tension in your temporomandibular joint.
Mouth: Create the widest smile possible, stretching the corners of your mouth. Next make an "O" shape with your lips tightly.
Eyes, Cheeks, Face: Squeeze your eyes tightly. Then tense the muscles in your face and forehead, creating a slight grimace.

Lie quietly and soak in the feeling of full relaxation.

PMR 5Ws

WHO: Individuals seeking relaxation

WHAT: Cultivate deep relaxation via tension-release patterns

WHERE: Any comfortable space ideally with minimal distraction

WHEN: 10-15 minutes daily

WHY: Restore the body's state of physical health

HOW: Inhale and tighten the muscles for approximately 5 seconds

Focus on how your body feels and allow thoughts to come and go.

Exhale fully and allow the muscles to release tension for about 10 seconds.

Observe the feelings of your body and mind.

Transition to the following set of muscles and repeat the process.

Lie quietly and soak in the feeling of full relaxation.

American Psychological Association. (2018). APA Dictionary of Psychology. APA Dictionary of Psychology. https://dictionary.apa.org/

Brian Luke Seaward. (2024). Managing stress : principles and strategies for health and well-being (11th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Muscle tension. (n.d.). https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/-/media/CCI/Mental-Health-Professionals/Panic/Panic---Information-Sheets/Panic-Information-Sheet---05---Progressive-Muscle-Relaxation.pdf

Progressive Muscle Relaxation To Relieve Stress + Reduce Muscular Tension. (n.d.). Conscious Movements. https://www.consciousmovements.com/body-mind-blog/progressive-muscle-relaxation-stress-pain
Rahmawati, I., Magfiroh, F. A., Budiono, B., & Sulastyawati, S. (2024). Effect of Gamelan and progressive muscle relaxation on blood pressure in hypertensive patients. Healthcare in Low-Resource Settings, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.4081/hls.2023.11814

PMR is generally safe for most people, yet people with certain medical conditions may require medical supervision or avoid the technique all together:

Hyptertensive patients, individuals in physical pain or with muscle injury, pregnant women

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