Learning to Relax
Q: I have been getting headaches in my temples for the last few weeks, usually weekdays. I’ve had trouble falling asleep more and more lately. My doctor recently told me my blood pressure is up a little. Generally, I’m feeling tense a lot lately, and finding it hard to relax. I don’t want to take drugs. Is there anything else I can do?
A: Although there are many possible causes for each of your symptoms, they form a pattern which makes it very likely that they are all tied in with a common cause – stress. If this is the case, there are a variety of ways you can successfully cope with this problem.
We are each endowed with a finely tuned nervous system which helps our bodies react to different situations. If we go into a dark room, our pupils will dilate (open up) so that we can see better. If we exercise, our hearts beat faster to pump more blood to our muscles, which are demanding more oxygen.
A million times a day, the body “reads” what is happening and the nervous system reacts by signaling various parts of the body to make appropriate changes to adapt to the new conditions. It’s easy to see how we could not survive without this adaptive ability. In fact, all forms of life must have some form of adaptive mechanism. And we can trace the evolutionary development of this adaptive functioning from the simple chemical response of a blue-green algae to sunlight to the complicated web of neurological responses which we as vertebrates possess.
The spontaneous responses are coordinated by the Autonomic Nervous System, which acts as a switchboard with two main trunks, the “sympathetic” and “parasympathetic” divisions. These orchestrate the various body responses so that they work in harmony.
If we are confronted with a stressful stimulus, the sympathetic response is activated: the pupils enlarge, the skin sweats copiously, the heart beats faster and more forcefully, the breathing tubes (bronchi) open up wider, the liver releases sugar into the bloodstream, metabolic rate increases, blood pressure goes up, and our hair stands on end. Extra blood goes to the brain and muscles, but the digestive system and kidneys shut down. This is called the “Fight or Flight” response.
We can see how this was as appropriate response for a cave man when confronted by a saber-toothed tiger – it enabled him to think and run fast – or stand there and fight. Unfortunately, for many of us today, it’s still “a jungle out there.” In a fast-paced, competitive world we may repeatedly encounter situations which stimulate the Fight or Flight Response. This causes the adrenal glands to secrete increased levels of hormones (called epinephrine and norepinephrine) to maintain a higher rate of nervous activity. This causes chronic tension. Even when the initial stressors are gone, it may be difficult for our minds and bodies to relax. Fortunately, there is another part of the nervous system, the parasympathetic, which helps us to relax. Parasympathetic stimulation will cause the pupils to contract, slow down the heart, and encourage digestion to take place. It used to be thought that we could have little control over the regulation of our autonomic nervous system, but medical research over the last few years has indicated that this is not the case.
Turn on Your “Relaxation Response”
There are a number of ways we can switch ourselves over from a stress-reacting to a relaxing mode. The most obvious first step is to try to remove unnecessary causes of stress from our lives. This will usually require taking a look at how we structure our daily commitments, and making sure we allot ourselves enough relaxation time. This means taking adequate vacation time or long weekends when we can, as well as taking a certain amount of time each day just to relax.
It doesn’t take much time to switch our nervous system around, but consistent practice is most important. There are a variety of techniques which can make a measurable physiologic change within minutes, and can have a favorable long-term effect on stress symptoms if regularly practiced as little as 15-20 minutes per day.
One well-documented method is called “progressive relaxation”. You can learn this on your own, but it is often helpful to have someone who’s experienced guide you through it the first few times. Find yourself a quiet place with a firm surface to lie down on, and make sure you won’t be interrupted for a little while. Close your eyes. Then, starting with the toes of one foot, tighten the muscles of each part of your body, hold it for a few seconds, and then allow that part to completely relax. Work your way slowly but surely all the way to the top of your head and then, if you like, progress back downward to your toes.
Many people will feel a floating sensation, and a state of very deep relaxation will follow. During this period, it may be useful to just observe the rise and fall of your chest with each breath. When it’s time to awaken, just count backward from five slowly, and allow your eyes to open. Often, you will feel greatly refreshed – alert, but very relaxed – on returning to normal activities.
Over the last fifteen years, a number of relaxation techniques have been studied in neurophysiological laboratories. The methods vary widely, but many result in similar physiological changes – a lowering of metabolic rate and blood pressure, changes in skin resistance consistent with deep relaxation, and decreases in muscle tension. Brain waves often demonstrate a unique pattern consistent with wakeful relaxation – different from the patterns seen in either sleep or alert activity.
A Harvard researcher named Herbert Benson has called this special state the “relaxation response.” He and others first discovered it by studying various ancient forms of meditation. Interestingly enough, similar changes could also be brought about by following a very simple technique: sitting with the eyes closed and mentally repeating a single word over and over for 15-20 minutes. Theoretically, this allows the mind to shift from the customary pattern of reacting to each and every stimulus and go into a state where it does not need or desire to react. It’s like recharging your nervous system’s batteries.
Listening to Your Body’s Messages
Another effective approach which has been extensively studied in recent years is called biofeedback. To practice this, you are hooked up to a machine which measures a particular physiological function that you are interested in changing, such as muscle tension, brain waves, or skin resistance. You can then observe changes in that function by looking at a meter or by listening to changes in tone.
For example, if you have a problem with headaches because of tension in your forehead muscles, you can attach sensors to your forehead and arrange for a tone heard through earphones to get lower as the muscles relax. With repetition, you can be trained to do whatever is necessary to lower the tone and relax your muscles. Then you can learn to transfer this ability to relax the muscles on your own whenever you want to, without the help of the machine. Interestingly enough, learning how to relax some parts of your body helps you to relax others.
We can also look outside of ourselves for help with stress management. It’s sometimes tempting to turn to tranquilizers such as valium. These might be useful in emergencies but they carry with them the potential for drowsiness, dependency, and addiction, as well as serious adverse reactions. Also, drugs will not get at the causes of the problem – the patterns of your reaction to stress – and so the underlying problem will persist.
One helpful temporary measure is to get a therapeutic massage, either from a friend or a qualified professional. This can make a real difference in helping you relax.
Back to Basics – Exercise and Diet
Physical exercise is also essential for relieving stress. This allows the heart rate and blood flow to the muscles to increase in a beneficial way, often decreasing the body’s tendency to react in stressful situations. Even twenty minutes per day can have a long-term physiological effect.
Finally, it is important to make sure that your diet is giving you the nutrients you need to encounter stress successfully. Adequate amounts of protein are necessary to synthesize the enzymes needed for smooth metabolic functioning. Minerals, particularly calcium, magnesium, and zinc, are necessary to form cofactors to help these biochemical reactions to take place. B-complex vitamins and vitamin C are depleted by stress reactions, but need to be replaced to keep the adrenals and other glands functioning well. Various nutriceuticals can help with insomnia and anxiety: these include calcium, magnesium, 5-hydroxytryptophan, GABA, l-theanine, hops, wild lettuce, and others.
Often, the pattern of your symptoms will make the diagnosis of the stress syndrome obvious. However, persistent headaches, high blood pressure or insomnia may have other, more serious causes, and will need medical evaluation to rule this out.
With the syndrome, awareness is the key. Once you have identified that stress is a problem, you have taken the first step toward a happier, more relaxed, and more fulfilling life.
Life Change Index
Below is a “Life Change Index Scale” developed by Drs. Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe. They believe that the experience of normal change in a person’s life – including joyful experiences such as marriage – can be seen as an experience of stress. The degree of stress can be related to the intensity or symbolic significance of the experience, the unexpectedness of the event, or the anticipation of the change, and will vary from individual to individual. In our culture, change (and therefore stress) is an inevitable aspect of normal adult development.
Not all stress items are negative. Some are highly enjoyable, such as vacations or the birth of a child. But life changes totaling 150-200 on the scale within a three- to six-month period, produced an illness in 37% of test subjects. Almost 80% who scored 300 or more became ill.
If an event has been true for you in the past year or will occur in the near future, circle the point value to the right of the event. If an event has occurred but is not listed, add it to the bottom and assign a point value in line with similar events on the list. Then total the points.
Death of Spouse/Partner 100
Divorce 73
Separation from Spouse/Partner 65
Jail Term 63
Personal Injury or Illness 53
Marriage/Commitment to a Partner 50
Fired at Work 47
Reconciliation with Partner/Spouse 45
Retirement 45
Change in Health of Family Member 44
Pregnancy 40
Sex Difficulties 39
Gain of New Family Member 39
Business Readjustment 39
Change in Financial State 38
Death of Close Friend 37
Change to Different Line of Work 36
Change in Number of Arguments with Spouse/Partner 35
Mortgage over $25,000 31
Foreclosure of Mortgage or Loan 30
Change in Responsibilities at Work 29
Son or Daughter Leaving Home 29
Trouble with In-Laws 29
Outstanding Personal Achievement 28
Spouse/Partner Begins or Stops Work 26
Begin or End School 26
Change in Living Conditions 25
Revision of Personal Habits 24
Trouble with Boss 23
Change in Work Hours or Conditions 20
Change in Schools 20
Change in Recreation 19
Change in Church Activities 19
Change in Social Activities 18
Mortgage or Loan Less than $10,000 17
Change in Sleeping Habits 16
Change in Number of Family Get-Togethers 15
Change in Eating Habits 15
Vacation 13
Christmas (If approaching) 12
Minor Violations of the Law 11
Total ______________
Life Change Index Scale ranks life events in descending order;
highest values require the greatest adaptation and are most likely to trigger illness.
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