Issue link: https://www.hub.camaf.co.za/i/607017
9 HANDLING STRESS: PART 3 OF 5 You have already learned quite a bit about handling stress and we hope you are putting this into practice in your own life. You have a target and a plan and we have considered time management as a special focus area too. Being able to relax and unwind almost seems like a rare thing these days. So many of us stay up-tight so much of the time today that we almost forget how to wind-down. Relaxation techniques are genuinely important in helping us build up coping capacity to handle stress better. RELAx… It's probably an over-used word. It's also true that almost everyone needs to do it, more. The mind and body need balance. Times of energy and busy-ness need to be balanced with times of rest and relaxation. If we do not find this balance stress results. Some people try to deny this reality – you may hear them say things like "I have trained myself to sleep less" or "work is relaxing for me" or "there is no time to relax in my busy life" or "I wish I could relax but I just cannot afford to" – but they are kidding themselves, and short-changing themselves. Let's consider some of the very best relaxation techniques. sLeeP. It's under-rated. The average adult needs 7-8 hours a night, every night, to function optimally. You cannot train yourself out of this. Insufficient sleep over long periods is quite possibly one of the most overlooked health issues today. stretChIng. The idea here is to deliberately relax your muscles. You first tense a group of muscles while breathing in and then, as you breathe out very slowly, deliberately relax and "let go" those muscles. You can go round your whole body in this manner and you can do this while sitting or standing or even when walking. breathIng. We all do it. All the time. Automatically even. But deliberate slow even deep-breathing can be a great way to calm the mind and body. Once again, this can be done sitting, standing and even walking. vIsuaLIse. The very act of thinking a relaxing thought, thinking about a relaxed place (a beach, a forest, the ocean, etc.) creates a more relaxed mind and body. MedItate. Not for you? You're not a Tibetan monk with a mantra and ability to meditate cross-legged for hours on end. Fine. most of us are the same. But meditation need not be so esoteric or complicated. Just read above and try stretching, breathing and visualising at the same time. You are now meditating. You are now relaxing. You are now building coping capacity to handle stress better.