Relaxation techniques allow people suffering from depression to return to their daily lives.
What are relaxation techniques?
Relaxation techniques allow the brain to enter a state of alpha frequency, which is characteristic of moments just after waking up or before falling asleep. This state is associated with relaxation while maintaining full attention. It is related to increased serotonin secretion and increased activity of neurotransmitters such as GABA and acetylcholine, which contribute to relaxation and good mood. However, lying on a couch or sleeping cannot be considered relaxation techniques. It mainly involves deep breathing or meditation.
Anything that allows you to burn stress hormones helps increase immunity against their effects. Methods are adapted individually according to a person’s personality. Relaxation cardio activities, such as running, Nordic walking or swimming, may be suitable for some, while yoga or breathing exercises may help others. Controlled breathing is one of the dominant calming techniques. For all people with mental disorders, besides pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy, working with the body, breathing training, and mindfulness are recommended. Mindful breathing techniques help eliminate stress and fatigue.
Meditation: Clears the mind
Meditation clears the mind of thoughts, including those that cause stress and negative feelings. Regular mindfulness exercises, focusing only on the current moment, not only reduce the average level of cortisol (stress hormone) in the body but also improve concentration and provide energy. When meditating, you decide what appears in your mind.
What is important, mindfulness practice can be learned at any age. Start with three minutes of meditation every day and after a few weeks, you will develop a regular habit. Only then should you start to extend your sitting time.
Relaxation massage: Reduces tension
Lessons learned from meditation can also be useful during relaxation massages. The more you succumb to the sounds of calm music seeping in the background and calming touches, the more relaxation you experience. After all, they are supposed to bring the body and mind into a state of harmony. By the way, massage reduces muscle tension, accelerates blood circulation, helps eliminate waste from the body, and has a positive effect on appearance. Aromatic oils and nutrient-rich butter are used during the massage.
Yoga: Increases resistance to stress
Yoga not only relaxes but also warms up the body. Basia Tworek, a yoga teacher and psychologist, claims that few sports have such a regenerative effect. The practice helps to harmonize the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system. It deepens body awareness, teaches self-acceptance and improves mood. Yoga postures are tailored to individual abilities, so it is accessible to people of all ages and fitness levels.
Yoga increases the variability of sinus rhythm, which is considered an important indicator of resilience to stress (the greater the variability, the better), and also increases the level of the neurotransmitter GABA, which inhibits excessive brain activity and helps to relax.