What is stress?
With a stressful lifestyle - long working hours, less time for
exercise, leisure and relaxation and our increasing reliance on
television and the internet - it is more important than ever to
make time away from this. Stress is our body's reaction to
events that threaten us. In a hostile environment, stress could
be the difference between survival and death. For example, if
threatened by another animal or person, stress hormones would be
released proportionately with the perceived threat. Then,
adrenalin released and increasing blood pressure would lead to
agression, anger or fear of that threat.
In our society, this loss of control could lead to unacceptable
consequences - we have to abide by a moral code governed by our
laws. Therefore, the overwhelming majority of people hold in
this anger, agression, fear and worry. In doing this, we burn up
more energy doing nothing about the causes of the stress. This
leads to physical, mental and emotional exhaustion. Anyone, of
any age, can suffer from stress and its effects can be equally
debilatating.
Relaxation music or relaxing music (also known as meditation
music or yoga music) can be used as part of stress relief or
relaxation technique. Most importantly, try to remove yourself
from stressful situations or learn to deal with the fear,
anxiety or annoyance that causes them. As this is not always
possible, it is important to have time away from these
situations to unwind and relax. Try to find a quiet place where
you will not be disturbed and listen to relaxing music. Listen
to relaxation music at a volume level that is high enough to
mask any background noise but not so high as to be overbearing.
In a busy workplace or home, headphones are useful.
The music should not be too distracting and should be carefully
composed to be easy to listen to. Music should be upbeat but
also interesting and different enough to capture the imagination
and become a suitable focus for relief. Nature sounds enhance
the experience as this helps you to imagine a place of peace,
calm, tranquility and serenity. It is best to use music written
specifically for relaxation, although you could use any music
that you find particularly relaxing. This technique is most
useful if it can be practiced for a significant amount of time -
more than half an hour. However, it can be effective if used for
just a few minutes at break times.