What is True Relaxation?
Relax Away Your Stress In this blog post I am going to answer the question, What is True Relaxation? The simplest way to describe true relaxation is that it is the opposite of stress. The relaxed state and the stressed state are the complete opposites. This is why it is impossible to be relaxed and stressed at the same time. The goal of all relaxation training is to induce a relaxation response that cancels out the stress response. Put your feet up and relax The Stressed State As I discussed in a previous post, when you are threatened and feel that you can’t cope, your body triggers a...
Read MoreHow Do I Cope With My Stress?
In a previous blog (What is Stress?) I described the three components of stress: (1) a potential stressor, (2) what your mind tells you (your self-talk) about it and your ability to cope with it and (3) a stress response that kicks in if you feel unable to cope with it. When you start to view stress this way you begin to change. You no longer see stress as something that just happens to you, and is beyond your control. Stress becomes more than just “bills, traffic, the government,” or other things that exist independently of you. You begin to realize that the way you view these...
Read MoreCoaches: Why You Need my New Stress Coaching Course
Dear Coach, You have dedicated your life to helping others. It is your life’s calling, your mission but lately you feel caught between caring for your own children and aging parents and your clients. The stress and strain of being sandwiched in the middle is starting to get to you. Stress is Complicated If you are like me, you probably get insulted when so-called, “stress coaches” try to sell you band-aid approaches to managing stress. You know, they lead-in with lines like “Banish Your Stress Forever” or “Be Stress Free in 10 Minutes”...
Read MoreWhat Does it Mean to Relax?
What does relaxation mean to you? Does it mean: sitting in your favorite chair and reading a good book? swinging idly in a hammock? playing a round of golf with friends? walking lazily on the beach? floating on a raft in your pool on a warm summer day? You probably noticed that the things I just described are activities, things you do to get relaxed. So if these are the activities you choose to get relaxed, what is relaxation all about? In short, relaxation is a state of being that involves what is going on in your mind as well as your body. One way to understand this better is...
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