[Nfbf-l] Stress Relief Workshop review

[Brian Norton]

Thanks Mary. I could not attend your seminar @ NFB convention last 
weekend, but enjoyed reading this article and your practice 
instructions. I plan to incorporate this mind/body exercise into my 
daily routine. I will encourage others to consider this helpful therapy.

Brian Norton
386.871.3359
Original message:
> Hello Federation Family,



> As promised to those attending the Stress Relief workshop I have pasted
> below a review and other resources for your use. Chapter presidents if you
> will let your members who do not have internet/email access,  I am happy to
> print and mail.  I am also willing to record and send the recording to their
> smart phone. Please have them contact me at 813 625 1850. I want to be able
> to provide to all interested.



> Stress and Anxiety



> In the United States stress and anxiety are the top reasons people seek
> therapeutic support.



> Stress and Anxiety as defined by www.dictionary.com

> Stress  is a response by the body to a stimulus, as fear or pain, that
> disturbs or interferes with the normal physiological equilibrium of an
> organism.

> Anxiety is  distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear/danger/ misfortune



> Stress and anxiety are not necessarily a negative. For example, an
> individual may be more motivated to study for an exam, practice a speech,
> and/or give more attention to a task to perform well. When stress and
> anxiety inhibits you from living your life to your full potential, you may
> want to consider seeking help. Learning tools and techniques to help you
> manage and lower the symptoms will benefit your mind, body, and spirit.



> Tools &  Techniques:



> The below handout can be found at psychologytools.org



> How Breathing Affects Feelings

> The way we breathe is strongly linked to the way we feel. When we are
> relaxed

> we breathe slowly, and when we are anxious we breathe more quickly.



> Normal breathing

> When we breathe we take in oxygen (O2) that is used by the body. This
> process creates carbon

> dioxide (CO2), a waste product that we breathe out. When our breathing is
> relaxed the levels of

> oxygen and carbon dioxide are balanced - this allows our body to function
> easily.



> Exercise breathing

> Our breathing rate increases during exercise to take in more oxygen. The
> body uses the extra

> oxygen to fuel the muscles and so produces more carbon dioxide. The
> increased breathing rate

> leads to more carbon dioxide being expelled. This means that the balance
> between oxygen

> and carbon dioxide levels is maintained.



> Anxious breathing

> When we are anxious our breathing rate increases: we take in more oxygen and
> breathe out

> more carbon dioxide than usual. However, because the body is not working any
> harder than

> normal it is not using up any extra oxygen, and so it is not producing any
> extra carbon dioxide.

> Because carbon dioxide is being expelled faster than it is being produced
> its concentration in

> the blood goes down (leading to a temporary change in the pH of the blood
> called respiratory

> alkalosis). This change in CO2 blood concentration can lead us to feeling
> unpleasantly lightheaded,

> tingly in our fingers and toes, clammy, and sweaty.



> When our breathing returns to its usual rate the levels of carbon dioxide in
> the blood return to

> normal, and the symptoms resolve. You can deliberately relax your breathing
> to feel better.



> Breathing techniques:

> There are several breathing techniques and since each person is different it
> may take a different style to help you. The most important thing for you to
> do in the beginning is to practice. Practice a few minutes in the morning
> and evening. When you begin to feel stressed or anxious begin the breathing
> technique you have practiced.



> Breathing techniques below:



> * Controlled breathing

> Technique One:

> Breathe in through your nose; having your breath expand your diaphragm,
> count to four

> Breathe out through your mouth, pursing your lips like a fish or kiss, count
> to eight (you are breathing out slowly)

> After you feel comfortable with the technique you may want to incorporate
> words or colors. For example, many people find the color blue as a calming
> color when you breathe in imagine the color blue and add a word such as
> calm, relax,  I feel calm, I am calm, I feel relaxed, and/or I am relaxed.
> While breathing out you may add the color red, black, or any other color
> that denotes the negative feelings you are experiencing.  Adding words such
> as releasing, letting go or I am releasing, I am letting go.



> Technique Two: from psychologytools.org

> 1) Sit or lie down comfortably. Close your eyes if you would like to

> 2) Breathe slowly and steadily in through your nose for a count of 4

> 3) Hold your breath for a count of 2

> 4) Breathe out slowly and steadily for a count of 4

> 5) Repeat for a few minutes



> Technique Three: The Lion's Roar

> This one is good for children but I love to share this with adults as well.


> Take a deep breath through your nose.

> On the exhale, open your mouth wide and roar like a lion.

> If you get a negative feeling in your head, you are most likely not
> breathing through your diaphragm.  If you get a feeling in your head that
> makes you giddy then you are doing the technique correctly.



> Technique Four: Cigarette smokers

> Many people believe that smoking cigarettes calms; however, actually your
> blood pressure rises. The actual calm comes from the breathing. If you are a
> smoker, you may find that pretending to have a cigarette in your hand and
> breathe as if you are smoking you may find this lowers your stress and
> anxiety.



> Another form of relaxation is called  Progressive Muscle Relaxation. There
> are many forms of this technique. The one below is geared for
> children;however, it is great for adults as well. Adapt to fit your
> lifestyle.

> Progressive Muscle Relaxation for Children

> Author: Koeppen, A.S. (1974). Relaxation training for children. Elementary
> School Guidance and Counseling, 9, 14-21.



> Introduction

> Today we're going to practice some special kinds of exercises called
> relaxation exercises. These exercises help you to learn how to relax when
> you're feeling up-tight and help you get rid of those
> butterflies-in-your-stomach kinds of feelings. They're also kind of neat
> because you can learn how to do some of them without anyone really noticing.
> In order for you to get the best feelings from these exercises, there are
> some rules you must follow. First, you must do exactly what I say, even if
> it seems kind of silly. Second, you must try hard to do what I say. Third,
> you must pay attention to your body. Throughout these exercises, pay
> attention to how your muscles feel when they are tight and when they are
> loose and relaxed. And fourth, you must practice. The more you practice, the
> more relaxed you can get. Do you have any questions? Are you ready to begin?
> Okay, first, get as comfortable as you can in your chair. Sit back, get both
> feet on the floor, and just let your arms hang loose. That's fine. Now close
> your eyes and don't open them until I say to. Remember to follow my
> instructions very carefully, try hard, and pay attention to your body. Here
> we go.



> Hands and Arms  (you may substitue a stress ball or socks balled up for the
> lemon)

> Pretend you have a whole lemon in your left hand. Now squeeze it hard. Try
> to squeeze all the juice out. Feel the tightness in your hand and arm as you
> squeeze. Now drop the lemon. Notice how your muscles feel when they are
> relaxed. Take another lemon and squeeze. Try to squeeze this one harder than
> you did the first one. That's right. Real hard. Now drop the lemon and
> relax. See how much better your hand and arm feel when they are relaxed.
> Once again, take a lemon in your left hand and squeeze all the juice out.
> Don't leave a single drop. Squeeze hard. Good. Now relax and let the lemon
> fall from your hand. (Repeat the process for the right hand and arm.)



> Arms and Shoulders

> Pretend you are a furry, lazy cat. You want to stretch. Stretch your arms
> out in front of you. Raise them up high over your head. Way back. Feel the
> pull in your shoulders. Stretch higher. Now just let your arms drop back to
> your side. Okay, kitten, let's stretch again. Stretch your arms out in front
> of you. Raise them over your head. Pull them back, way back. Pull hard. Now
> let them drop quickly. Good. Notice how your shoulders feel more relaxed.
> This time let's have a great big stretch. Try to touch the ceiling. Stretch
> your arms way out in front of you. Raise them way up high over your head.
> Push them way, way back. Notice the tension and pull in your arms and
> shoulders. Hold tight, now. Great. Let them drop very quickly and feel how
> good it is to be relaxed. It feels good and warm and lazy.



> Jaw

> Let your jaw hang loose. Notice how good it feels to let your jaw drop. Open
> your mouth as wide as you can and then close it.  Repeat this three times
> (This section has been revised by Merry Schoch)



> Face and Nose

> Here comes a pesky old fly. He has landed on your nose. Try to get him off
> without using your hands. That's right, wrinkle up your nose. Make as many
> wrinkles in your nose as you can. Scrunch your nose up real hard. Good.
> You've chased him away. Now you can relax your nose. Oops, here he comes
> back again. Right back in the middle of your nose. Wrinkle up your nose
> again. Shoo him off. Wrinkle it up hard. Hold it just as tight as you can.
> Okay, he flew away. You can relax your face. Notice that when you scrunch up
> your nose your cheeks and your mouth and your forehead and your eyes all
> help you, and they get tight too. So when you relax your nose, your whole
> body relaxes too, and that feels good. Oh-oh. This time that old fly has
> come back, but this time he's on your forehead. Make lots of wrinkles. Try
> to catch him between all those wrinkles. Hold it tight, now. Okay, you can
> let go. He's gone for good. Now you can just relax. Let your face go smooth,
> no wrinkles anywhere. Your face feels nice and smooth and relaxed.



> Stomach

> Hey! Here comes a cute baby elephant. But he's not watching where he's
> going. He doesn't see you lying in the grass, and he's about to step on your
> stomach. Don't move. You don't have time to get out of the way. Just get
> ready for him. Make your stomach very hard. Tighten up your stomach muscles
> real tight. Hold it. It looks like he is going the other way. You can relax
> now. Let your stomach go soft. Let it be as relaxed as you can. That feels
> so much better. Oops, he's coming this way again. Get Ready. Tighten up your
> stomach. Real hard. If he steps on you when your stomach is hard, it won't
> hurt. Make your stomach into a rock. Okay, he's moving away again. You can
> relax now. Kind of settle down, get comfortable, and relax. Notice the
> difference between a tight stomach and a relaxed one. That's how we want to
> feel--nice and loose and relaxed. You won't believe this, but this time he's
> coming your way and no turning around. He's headed straight for you. Tighten
> up. Tighten hard. Here he comes. This is really it. You've got to hold on
> tight. He's stepping on you. He's stepped over you. Now he's gone for good.
> You can relax completely. You're safe. Everything is okay, and you can feel
> nice and relaxed. This time imagine that you want to squeeze through a
> narrow fence and the boards have splinters on them. You'll have to make
> yourself very skinny if you're going to make it through. Suck your stomach
> in. Try to squeeze it up against your backbone. Try to be skinny as you can.
> You've got to be skinny now. Just relax and feel your stomach being warm and
> loose. Okay, let's try to get through that fence now. Squeeze up your
> stomach. Make it touch your backbone. Get it real small and tight. Get it as
> skinny as you can. Hold tight, now. You've got to squeeze through. You got
> through that narrow little fence and no splinters! You can relax now. Settle
> back and let your stomach come back out where it belongs. You can feel
> really good now. You've done fine.



> Legs and Feet

> Now pretend that you are standing barefoot in a big, fat mud puddle. Squish
> your toes down deep into the mud. Try to get your feet down to the bottom of
> the mud puddle. You'll probably need your legs to help you push. Push down,
> spread your toes apart, feel the mud squish up between your toes. Now step
> out of the mud puddle. Relax your feet. Let your toes go loose and feel how
> nice that it feels to be relaxed. Back into the mud puddle. Squish your toes
> down. Let your leg muscles help push your feet down. Push your feet. Hard.
> Try to squeeze that puddle dry. Okay. Come back out now. Relax your feet,
> relax your legs, relax your toes. It feels so good to be relaxed. No
> tenseness anywhere. You feel kind of warm and tingly.



> Conclusion

> Stay as relaxed as you can. Let your whole body go limp and feel all your
> muscles relaxed. In a few minutes I will ask you to open your eyes, and that
> will be the end of this practice session. As you go through the day,
> remember how good it feels to be relaxed. Sometimes you have to make
> yourself tighter before you can be relaxed, just as we did in these
> exercises. Practice these exercises everyday to get more and more relaxed. A
> good time to practice is at night, after you have gone to bed and the lights
> are out and you won't be disturbed. It will help you get to sleep. Then,
> when you are really a good relaxer, you can help yourself relax at school.
> Just remember the elephant, or the mud puddle, and you can do our exercises
> and nobody will know. Today is a good day, and you are ready to feel very
> relaxed. You've worked hard and it feels good to work hard. Very slowly,
> now, open your eyes and wiggle your muscles around a little. Very good.
> You've done a good job. You're going to be a super relaxer.



> * Visualization Relaxation Technique

> Imagine an image or memory that brings only positive thoughts and feelings.
> If you find there are any negative connections do not use the image,
> thought, and/or memory.  Find one that just promotes positive reactions.
> Once you have the image in your mind, add the controlled breathing, words,
> and colors. Notice how your body feels, notice how you feel emotionally.
> Enjoy the moment.  You may also use this technique with relaxing music.
> After practicing this technique for some time, find an object that has a
> positive connection with you.  It may be a momentum or a smooth stone. While
> you are breathing, imagining, and feeling relaxed, put the object in your
> dominant hand and wrap your hand around the object and continue to stay in
> the state of relaxation and calm. After practicing this form of the
> technique, you will find that you have trained your mind to automatically
> form a positive reaction when holding the object in your hand.



> * Thought stopping techniques

> Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) suggest that our thoughts provoke a
> feeling and our feelings provoke a behavior/actionn. When we learn to tame
> or reframe those 55,000 (approximately) thoughts we have each day we create
> a different outcome. Here are some techniques that can help with thought
> stopping. When a negative thought comes to your mind, imagine a "stop sign"
> or "remote control in your hand to pause the thought".  At this point in
> time you may add some positive self talk. Please find below one of my
> favorite internet finds:

> *  Anxiety Tip Sheet - The Value of "Self Talk" By John Dauer, LCSW, ACSW



> Introduction



> You have a dilemma: a health problem, sadness, fear, problems in your
> marriage, anger, panic, anxiety, pain.

> "I'm stuck in life!"

> How many times do we hope that some external force will help us: someone's
> love, God, a doctor,  a pill, alcohol? Certainly, it is wise to use all
> legitimate and healthy resources possible to assist you in achieving health
> and well-being. Merry's commentary for clarification purposes negative
> resources are not beneficial in promoting health and well-being.

> In mental health, you play the major part in changing your old self into the
> new, happy person you desire to be. How do you take charge? The way you
> think about some problems may determine  whether you are passive and
> defeated, or you are active and determined.



> Think Positive

> In some cases if you think negative, and you are defeated. Think positive,
> and you get  positive results. Would not you agree that all of us talk to
> ourselves? Yes, every thought is self-talk. We consciously talk to our
> subconscious mind. The subconscious is our inner mind that guides us. It has
> also helped us through many emotional dilemmas so we could survive. That
> Inner Mind is our pilot that flies us through life.  Our self-talk
> determines the direction our subconscious will take: the road of life or the
> road of death. Why not consider the subconscious as our friend, a powerful
> friend.

> What you say to yourself is often what you get.

> "What a lousy day! I wonder what awful things will happen. I'll never get
> through  this."

> Or:

> "No matter what happens, I am getting through it. I am finding solutions."

> Your self-talk is food for your Inner Mind. Self-talk is an active,
> deliberate method of feeding our brain. You can take charge of your destiny.
> The way you talk, however, is not a honey-coated positive thinking:

>  "It's a nice day."

> "It" never does  anything. The self-talk is constructed with forceful
> actions and solutions. We become our own coach. Here are some examples:

>  I am doing everything necessary to solve this problem.

>  I am eating only healthy quantities of healthy foods.

>  I am learning how to be a better partner.

>  No matter what others do, I keep my focus.

>  I find ways to distract myself from the pain.

>  I will discover ways to heal quickly.

>  I am taking care of myself.

>  I will push myself to get it done."



> You do not even have to know how you will solve a problem.  Trust in the
> wisdom of your unconscious mind:

> "Before  I know it, this is behind me. I am  finding a job I like that pays
> well."



> You can also combine prayer with self-talk:

> "Dear Lord, with your help, I get it done on time."



> It is very important that you write out your self-talk sentences. Here are
> some examples of effective self-talk strategies:



> Be  Realistic

> My goal is realistic, attainable by me. It is not too much. The goal is not
> an exaggeration, such as "I am the best in the world."

> It is also not too little which would underestimate my abilities and
> capabilities. A good example:  "Every day in every way I am studying
> effectively."



> Use "I"

> "I" language allows the subconscious to take the message personally. "I"
> affirms me. Generalities do not connect with the inner me. Not "Money will
> come to me", but "I am making an adequate amount of money to live
> comfortably."



> Be Noncompetitive with others

> I compete only with myself and my own previous achievements, not against
> others.  This prevents hostility. I seek the best I am capable of doing.

> Example:

> "I am earning more than i made last year."



> Be Positive

> I state what I want, not what I wish to quit. Example: "I am eating only
> healthy quantities of  healthy food." vs. "I am losing weight." Change any
> negative into its positive description.. The  conscious mind is less likely
> to criticize the positive.



> Use Present Tense

> Future tense ("I will _____.") is too easily doubted by the critical
> conscious mind. It is best to describe the goal as being achieved right now.
> "Every day in every way I am taking care of my health." Make the verbs in
> the present continuous tense ( verb ends in "ing") which means right now I
> am doing something to realize my goal.



> See the Finished goal

> Let the future be now as if the goal is already being achieved. "All days in
> all ways I am earning $________ a year, or, I am facing my
> responsibilities." Speak as if the goal is already accomplished today."



> Be Definite

> Words like try, hope are general and really mean maybe. "I will try," has
> the hidden message of  "maybe I won't." or "I can't" or "I don't want to."
> It is best to be certain and put the goal into a measurable quantity. "I am
> studying adequately to pass the test."



> Embellish

> A mental image filled with emotion is very effective for the inner mind to
> generate energy to  accomplish the goal. Allow yourself to feel the feelings
> of satisfaction, happiness, excitement, joy, celebration as one imagines the
> scene of self with the achieved goal. "I can feel the satisfaction of
> celebrating my new job."



> Be Specific

> The more exact the goal, the better. It is important, however, not to be too
> specific because  then it becomes a chance for the critical conscious mind
> to sabotage the goal. The subconscious mind does not perform magic. ("In
> three days I will quit smoking.") This is better: "Every day in every way I
> am giving myself clean and healthy lungs."

> Once you have written out your sentences, you then repeat them many times a
> day, especially at  night, because the subconscious never sleeps and works
> on getting your goals. It works best through  repetition. As you notice
> progress, you can update your sentences, always creating new ones. Since we
> are always talking to ourselves, we get used to talking in this effective
> way all the time. "I am  making today a good day."



> Thanks for coming to the seminar. I hope you enjoyed our seminar and that
> these tools and techniques add positive benefits to your life! Please know
> your mind has the power to create negative bodily sensations when you are
> stressed and anxious, but more importantly that the mind can be trained by
> using the above techniques to create a place of calm, relaxation, and peace.



> Here's to peace and calm,

> Merry C. Schoch, LCSW

> merrys at verizon.net

> 813 625 1850







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