How To Erase The Effects Of Stress, From Harvard Medical School

Exercises that elicit the
relaxation response can help your body erase the cumulative effects of
stress, according to "Stress Management: Techniques for Preventing and
Easing Stress," a new report from Harvard Medical School. The report
explains that stress has been linked with such physical problems as heart
attack, stroke, gastrointestinal problems and asthma, as well as emotional
problems like depression, anxiety and an inability to enjoy life.



The relaxation response, the opposite of the stress response, is a
state of profound rest and release. A number of physiological changes occur
during the relaxation response. When a person meditates, for example,
heartbeat and respiration slow down. The body uses less oxygen and produces
less carbon dioxide. Blood lactate levels, which some researchers believe
are linked with anxiety attacks, decline markedly. Blood pressure tends to
stabilize in healthy individuals and drop significantly in people with
hypertension. Studies have shown that this decrease in blood pressure
persists with regular meditation.



Meditation is only one way to elicit the relaxation response. Other
methods include deep breathing exercises, yoga, tai chi and repetitive
prayer. What's crucial is that the method enables a person to interrupt
everyday thoughts by focusing on a word, phrase, prayer or repetitive
muscular activity. The report recommends practicing relaxation techniques
once or twice a day, for a total of 10 to 20 minutes daily. Evidence
suggests the more often a person practices these techniques, the better the
outcome.



"Stress Management: Techniques for Preventing and Easing Stress" is a
40- page report edited by Herbert Benson, M.D., founder of the Mind/Body
Medical Institute Associate and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical
School.


Harvard Health Publications

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