Stress-related disorders

Stress is a conscious or unconscious psychological feeling or physical situation which comes as a result of physical or/and mental 'positive or negative pressure' to overwhelm adaptive capacities.

Stress is a psychological process initiated by events that threaten, harm or challenge an organism or that exceed available coping recourses and it is characterized by psychological responses that are directed towards adaptation.

Stress is wear and tear on the body in response to stressful agents. Hans Selye called such agents stressors and said they could be physical, physiological, psychological or sociocultural. And stress is not an anxiety disorder and it is not a normative concept.

A person typically is stressed when positive or negative (e.g., threatening) experiences temporarily strain or overwhelm adaptive capacities. Stress is highly individualized and depends on variables such as the novelty, rate, intensity, duration, or personal interpretation of the input, and genetic or experiential factors. Both acute and chronic stress can intensify morbidity from anxiety disorders. One person's fun may be another person's stressor. For an example, panic attacks are more frequent when the predisposed person is exposed to stressors.

Stress-reduction strategies can be helpful to many stressed/anxious person. However, many anxious persons cannot concentrate enough to use such strategies effectively for acute relief. (Most stress-reduction techniques have their greatest utility as elements of a prevention plan that attempts to raise one's threshold to anxiety-provoking experiences.)

For this technique Basic elements such as a quiet environment, a comfortable posture, a mental device (a meaningful word or phrase) and a pacific attitude is used.

After basic elements, in a quiet environment, sitting in a comfortable position eyes are closed and all muscles are deeply relaxed beginning from feet and progressing up to face (i.e., feet, calves, thighs, lower torso, chest, shoulders, neck, hand). Allowing muscles to remain relaxed. Becoming aware of breathing and while breathing out, saying silently the word "one" ("won") or some other word or short phrase that is meaningful (i.e., breathe in; breathe out, saying "won"; breathe in; breathe out, saying "won").

This technique is continued for 20 minutes. Eyes can be opened periodically to check the time, but generally alarm is not used. It is performed once or twice daily and not within 2 hours after any meal.

After finishing each 20-minutes exercise. Sitting quietly for a few minutes, first eyes are shut and then eyes are opened.

The goal here is a passive attitude. Deep relaxation will not always occur, and distracting thoughts might come. When conscious of them, they are ignored and breathing exercise are sustained.

...
Wikipedia