The 6 main types of relaxation techniques, and how to use them.

A series of therapeutic practices oriented to combat stress and anxiety and to relax.

Relaxation techniques help us to cope with stress and the frenetic pace of life that we often have to lead because of our work and the circumstances in which we live. Learning to relax prepares us better to face the challenges of each day, and for this we only need to choose one of the available methods and start practicing it.

In this article we explain what relaxation techniques are and what they are for, what are the main types of techniques that exist and their benefits..

What are relaxation techniques and what are they for?

Relaxation techniques are an essential and widely used resource in psychological treatments involving the need to address and cope with stress or anxiety. address and cope with stress or anxietyand situations in which the person experiences a psychophysiological overactivation that prevents him/her from carrying out daily activities normally.

This type of techniques facilitate the reduction of the levels of bodily tension and mental load that we often suffer that we often suffer in different areas of our lives (work, family, etc.). Therefore, they are useful tools, not only for patients with psychological problems or emotional disturbances, but also for all those who need to improve their quality of life and well-being.

Learning to relax allows us to perform activities that we would otherwise avoid due to the high levels of activation that we currently suffer in our modern societies. Rushing, stress, stress... are factors that feed discomfort and worsen our physical and cognitive performance.

Through the use of relaxation techniques we promote the proper functioning of our stress management system, ensuring a hormonal balance.We can also use relaxation techniques to promote an optimal hormonal balance and reduce excessive cortisol levels, which in the long run can be detrimental to our body.

Types of relaxation techniques

There are different types of relaxation techniques, so we can choose the one that best suits us or satisfies us. Here are some of them:

Jacobson's progressive muscle relaxation 2.

The progressive muscle relaxation technique, developed in the 1930s by the American physician Edmund Jacobson, is probably one of the best known types of relaxation techniques.is probably one of the best known types of relaxation techniques.

This practice is based on the physiological principle of tension-distensionwhich postulates that when we tense a muscle (a few seconds) and then stop tensing it (distension), it will be more relaxed than before the exercise.

In progressive muscle relaxation, the person can lie down (or find a comfortable position) in a quiet and pleasant place. Then, the following phases should be followed:

First phase of tension and relaxation.

In this first phase different muscles are tensed and relaxed, holding them tightly for 10 to 15 seconds, and focusing on how they relax.and focusing on how they relax to untension. It can be done following an order of muscle groups (head, trunk, arms and legs).

For example, if you start with the head, you can begin with the face, frowning and then relaxing it; closing the eyes tightly and then opening them; and tightening the lips and untightening them. And so on with the rest of the muscle groups.

Second phase

In this second phase mentally review all the muscle groups that have been tensed and untensed, to check if they are really relaxed.to check if they are really relaxed after the exercises, and if it is necessary to do them again.

Third phase

This last phase is one of relaxation and the person should become aware of the state of calm after having performed the exercises.. To facilitate this, you can visualize through the imagination pleasant scenes or different positive sensations (imagine lying on the beach or tasting a good plate of food).

2. Schultz's autogenic training

This relaxation technique is based, according to Schultz, on a method that consists of producing a transformation of the individual through the realization of certain physiological and rational exercises, that results similar to those achieved through states of authentic suggestion..

Autogenic training consists of concentrating on physical sensations through the execution of 6 exercises to be learned progressively.

With a few simple instructions (autosuggestion), the person gets his or her limbs, and the rest of the body, to relax through sensations of warmth, weight, etc. In this way, it is the individual's own inner conviction that facilitates the achievement of a feeling of general relaxation. relaxation.

The exercises are as follows:

• Exercises of heaviness (e.g. feeling the arms getting heavier and heavier).
• Warming exercises (e.g. feeling heat currents through the body)
• Pulsation exercise (heartbeat)
• Breathing exercise (concentrating on the air flow of the breath)
• Abdominal regulation (focus on how you expand when you breathe in)
• Exercises of the head or forehead

3. Paul's conditioned relaxation

Paul's conditioned relaxation technique is a procedure in which autosuggestion is also used as a method to relax. It consists of associating relaxing and pleasurable sensations with a word or a concept that the person says to him/herself during the exercise.

To do this, the subject must find a quiet and comfortable place to relax, and is instructed to focus attention on his or her own breathing, while at the same time repeating internally and auto-suggestionally to himself or herself. the concept is repeated internally and autosuggestively (e.g., the word "breathing", "breathing", "breathing", "breathing", "breathing"). (e.g. the word "calm") that is to be associated with the relaxing sensation.

A variant of this type of technique is the imagination of relaxing scenes, in which the person is guided and asked to imagine certain situations that generate positive feelings and pleasant sensations.

This tool is widely used in therapyThe enhanced version can be done through the use of virtual and augmented reality, two tools that generate more realistic situations.

4. Passive relaxation by Schwartz and Haynes

The passive relaxation technique, unlike progressive muscle relaxation, does not use muscle tension-distension methods. With this relaxation method, the person is verbally instructed to relax each muscle group in a progressive manner.

For example, the clinician might suggest the following: "you are sitting quietly on the couch with your eyes closed, notice how your arms are relaxing, they are becoming less and less tense...now look at your right forearm, notice how it is becoming more and more relaxed...".

These types of instructions work best if the environment in which this technique is performed is a quiet and pleasant place, and the clinician giving the cognitive instructions uses a slow, leisurely tone of voice..

5. Differential relaxation by Bernstein and Borcovek

The differential relaxation technique is considered a variant of Jacobson's progressive muscle relaxation. The difference is that with this method one learns to tense only the muscles related to a specific activity, keeping those that are not related to a specific activity relaxed.while keeping relaxed those muscles that are not necessary for the activity in question. For example, in everyday and specific situations (such as sleeping or studying for an exam).

It usually combines three types of dichotomous variables, resulting in 8 situations with increasing complexity:

• Position (sitting/standing)
• Activity (active/non-active)
• Place (quiet/not quiet)

6. Benson's Relaxation

The Benson technique is a method that combines relaxation and transcendental meditation. First, the person should be in a comfortable and pleasant place; then, a word is chosen and repeated continuously (like a mantra), with a constant rhythm and a soft tone of voice. This exercise can last from 5 to 20 minutes, without becoming bored or feeling tired..

Benefits

Practicing relaxation exercises on a daily basis has a number of benefits for the person who performs them:

On the one hand, improvement of the quality of life: relaxation reduces stress and the feeling of nervousness, you gain in quality and well-being.

Also leads to a reduction in cardiovascular problems.Relaxation: being relaxed lowers Blood pressure, lowers heart rate and therefore, in the long run, reduces the risk of suffering cardiovascular alterations.

In addition, using these techniques contributes to muscle relaxation. It is a fact that stress and anxiety generate muscular tension, which decreases or disappears with the practice of relaxation.

On the other hand, it improves physical and cognitive performance. Relaxation helps us to be calmer, more attentive and confident, and this has repercussions both physically and cognitively, thus improving our performance in all areas of life.

Finally, improved sleep and mood: being relaxed helps us sleep better at night and be in a better mood.

Bibliographical references:

• Sutchiffe, J. 1991. The complete book of relaxation techniques. Headline, London.
• Payne, R. A. (2005). Relaxation techniques. Editorial Paidotribo.