Applying These to Your Life
Relaxation Techniques from Mind Tools

This section has introduced you to some useful techniques for managing the "fight-or-flight" response that is part of our reaction to stress.

Now is the time to try these out. This will be most effective if you use biofeedback devices so that you can see changes take place. Do the following:

• Try relaxing with Imagery. Build a mental image of a place where you feel happy, secure and relaxed. Next, create an image of an unpleasant, stressful situation where your life or health is under threat.
  
  If you have one, connect yourself to the biofeedback device and learn to control it, imagining the unpleasant image to raise the stress levels in your body and using the pleasant image to reduce them.
  
  Try altering and improving the images to intensify the effect. If you do not have a biofeedback device, then try measuring your pulse rate and learn to increase it and reduce it using imagery.
• Next, use the negative imagery to raise stress levels in your body, and then experiment with using meditation, self-hypnosis and the physical relaxation techniques in this section to relax. Again, watch the effects on the biofeedback device or your pulse. Find the technique and imagery that suits you best.

Where to go from here:

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