As you have learned in class, stressful experiences activate physiological systems in the body that help us to maintain equilibrium in a constantly changing environment.  These systems include the autonomic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Experiences that are perceived as stressful can increase activity in the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system, which triggers the “fight-or-flight” response.  This response releases epinephrine and norepinephrine into the blood stream and produces increases in heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration, along with many other changes.  The HPA axis releases cortisol into the blood stream from the adrenal glands, which produces a range of other physiological changes.

When the sympathetic nervous system and HPA axis are activated too frequently or remain active for long periods of time, it can lead to negative emotions, feelings of tension, difficulty sleeping, and difficulty concentrating.  This first stress management strategy is designed to reduce these emotional and physiological consequences of stressful experiences. 

Specifically, relaxation exercises are designed to activate the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system.  The parasympathetic nervous system serves an opposing set of functions as the sympathetic branch that facilitate rest, help your body recover after the fight-or-flight response has been activated, and promote long-term repair and maintenance of your organs.  This is sometimes called the “rest-and-digest” response.  When the parasympathetic nervous system is activated, it inhibits the fight-or-flight response and can help to reduce many of the negative emotional and physiological consequences of stress.

This can be accomplished with exercises designed to slow and deepen your breathing. Other strategies involve progressive muscle relaxation to relieve tension and guided imagery or relaxing music paired with deep breathing.

The first time you try these strategies you might not notice a large difference in your mood or feelings of stress.  If you practice once a day, you may notice that it becomes easier to relax and that you feel relaxed more quickly.  With regular practice, you may be able to use these strategies (e.g., taking a few slow, deep breaths) in the moment to help you navigate challenging situations like interpersonal conflict, difficult exams, or when you feel overwhelmed.

A guided breathing exercise is included in the materials to help you learn this strategy.  Once you have mastered deep breathing, you may want to try other strategies like progressive muscle relaxation—which may be particularly helpful if you experience muscle tension when you are stressed—and pairing deep breathing with imagery or relaxing music.