Anxiety is the number one reason why people come to treatment these days. It used to be the report of depression brought people in to counseling. About 50% of anyone in the United States will have a mental illness at some point in their lives. 50% of alcoholics will have some sort of mental illness and 70% of people who abuse drugs will have some sort of mental illness. Part of our homework at Jeremy Frank Associates is to find out what is fueling addiction. What are the underlying factors which might cause someone to drink or use? While we will focus on how to manage one’s anxiety and how to lesson it or cope wit it we are also bent on trying to find the origins of anxiety or depression. If we can figure out where we learned to feel a certain way we can begin to understand how to unlearn how to have certain feelings or fears as well.
Stress Management / Relaxation Techniques
Stress Management: Doing Guided Imagery to Relax – This link provides steps to engage in Guided Imagery, a relaxation technique. When people are in a stressful situation, they often wish they could be somewhere more relaxing, like on a tropical beach. People can use their imagination to feel as if they are in a calm, peaceful, and soothing situation. People use all of their senses in Guided Imagery.
Stress Management: Doing Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)
Progressive Muscle Relaxation is a technique used to relieve the pains and aches caused by anxiety and stress. The body often responds to anxiety and stress with muscle tension and Progressive Muscle Relaxation is a method that can help that. In PMR, a person tenses a group of muscles as s/he breathes in and relaxes them as s/he breathes out.
University of Maryland Medical Center – Relaxation Techniques
The University of Maryland Medical Center has a list of relaxation techniques including Guided Imagery Instructions.
Washington University in St. Louis – Student Health Services
This has a list of relaxation techniques and steps including PMR.
National Jewish Health – Progressive Muscle Relaxation
This page contains information about PMR and a PMR exercise.
This page also has steps to PMR exercises.
Hobart and William Smith Colleges – Relaxation Techniques – PMR MP3
There are two MP3’s on this page. The first one is an exercise that will direct listeners to systematically relax major muscle groups by briefly flexing their muscles and then slowly releasing the tension. The second one directs people to progressively release tension by relaxing major muscle groups. Listeners are then guided in using deep breathing, affirming statements and the visualization of a “safe place” to achieve a relaxed state.
Georgia Souther University – PMR & Guided Imagery MP3’s
This page contains MP3’s for both PMR and Guided Imagery. There are two Guided Imagery MP3’s, including one for imagining a beach scenery and one for imagining a forest scenery.
Kaiser Permenente – MP3 for Guided Imagery
This page has many different MP3’s including one for Guided Imagery which is located in the section for Relaxation and Wellness.
Dartmouth – MP3’s for Guided Imagery & PMR
This page has MP3’s for both PMR & Guided Imagery.
This page explains what Anxiety disorders are and how they are treated. It contains a free MP3 about PMR located on the right side of the page.
This page has written and audio instructions for Guided Imagery.
This page is all about meditation of different kinds and has free interactive Guided Imagery exercises.
This page has a list of different methods for relaxing and relieving stress including Progressive Muscle Relaxation. It explains that Progressive Muscle Relaxation is a widely used strategy for relieving stress and it provides a list of steps for how to engage in Progressive Muscle Relaxation.
Sound-Mind.org has a page about Progressive Muscle Relaxation. It explains what it is and how it works. It also provides a list of helpful tips before beginning PMR.
This page has Progressive Relaxation/Deep Muscle Relaxation Exercises.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation for Stress and Insomnia
This site explains what PMR is and has steps to PMR exercises.
This site is all about Guided Imagery. It has the three principles of guided imagery, general information and practical tips, eight kinds of guided imagery content, imagery and intuition, and frequently as questions about imagery.
Manage Stress: Quick Guide to Healthy Living – National Health Information Center
A part of managing stress is learning ways to decrease your stress throughout the day. Learn
quick proactive steps that anyone can take that will lead toward a less stressful day.
Tai Chi: Discover the Many Possible Health Benefits – Mayo Clinic
Discover the benefits of Tai Chi. This type of Chinese meditation connect the mind and body as
each of the movements is performed. Preliminary evidence suggests that Tai Chi can decrease
anxiety and depression, improve balance and flexibility, relieve chronic pain, and increase
energy to name a few.
Managing Stress – The University of Texas at Austin
A wonderful resource published by the University of Texas at Austin to help students identify
and manage their stressors to improve chances of success. Deep breathing, muscle relaxation,
cruise imagery, and forest imagery are available for instant relaxation exercises.
Videos
The New Science of Stress and Stress Resilience
Learn how to build mental and physical resilience when managing the stress of everyday life.