Escaping the daily stress: Mastering serenity is an acquired skill

Escaping the daily stress: Mastering serenity is an acquired skill

Struggling with Stress? Learn Calmness Through Adjusting Perspective and Expectations

Chronic stress often leads to sleep disorders, concentration issues, and various physical complaints. Moreover, it increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and weakens psychological resilience. Achieving calmness might not be an innate talent, but it can be learned. In exploring coping strategies, we highlight two techniques with significant roots in psychiatric practices.

Mastering Tranquility: Perspective and Expectation Management

Much like mastering any skill, the results of relaxation techniques may not immediately be noticeable with just one try. It is crucial to view calmness as a long-term goal rather than a quick fix. Although natural products like CBD flowers or valerian may support us, investing time in self-care is equally essential.

Methods Examined Closely

We delve into two strategies for achieving relaxation that have been utilized by psychotherapists, healers, and life coaches for several decades. Each method is backed by scientific findings, which we'll detail in the respective sections.

Learning Meditation

When meditation conjures images of yogis in harem pants in a lotus position with a serene expression, one overlooks the substantial facts surrounding this proven relaxation method.

What is Meditation?

Meditation is a mental exercise promoting a state of mental rest through concentration. The focus can be on one's breath, a mantra, or nothing at all. Practitioners aim to direct their thoughts only to the chosen focal point. If thoughts intrude, it's simply a matter of letting them pass and refocusing on the chosen object.

Contrary to popular notions, the effect of meditation doesn't stem from an esoteric principle but instead comes from dealing with arising thoughts during the process. They are merely "sent on their way." Focusing on the breath activates the principle of executive control, which has a positive impact on self-regulation and helps mitigate the consequences of long-term stress.

A Quick Guide: Meditation with Mindfulness Exercise

1. Prepare the room to be comfortable:
   • Dim the lights as desired
   • Maintain a moderate room temperature
   • Eliminate disturbing noises
   • Open a nearby window to hear ambient sounds
   • Sit or lie down in a comfortable position, without requiring support
   • Close your eyes
   • Focus your concentration on the sounds
   • Notice what can be heard
   • Identify the sound's direction and source
   • Don't evaluate the sounds; focus on simply perceiving them
   • Distracting thoughts can be eliminated by refocusing on the sounds

Pure Breathing Exercises

Breathing exercises are a reliable tool against stress. With practice, one can maintain a relaxed state even during stressful situations.

What are Breathing Exercises?

Exercises involve focusing attention on the breath. By consciously regulating the breath, we control our feelings and physiological response.

As in meditation, the principle of executive control comes into play here. Depending on the breathing technique, we can increase the oxygen concentration in the blood. According to neuroscientist Andrew Huberman, 6 "Two or three physiological sighs are the fastest known way to bring autonomic arousal back to a normal level."

A Quick Guide: The 4-7-8 Breathing Technique

1. Prepare the room to be comfortable:
   • Dim the lights as desired
   • Maintain a moderate room temperature
   • Eliminate disturbing noises
   • Sit or lie down in a comfortable position
   • Close your eyes
   • Focus your concentration on the breath
   • Be present in the moment
   • Inhale consciously for 4 seconds
   • Hold the breath without pressure for 7 seconds
   • Exhale slowly over 8 seconds
   • Adjust the intervals if necessary, as long as the approximate ratio is maintained

[References]

Overall, meditation and 4-7-8 breathing exercises are widely recognized for their potential in reducing stress and enhancing psychological resilience, as supported by numerous scientific studies.

Meditation

Stress Reduction and Psychological Resilience Efficiency

1. Stress Reduction: Meditation consistently lowers stress levels by activating the body's relaxation response, which decreases blood pressure, heart rate, and other physiological markers of stress.[1][3] Studies have also demonstrated that meditation can be more effective than other relaxation techniques in reducing anxiety.[1]
2. Psychological Resilience: Meditation improves psychological health by enhancing emotional regulation, which is vital for building psychological resilience. It assists individuals in better managing stress and coping with adversity.[1][3]
3. Neuroscientific Evidence: Neuroimaging studies have highlighted the brain areas involved in meditation, including those responsible for attention and emotional processing. Meditation has been linked to increased activity in regions like the prefrontal cortex and decreased activity in stress-related areas such as the amyggdala.[2]

4-7-8 Breathing Exercises

Stress Reduction and Psychological Resilience Efficiency

1. Stress Reduction: The 4-7-8 breathing technique has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety by slowing down the heart rate and activating the parasympathetic nervous system, which fosters relaxation.[4]
2. Psychological Resilience: Regular practice of such breathing exercises can improve emotional regulation and stability, contributing to increased psychological resilience. By decreasing stress and promoting relaxation, these exercises help individuals cope with stressors more effectively.
3. Mechanism of Action: Although specific neuroscientific studies on the 4-7-8 technique are limited in comparison to meditation, its effects on activating the parasympathetic nervous system suggest a similar pathway to reducing stress and enhancing resilience.

Conclusion

Both meditation and 4-7-8 breathing exercises are effective in reducing stress and improving psychological resilience. Meditation has a broader range of benefits supported by extensive neuroscientific evidence, while 4-7-8 breathing exercises offer a simple yet effective method for immediate stress relief. Combining these practices can enhance their stress-reducing effects.

[1]: Paul, J., & Harrington, A. R. (2014). An evidence-based approach to meditation as a clinical tool in psychiatric practice. Substance abuse treatment, patient education, and counseling, 7(1), 1-10.

[2]: Hölzel, B. K., Lazar, S. W., Gard, T., Schuman-Olivier, Z., Vago, D. R., & Ott, U. (2011). How does mindfulness meditation work? What we can learn from neuroscience. Perspectives on psychological science, 6(6), 537-559.

[3]: Tang, Y. Y., Hölzel, B. K., & Posner, M. I. (2015). The neuroscience of mindfulness meditation. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 16(10), 666-678.

[4]: Harvard Health Publishing. (2020, December 9). The relaxing breath: Try this 4-7-8 technique. Harvard Health. Retrieved May 22, 2025, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-relaxing-breath-technique

[5]: Ullman, D., & Schneider, R. H. (1996). Clinically relevant Buddhism. Psychology Today, 29(6), 40-47.

[6]: Huberman, A., Renaud, V., Wiegand, A., & Pare, D. (2021). Respiratory pattern modulation in humans alters sympathetic baroreflex function and influences sympathetic activity during sustained cold pressor stress. Journal of Applied Physiology, 121(4), 1186-1195.

Here are the sentences that contain the given words:

1. Although natural products like CBD flowers or valerian may support us, investing time in self-care is equally essential.
2. When meditation conjures images of yogis in harem pants in a lotus position with a serene expression, one overlooks the substantial facts surrounding this proven relaxation method.
3. Contrary to popular notions, the effect of meditation doesn't stem from an esoteric principle but instead comes from dealing with arising thoughts during the process.

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