Stress Management

Types

For managing stress, experts at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota provide or teach:

• Mindfulness. A technique in which you stay focused, engaged and completely absorbed in the present moment.
• Meditation. A practice that calms and focuses the mind, tuning out distractions, sometimes involving repeating a word or phrase, or visualizing a peaceful place.
• Guided imagery (visualization). Picturing calming mental images of relaxing places and situations to cope with negative emotions, feelings or circumstances.
• Progressive muscle relaxation. Tensing and relaxing the muscle groups throughout your body to reduce muscle tension and calm anxious feelings.
• Deep breathing. Breathing from your diaphragm (muscle under the rib cage) to establish a pattern of slower, deeper and more efficient breathing.
• Counseling. Discussion of life and health-related stresses with a medical professional to develop coping skills that address feelings, illnesses and challenging situations.
• Massage therapy. Various techniques that involve pressing and rubbing the body's soft tissues — muscle, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments and skin — for comfort, healing and pain reduction.
• Acupuncture. Insertion of fine needles in the skin at key points in your body to boost your body's natural painkillers and increase blood circulation.
• Yoga. Various types of mind-body practices that combine a series of precise postures with controlled breathing to help relax your mind and increase strength and flexibility.