You learn to discard irrelevant stimuli and only attend to those that directly matter to what
you are doing.Finally, you learn to obtain feedback and adjust your technique accordingly. Indeed, for
any task, there is an optimal level of arousal at which effectiveness at that task
is maximized. If the person is unable to relax and recover, it can take a
very long time before performance returns to pre-collapse levels.Relaxation ResponseSo what does all this have
to do with "using relaxation to rev down and rev up?" It turns out that,
just as we have a fight/flight response, our bodies also have what Dr. The mental
and physical static is reduced or eliminated. The charge is $1270.23, and is overdue." Or
his boss might come in, screaming that he needed that report ten minutes ago. This
response is the product of millions of years of evolution. Heart rate and breathing would
increase, blood would be routed away from non-essential functions such as digestion and into his
muscles. Athletes performing at a very high level have reported having the same experience. (1984).
By imagining yourself working with appropriate focus and arousal, you help make that the reality
when you actually sit down to work.If you practice a sport or martial art, you
can imagine yourself performing different techniques. In short, like Great Granddaddy Og, Jefferson is preparing
to fight or run.It may seem a bit odd that Jefferson's response to a perceived
threat is essentially identical to Og's. Increased physiological arousal increases energy and concentration. Because his
body would need every bit of energy it could find in order to survive, blood
would be routed away from non-essential functions such as digestion, and into his muscles. That
means that no distractions enter your mind, and it means that all the processing power
of your brain is focused on the activity. Athletes' Use of Imagery in the Off-Season.
So what is going on here anyway?The Story of OgOnce upon a time, around 25,000
years ago, there lived a caveman named "Og." A Cro-magnum man, Og probably spent his
time hunting and trying not to be hunted. Emmaus, PA: Rodale PressStephen Balzac is the
president of 7 Steps Ahead (www.7stepsahead.com), a consulting firm based in Stow, MA. New York:
Berkley.Benson, H., Proctor, W. Initially, the relaxation response was seen as a way to turn
off the flight/fight response, reduce stress related illnesses, and promote healing. Some people lie down
to sleep and drop off instantly. (1975). Although it is not entirely clear exactly why
visualization works, it is clear that the body responds to your internal images just as
it does to externally generated images. As mentioned earlier, many people have found that writing
a paper at the last minute can produce excellent work. (2003). Or his computer might
crash just as he was about to hit the print button on that report.In response
to each of these situations, Jefferson's body would immediately start producing adrenaline. Once that happens,
focus decreases, concentration slips, and distractibility increases. As you enter a relaxation state, you will
tn requin typically experience feelings of warmth spreading throughout your body. This is an incredibly enjoyable state;
it is also a perfect description of practicing relaxation technique. In short, you are learning
to modulate your responses and arousal levels, instead of trying to figure it out on
the fly.Athletes who can invoke the relaxation response in a stressful, competitive situation are more
likely to enter a state of extremely high performance called the Zone. As a result,
Jefferson is unable to meet the threat in the traditional fashion, and his body continues
to act as though he is in danger.What Jefferson is experiencing is, of course, stress.
Performance will steadily degrade right up to the point where it abruptly collapses completely. New
York: HarperCollins.Benson, H., Proctor, W. Some people find writing a paper the night before it's
due to be a very effective way of focusing and psyching themselves up to work.
The 25,000 years between Og and Jefferson are a blink in evolutionary time. Others find
that they cannot shut down their brain. Sport Psychology, Concepts and Applications (5th Ed). Issue
16, pp 160-172.Garfield, C. (2002). Jefferson is not likely to run into any sabre-tooth tigers
in the course of his day. The Breakout Principle. (1990). With practice, the relaxation response
can be used to modulate arousal with a much finer level of control than the
flight/fight response on its own.Invoking the relaxation response requires two basic components:1.A mental device, such
a sound, word, phrase, or prayer, or fixing your eyes on an object or spot.
It is also a good idea for beginners to find a quiet location and comfortable
position when first learning to evoke the relaxation response. Beyond the Relaxation Response. Champaign, IL:
Human Kinetics.Ungerleider, S. (2002). Bashing in the head of one's boss is typically frowned upon,
as is running screaming from the office. By training yourself to focus on something that
is not inherently interesting, you are developing your ability to focus on anything you may
choose to.You are also learning to determine saliency: are outside noises and events important or
unimportant? With practice, the garbage truck picking up the trash shouldn't disturb you; a fire
alarm should. To begin with, you are practicing focus: learning to concentrate your mind on
one thing, until that one thing completely fills your mind. It is important to simply
acknowledge distractions as unimportant rather than investing energy in ignoring them or trying harder to
relax.With these two components, the relaxation response can be invoked. Although life has changed a
great deal since Og's day, how our bodies respond to threats has not.This reaction is
known as the "Fight or flight" response, and it helps us survive sudden dangers. Benson
and others, found that the relaxation response is key to a variety of other mental
skills, and can be used not just to reduce arousal, but to increase it as
well. Some people find the stress of a competition or exam to be exhilarating, while
others find it debilitating. Minimizing distractions makes learning any new skill much easier.In addition to
nike pas cher the stress relief benefits, practicing relaxation technique has some other benefits as well. If you
pretend that you're watching a movie, then you are, in essence, viewing many, many more
frames per second than you would normally, creating the illusion of time slowing down.All this
from learning to relax!Remember, invoking the relaxation response is a straight-forward process. Over time, you
may notice other sensations as well, providing additional feedback. Upon recognizing the danger he was
in, Og would have immediately started producing adrenaline. If your relaxation technique enables you to
enter a flow state, not only will you enjoy the experience more, but you'll be
more likely to attain a flow state in other activities, further increasing your enjoyment of
those activities as well.Slow TimeMany people have experienced the sensation of time seeming to slow
down in a crisis situation, such as a losing control of a car on an
icy road. In the course of a busy day on the job, Og might have
run into a sabre-toothed tiger. Imagine the different distractions that can occur and decide ahead
of time which are important and which ones just slide by you. By learning to
pay attention to those feelings, you can track how successful you are being and adjust
your technique as necessary. This creates a very powerful foundation for practicing visualization. Or he
may be cut off in traffic while rushing to a meeting. Heart rate and breathing
would increase, so that he could take in more oxygen and pump it out to
the muscles. Stick with it, and you will find the benefits worth the time invested.References:Benson,
H. The Relaxation Response. However, he might be told by the phone company that, "I'm
sorry, sir, but our records show that you did call Outer Mongolia and speak for
16 hours. It puts the body into overdrive, shifting control from the parasympathetic nervous system
to the sympathetic nervous system. Of course, the more stress you are under, the harder
it can be. Relaxation plus visualization allows you even finer control over arousal because it
enables you to imagine specific situations and scenarios: if you're a runner, rather than wonder
how you'll respond if someone passes you, imagine the scenario and create the response you
want to have. New York: Harper Collins.Cumming, J., Hall, C. In the latter case, Jefferson
could end up experiencing anything from indigestion and distractibility to more serious problems such as
reduced attentional capacity, high blood-pressure, and heart disease.ArousalThere is no question that stress revs the
body up to meet challenges. While sitting quietly in a chair is one of the
easiest and most common ways of invoking the relaxation response, it can be invoked while
standing, running, swimming, performing chi gong, etc. Give Og a shave, a haircut, and a
good suit and he could be anyone, from janitor to CEO to president of the
country. Mental Training for Peak Performance. In Pursuit of Excellence: How to Win in Sport
and Life Through Mental Training (3rd Edition). In each case, the same thing is happening.
Imagery Use in Sports: A Literature Review and Applied Model. New York: WarnerMartin, K., Moritz
S., Hall, C. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi describes flow as a state in which the activity you
are performing completely fills your mind, where you have clear goals, and where you are
constantly obtaining feedback as to how well you are doing. Deep breathing, in which you
focus on each breath, is a common technique.2.A passive attitude, in which you don't worry
about how well you're doing and in which you gently dismiss distracting thoughts. (1984) Peak
Performance. A consequence of flow is that all your concentration is focused completely on the
task at hand. The relaxation response is almost the exact opposite of the fight/flight response:
blood pressure and respiration drop, muscles relax, and instead of preparing to fight or run,
the body enters a restful state. They keep thinking about different things, unable to relax
and go to sleep. New York: Scribner.Cox, R. Athletes in the Zone perform better and
use less energy than athletes not in the Zone.FlowAnother consequence of practicing relaxation technique is
that it helps you develop the skill to increase your enjoyment of other activities. The
Sport Psychologist. (1999). The Sport Psychologist, Issue 13, pp 245-268.Orlick, T. Need to write a
paper? Imagine sitting down in front of your computer, pulling up your word processor, and
writing. However, too much stress can also cause arousal to overshoot, going past that optimal
point. & Bennet H. Like any skill, regular practice is essential. Rehearse it over and
over until it feels natural. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Herbert Benson dubbed the
relaxation response. New York: McGraw-Hill.Csikszentmihalyi, M. Og's great, great, great, etc, grandson, Jefferson Herringbone-Smythe IV,
is sitting in an office. (2000). Some martial artists claim that it's possible to slow
time. They may even become addicted to doing it that way.Initially, as arousal increases, performance
also increases, as energy goes up and the ability to pay attention improves. When the
body is constantly on high alert, blood pressure and heart rate remain elevated, digestion is
hampered, and healing and the immune system are suppressed. Thus, you gain better knowledge of
your body and your own reactions, allowing you to more finely modulate your arousal.VisualizationOne of
the benefits of practicing relaxation techniques while remaining motionless is that both body and mind
become quiet. You can rehearse individual moves or combinations, imagine assorted scenarios, and determine ahead
of time how you'll respond. This isn't generally a concern if the stress lasts for
a few minutes or hours, but it becomes problematic when it lasts for days at
a time, or longer. (1996). Unfortunately, while Og gets to burn off his energy by
running or bashing on the tiger, Jefferson does not get that option. Subsequent research, by
Dr. The secret is regular practice. While stress is not inherently bad, how long it
lasts and how we respond to it can be. In short, Og would instantly prepare
to fight or run.Fast forward 25,000 years to today. He can be contacted at 978-298-5189
or steve@7stepsahead.com..
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