We all have some level of stress in our lives. There is major stress that comes from buying a new home, getting married or being promoted at work. Being stuck in traffic, dealing with financial or health issues, and interacting with family and friends can also raise our stress levels. Managing stress is important, as too much can contribute to many chronic health conditions. There are many techniques available to help you manage your stress. Two types of techniques are autogenic training and biofeedback. These two techniques can be used alone or together to help you lower your stress levels.
Autogenic Training
Autogenic training, or AT, is a form of self-hypnosis where you make suggestions to your mind and body to help bring about desired physiological changes. According to the British Autogenic Society, it is a self-help technique that can be beneficial in managing stress. AT can help you to feel more relaxed, and can supplement any medical treatments you are receiving. It was developed early in the twentieth century by Dr. Johannes Schultz who had training in psychiatry and neurology. In an AT session, you will silently make suggestions to yourself, such as, "my heart beat is slow and calm" or "my muscles are heavy and relaxed." This helps to slow the nervous system and allows your body to calm down.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback was first introduced in the 1960s. It is used in many situations to improve health and functioning. It is a non-invasive technique, where you are connected to a machine that helps you learn to make physiological changes such as tightening or relaxing muscles, reducing sweat gland activity, and influencing your breathing and heart rate. As you work to make these changes, the machine gives you feedback in the form of lights or sounds to help you learn how to control your body. It can be used in stress management settings to help you learn to consciously relax your muscles and slow your body down.
Significance
Both techniques can be used separately to help you manage your stress. Autogenic training can be practiced alone in a quiet room. As you practice the self suggestions that were given to you by your trainer, you can slow down the body and mind and reverse the effects of stress. Biofeedback can be used with simple deep breathing exercises or while doing daily activities. Physical therapists and other health care providers use biofeedback to help you learn to release muscular tension that is related to stress. You begin by learning where you hold tension in your body, and then you are shown techniques to release it. This helps you to respond differently in stressful situations so that you will not be affected by stress as you were before the training.
Function
When used together, autogenic training and biofeedback can be effective tools in lowering your stress levels. For example, when under stress, the activity of your sweat glands increases. You can use an AT suggestion such as "my palms are dry and I am feeling calm." Biofeedback can then measure your sweat gland activity. So while you are practicing your self-suggestions, the biofeedback machine can signal you when your sweat gland activity is slowing down and responding to your practice. The same process can be used for measuring your breathing rate, heart beat and muscular activity.
Considerations
If you decide to try biofeedback and autogenic training to help manage your stress, it is best to have some in-person lessons with a trained therapist who can design a program specifically for your situation and needs. Both techniques are practiced by physical therapists and psychologists both private settings and in hospitals.
