Relaxation must be learned

Use free days for relaxation

01/12/2014

"Finally switch off!" If you have a few days off, most people long for rest and relaxation. But many find it difficult to let go and come to rest. Some have to learn to relax first.

We unlearn how letting go feels
Finally a few days off and time to escape the stress and relax. However, many people find it difficult to rest in their free time. Psychologist Silvia Huber says to the opposite „Salzburg News“: „We unlearn the perception of how letting go at all feels.“ The expert advises employees for the Occupational Health Service Salzburg (AMD) on how to cope with the growing challenges in the profession. Sleep helps to process the experience and calm the body.

Rest rooms offered only in a few establishments
Babies and toddlers find it easy to fall asleep when they are tired. Adults, on the other hand, often find it a problem to find relaxing sleep. „We adapt to structures in kindergarten, at school and later at work“, so Huber. Rest rooms and a retreat for employees are only offered by a few companies. „The tiredness is then easily compensated by coffee“ says the psychologist. A person is not aware of how tense they are in everyday life actually. „They run at a high limit and only notice on vacation how relaxation feels like.“

People too different for consistent recommendation
The expert says that people are too different to give a consistent recommendation on how stressed people can achieve that sense of calm and balance. Some help a good book to rest, others a meeting with friends or a thought trip on CD. For those who properly exhaust themselves by jogging to switch off, Huber recommends being well-trained: „You should not tip over overburdened.“ In addition, running is certainly not the right way, if it also the pressure to perform is noticeable. Also television does not contribute to the peace, because: „There are always pictures that you take.“ This is not relaxing because the brain has to process the images.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation
It is much better to consciously engage in rest, such as progressive muscle relaxation, autogenic training or biofeedback. Progressive training is a relaxation procedure in which the patient, one after another, consciously tightens various muscle groups and then releases the tension again. This is to achieve a relaxation of the whole body. „Every muscle group in the body goes through, from face to arms, stomach and legs“, so Huber. However, inexperienced people would first have to learn how to perceive the good feeling.

Autogenic training
In autogenic training, the mind is more in demand. „It is said under professional guidance again and again sentences“, explains the psychologist. For example „My hand is heavy“ or „My foot is warm“. Heat and heaviness are associated with certain bodily functions, such as a slow heartbeat or higher blood circulation. Having a good imagination, this leads to recovery. Autogenic training is suitable for children, adolescents and adults, even into old age. This form of relaxation is used for anxiety, pain relief, concentration disorders, addiction treatment, stress and numerous physical illnesses such as irritable bowel, stomach ulcers, abdominal pain, menstrual cramps, diabetes, hormonal disorders, menopause and much more.

biofeedback
Psychologist Huber also offers biofeedback at AMD. This especially for technicians and people who like to see results. In this method, a clip is pressed to the finger, which measures, for example, the respiration, the muscles, the body temperature or the skin conductance. Also with this procedure music and a calm voice should lead to the relaxation. The patient can immediately see on the screen whether the inner silence really occurs: „You get an immediate feedback, you get to know each other better.“

Balance between tension and relaxation
But according to Huber, professional help is not always required: „We just have to think about what's good for us.“ Even if it is not easy in a performance society in which a person who does nothing is portrayed as a lazy person, it is important to strike a balance between relaxation and tension. It is therefore wrong to plan his free time as well as the profession. „On vacation you should not create a busy schedule.“ After all, you need time to learn relaxation. (Ad)

Picture: Nico LeHe