Why do relaxation techniques help people reduce stress?
Your autonomic nervous system (ANS) is where stress begins and ends. That’s because one half of this system (the sympathetic nervous system) is designed to get you going and the other half (the parasympathetic nervous system) is designed to slow you down. Your sympathetic nervous system is what initiates the stress response. When you feel goose bumps, a pounding heart or a dry mouth, that’s your sympathetic nervous system going into full gear. But when you feel relaxed and tired at the end of the day, or after exercising vigorously that’s the parasympathetic nervous system doing its job. Relaxation techniques like deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation and meditation activate the parasympathetic nervous system and cause the body to feel relaxed.
