“Stress management – ​​no, no time for that!”

Many empirical sciences, such as yoga, Qigong, Ayurveda or TCM, have been sharing their methods for greater peace, serenity and mindfulness for thousands of years. They pass these techniques on from generation to generation for a reason: because it works.

My opinion agrees and at the same time many studies indicate that meditation and relaxation techniques can lead to, among other things, better well-being, reduction of stress and anxiety, more relaxation and an improvement in sleep quality. ((Bamber MD & Kraenzle Schneider J., 2016; John J. Miller & Ken Fletcher & Jon Kabat-Zinn, 1995; Tsai-Ling Chen, et al., 2020)

John Kabat-Zinn refers to “mindfulness”the Ability to consciously pay attention to the present moment without evaluating or judging itn”
(Kabat-Zinn, J., 1994).

How do we perceive the moment and what happens in the body? Sensory perception begins with the perception of stimuli such as light, sound, touch, smell or taste. These signals are perceived by receptors and transmitted as electrical impulses to the brain via the spinal cord. These signals are then processed and interpreted in the brain, which ultimately leads to a conscious perception or emotional state. If all sensitive stimuli were simply allowed to enter the cerebrum, the excessive amount of information would exceed our mental capacity to absorb it. So how are sensory stimuli filtered? The thalamus is our attention filter. More than 99% of all sensory perceptions are irrelevant and disruptive to the current situation. When threading a needle, we do not need to be aware of the angle at which the left ankle is relative to the shinbone. In contrast, touch sensations from the fingertips and spatial vision are now required. A main task of the thalamus (nucleus ventralis posterolateralis, VPL) is to separate important from unimportant sensory inputs. It filters out the currently required information from the abundance and blocks the rest from conscious processing. To put it bluntly, the thalamus is the center of the ability to concentrate.

We generally react to a stressor by activating two stress axes. The SAM axis (sympathetic–adrenal–medullary axis) reacts immediately after perception of the stimulus and the HPA axis (hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis) reacts somewhat delayed. The HPA axis is the hormonal response to the stressor by releasing the hormone cortisol, among other things. In contrast, the SAM axis triggers voluntary or involuntary controlled mechanisms.

In this article we take a closer look at the rapid stress response: the SAM axis.

The two areas of the nervous system, the voluntary (somatic) nervous system and the involuntary (autonomic) nervous system, play the central role here.

The voluntarily controlled nervous system consciously processes perceived signals and reacts by specifically controlling muscles – we move. So we have to consciously decide whether to do something or not when our brain sends out the signal “There’s a fly sitting on my arm and it tickles.” Depending on how strong the signal is, we react accordingly. When the hand touches the hot stove, we don’t have to think long about what to do.

The involuntary nervous system, in turn, ensures that we don’t have to worry about many things. Our body is constantly exposed to a changing environment, which forces our body to adapt. For example, when we are moving, the cardiovascular system regulates the body’s supply accordingly. If we are in the sun at 30° Celsius, the body begins to regulate temperature independently so as not to overheat. We don’t have to consciously decide to sweat.

The autonomic nervous system is a miracle when it comes to regulation. The body reacts to various stressors by activating the sympathetic nervous system.

Imagine the sympathetic nervous system like an accelerator pedal. It puts us on alert, increases our concentration and attention. As with almost all body mechanisms, we should not remain in one “mode” permanently. If we look back to early evolution, both parts of the autonomic nervous system were necessary for survival. The rapid activation of the sympathetic nervous system in the face of acute danger triggered the “fight or flight” reaction and our ancestors started moving without much thought. This was followed by a parasympathetic phase. This would be more of a brake and ensure relaxation and calm in order to obtain sufficient regeneration, “rest and digest” (Lüllmann et al., 2015).

Chronic stress means that a stressor is present permanently. The body thus experiences sustained activation of the stress axes and especially the HPA axis. The parasympathetic phase decreases. Nowadays the stressor no longer has the shape of a dangerous animal. However, stressors such as persistently poor sleep, an unpleasant boss, toxins, morning traffic jams, smoking, … set the identical mechanisms in motion in the body. And as we have already learned, these are acute and short-term physiological. At the same time, they lead to dissatisfaction and illness in the long term (Agorastos A., & Chrousos GP, 2022).

In this article I would like to explain autogenic training in more detail. Autogenic training, a relaxation technique developed by the German psychiatrist Johannes Heinrich Schultz, is based on the principle of self-hypnosis. By specifically directing attention and repeating certain formulas, physiological and psychological relaxation effects are achieved. Numerous studies have confirmed the effectiveness of this technique in reducing stress, anxiety and improving sleep, among other things.

Just a few examples of the effects of relaxation techniques on general well-being:

• Reduction of fears (Chen KW, et al., 2012; Gian Mauro Manzoni et al., 2008)

• Reduction of stress levels & decrease in the feeling of stress (Bamber MD & Kraenzle Schneider J., 2016)

• Increasing mental learning, memory and absorption capacity (Hölzel BK, et al., 2011)

• Improve sleep quality, fall asleep faster & reduce sleep disorders (Kanji N., & White AR, 2009)

• Lowering blood pressure (Herrmann JM., 2002, Watanabe Y et al., 1996)

Relaxation techniques such as autogenic training are recognized measures in medicine, psychotherapy and competitive sports. At the same time, relaxation techniques are a simple and effective tool to regenerate physical resources, reduce the feeling of stress and have a positive effect on well-being.

Then I have another exercise for you for everyday life that can be integrated at any time. For a deeper dive into the subject of relaxation techniques, I would recommend you Autogenic training course or that RE-BALANCE seminar recommend.

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