I always believed that one of the benefits of reaching a mature age was that you are better able to cope with stress. After all, many years of coping with life's many challenges help you learn to cope with, and solve issues that can be very stressful.

In a recent visit to a neurologist, I asked her why I was having some stress-related health issues at a time in life when coping with stress should be a breeze.

She smiled and said, “I hate to disappoint you, but as we get older we are less able to cope with stress. That's why the stressful issues you are dealing with in your personal life are causing these severe symptoms.”

So much for one of the benefits of growing older!

She then went on to recommend biofeedback as a way to release stress. She also mentioned that many people have found relief from stress through meditation.

Here's what I've found quite helpful.

Relaxation Response Meditation

Whenever you have just 10 minutes of free time, you can lower your level of anxiety, reduce stress and enjoy a much more relaxed state of mind. That is all the time that is needed for the Relaxation Response meditation technique to calm you down, and contribute to improved cardiovascular health.

Harvard physician and bestselling author Doctor Herbert Benson in the 1970's developed the Relaxation Response method. It causes the exact opposite physical reaction to your natural "fight or flight" response.

When your mind perceives some type of stress or threat, you receive an adrenaline rush, your blood pressure, pulse and breathing rate increase rapidly, as does blood flow to your muscles.

The Relaxation Response meditation method helps to reduce stress by slowing down your breathing, blood pressure, metabolism and pulse rate.

How To Implement

You sit quietly with your eyes closed in a quiet environment for 10 to 20 minutes. Visualize your muscles relaxing, beginning at your feet and moving up through the top of your head. You silently repeat a word or phrase, or have a particular sound repeated, that triggers a relaxing response in your body.

Train Your Mind

By continually training your mind to deliver this sense of calm and peacefulness when a particular word is repeated, you can easily access this stress-relieving tactic anytime and anywhere. Develop a phrase or word which has special meaning to you, or one that sounds relaxing, such as "peace" or "restful".

Why It Works

This works because your brain switches conscious efforts to unconscious habit after several repetitions. Your mind is an amazing machine, and when it notices a certain behavior accompanied by a particular response happening on a regular basis, it does not spend any time thinking about possibly delivering a different response. It automatically and unconsciously does what it has been taught to do.

Be Patient

When you are first training yourself to benefit from meditation and the Relaxation Response, you must realize that this takes time. It takes multiple repetitions before this becomes an automatic behavior. You should also wait at least 2 hours after eating a meal before trying this process, as your digestive system can interfere with your success.

Find A Quiet Place

Do not set a loud timer, or an alarm. The harsh sound could undo all of the stress-relieving, anxiety-cleansing benefits you are enjoying. It is OK to open your eyes and check a clock to see how long you have been meditating.

Bottom Line

You should practice twice a day for 3 to 4 weeks until you find it increasingly easier to drain the stress and anxiety out of your hectic lifestyle. Eventually, you will have acquired a potent tool for stress free living.