Stress

Videos

• TED Talk: How mindfulness changes the emotional life of our brains | Richard J. Davidson (2019)
  • Dr Davidson is the William James and Vilas Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry and Founder and Director of the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr Davidson is also the Founder of Healthy Minds Innovations, which translates science into tools to cultivate and measure well-being. In this eye-opening talk, Richard Davidson discusses how mindfulness can improve well-being and outlines strategies to boost four components of a healthy mind: awareness, connection, insight, and purpose.

Books

• When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress | Gabor Maté (2003)
  • Gabor Maté shows that emotion and psychological stress play a powerful role in the onset of chronic illness, including breast cancer, prostate cancer, multiple sclerosis and many others, even Alzheimer’s disease. When the Body Says No is an impressive contribution to research on the physiological connection between life’s stresses and emotions and the body systems governing nerves, immune apparatus and hormones. With great compassion and erudition, Gabor Maté demystifies medical science and invites us all to be our own health advocates.

Self-Help Guides

• Doing What Matters in Times of Stress: An Illustrated Guide | World Health Organization (WHO)
  • This is a stress management guide for coping with adversity and aims to equip people with practical skills to help cope with stress. A few minutes each day are enough to practice the self-help techniques. The guide can be used alone or with the accompanying audio exercises. It is informed by evidence and extensive field testing, the guide is for anyone who experiences stress, wherever they live and whatever their circumstances.
• Relaxation Techniques | Therapist Aid
  • An evidence-based article and guide by TherapistAid about relaxation techniques.

Research Articles

• Effectiveness of Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Deep Breathing, and Guided Imagery in Promoting Psychological and Physiological States of Relaxation | Loren Toussaint et al. (2021)
  • Research suggests that multiple forms of relaxation training (e.g., progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, breathing exercises, visualization, and autogenics) can help individuals reduce stress, enhance relaxation states, and improve overall well-being. We examined three different, commonly used approaches to stress relaxation—progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, and guided imagery—and evaluated them in a head-to-head comparison against each other and a control condition. This study showed that progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, and guided imagery all increased the state of relaxation.