Unlocking the Relaxation Response: Your Built-In Superpower Against Stress
Have you ever felt like stress hijacks your entire body—your mind races, your heart pounds, your muscles tense, and your breathing goes shallow?
That’s your sympathetic nervous system at work—aka your “fight or flight” mode. It’s designed to help you survive danger, but in our fast-paced lives, it doesn’t always know the difference from it’s primal caveman instincts of running from a tiger vs. an angry email from your boss. It can become overactive, triggered not just by real threats but by emails, deadlines, traffic, or even that passive-aggressive Slack message. 🙃
But here’s the good news: your body also has a built-in antidote. It’s called the relaxation response—a natural, deeply restorative state that brings balance back to your system.
Let’s break it down:
What Is the Relaxation Response?
Coined by Harvard physician and researcher Dr. Herbert Benson, the relaxation response is a physical state of deep rest that shifts your body out of stress and into calm.
Think of it as the “yin” to your stress response’s “yang.”
When activated, the relaxation response:
Lowers your heart rate
Slows your breathing
Reduces blood pressure
Relaxes your muscles
Enhances digestion and immune function
Brings clarity to your mind and emotional calm
It’s not magic. It’s biology.
Sympathetic vs. Parasympathetic: The Nervous System Showdown
You’ve got two main players in your autonomic nervous system:
Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) = Fight, Flight, Freeze
Activated by stress, danger, or even just a sense of urgency
Shuts down non-essential systems (like digestion, reproduction, and repair) so you can run or fight
Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) = Rest & Digest
Activated by calm, safety, and stillness
Allows the body to heal, restore, and regenerate
Your goal? Learn how to consciously shift from your SNS to your PNS—on demand.
That’s where the relaxation response comes in.
How to Activate the Relaxation Response
You don’t need a meditation retreat in Bali or a week off work. You can shift into this restorative state with simple, accessible practices that tell your body: “Hey, it’s safe to relax now.”
Here are a few proven methods:
Deep, rhythmic breathing (especially diaphragmatic breathing)
Meditation and mindfulness
Restorative yoga
Progressive muscle relaxation
Guided imagery or visualization
Nature walks
Evening rituals (like candlelight, soft music, herbal tea, warm bath)
The key is consistency and creating the right conditions—stillness, safety, and slowness.
Why This Matters in a Stress-Addicted World
Chronic stress is a silent saboteur of your health, weight, energy, sleep, and mental clarity.
When you live in a near-constant state of “fight or flight,” your body:
Holds onto fat (especially belly fat)
Wrecks your sleep
Suppresses your immune system
Disrupts digestion and hormones
Keeps you stuck in a reactive, anxious mindset
By regularly activating your relaxation response, you teach your body to let go—to heal, to rebalance, and to stop seeing everything as a threat.
Final Thoughts: Your Calm Is Contagious
In a world that glorifies hustle, urgency, and always being “on,” choosing rest is revolutionary.
The relaxation response isn’t just a feel-good concept—it’s a powerful tool for emotional resilience, physical health, and long-term transformation. As a coach, parent, leader, or simply a human navigating modern life, learning to tap into this built-in system can change your entire approach to stress.
Because when you relax, you don’t just heal yourself.
You give permission to everyone around you to do the same.
Practice This:
Sit back. Close your eyes. Inhale for 4 counts. Hold for 4. Exhale for 6. Repeat for 90 seconds. An emotion or feeling usually dissipates in that amount of time.
Congrats—you just activated your parasympathetic nervous system.
