Stress is something that very few people are able to avoid throughout their life-times. There are many potentially stressful events that one encounters throughout his or her life such as the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, studying for an exam, and problems in relationships. Stress has been related to physical problems dealing with the body such as weakening the immune system causing the person to be more susceptible to illness. This along with the general feeling of anxiety accompanied by stress has caused an increase in techniques claiming to reduce stress. Behavior therapy is one such treatment that has been proven to reduce stress. Another treatment plan very similar to behavior therapy is cognitive-behavioral therapy. Both have been proven to reduce stress and therefore its effects on the body. The question is whether or not cognitive-behavioral therapy has a more significant impact on stress reduction than behavior therapy.
Changes in lifestyles and behavior patterns can strongly decrease the amount of stress in one's life. Stress management and relaxation techniques are a part of behavior therapy in reducing stress. Deep breathing exercises, visualization, meditation and other relaxation techniques can all be used to combat stress and relax tense muscles. Through behavior therapy, the individual can alter breathing patterns to calm the person and help them to deal with the stressful event.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy differs from behavior therapy in that it deals with the individual's cognitive appraisal of the stressful situation. Cognitive-behavioral therapy attempts to restructure irrational thoughts, promote better appraisals and coping styles when dealing with stress, and using resources more effectively. It also incorporates the behavior therapy in using relaxation training (Cruess et al., 2000). .
A study performed by Paola Monnazzi et al. looked at the breathing techniques used in yoga and its effects on salivary corisol, heart rate and blood pressure after a step-climbing exercise.