Host: What do stress management techniques do and what is the relaxation response? Dava Money: Stress management techniques for the most for the most part, help us develop a relaxation response. The relaxation response is something that is an opposite of the fight/flight syndrome. So what we are doing when we develop the relaxation response is we are lowering our heart rate. We are increasing the depth of the our breath, we are lowering our blood pressure and therefore, in a calmer state.