Relaxation isn't just about peace of mind or enjoying a hobby. Relaxation is a process that decreases the wear and tear on your mind and body from the challenges and hassles of daily life.
Whether your stress is spiraling out of control or you've already got it tamed, you can benefit from learning relaxation techniques. Learning basic relaxation techniques is easy, often free or low cost, and poses little risk.
Explore these simple relaxation techniques to get you started on de-stressing your life and improving your health.
The right environment
- Warm, comfortable
- Well ventilated
- Subdued lighting
- Quiet, uninterrupted, private
- Reclining seating or bed; good support for neck, back and legs
Let go of physical tension
- Recline with body completely supported
- Close eyes to remove visual stimulus
- Relax muscles; slowly all together, or one area of the body at a time
- Breathe a little deeper and slower, let the whole body relax as each breath is slowly released
Set the right frame of mind
- Exclude distractions
- Relax physically, especially neck and shoulders, loosen tight clothing
- Switch off thoughts and worries; let mind go ‘blank’, drift, or visualise barrier to worries or replace them with a relaxing image or some music
- Allow enough time; ideally at least 20-30 minutes
Shut out disturbances
- Close the door, go to a quiet room, find a quiet place
- Draw the curtains or blinds
- Choose the quietest time
- Take the phone off the hook or put on the answer phone, switch off bleepers
- Put some background music on
Background music
- Low volume, low pitch, gentle, rhythmic
- Relaxation tapes
Relaxation exercises
Relaxation 1
- Stop
- Sigh
- Drop your shoulders
- Take two or three deeper, slower breaths out
- Carry on more calmly and, if possible, a little more slowly
- Think “I am breathing in peace and blowing away tension”
Relaxation 2
- Stop
- Relax shoulders and keep mouth closed. Breathe in deeply, pushing your stomach out as you do so, and slowly count to eight
- Hold breath for the count of four
- Breathe out slowly to the count of eight
- Repeat the cycle five times
Relaxation 3
- Look straight ahead at the wall and through it
- Move eyes quickly up and down, right and left, circles - keep head still
- Close your eyes and breath slowly
Relaxation 4
- Close your eyes. Pinpoint in your mind what is annoying or stressing you.
- Say to yourself “Alert mind, calm body. I’m not going to let this get to me”.
- Smile to yourself. You can practise smiling to yourself without showing a smile on your face. In this way your smile will not be obvious to others around you.
- Breathe in to the count of three, while imaging that the air comes in through holes in your feet. Feel the sensation of warmth flowing throughout your body starting at your feet and ending at your head.
- Breathe out to the count of three. Visualise your breathe passing through your body from your head and out through the holes in your feet. Feel the warmth flow through your body. Let your muscles relax and let the jaw, tongue and shoulders go limp.
- Now open your eyes and resume your normal activity
Add comment
Comments