Learning how to relax can have a major impact on your stress levels. Below you will find two common techniques for short term and long term relaxation.
Short Term Stress Relaxtation technique
- Loosen any tight clothing and sit in a comfortable position with a straight back.
- Tighten the muscles of your feet. Hold and slowly count to 10. Relax the muscles and enjoy the sensation of release from tension.
- Moving slowly up through your body- legs, abdomen, back, neck, face - contract and relax your muscles in the same manner.
Long Term Stress Relaxation Technique
- Find a comfortable position. Gently tighten your right fist so that you feel only the smallest amount of tension. Hold it at this level for about 30 seconds. Now let go and relax… Notice the difference in feelings between the right and left arm and fist.
- Now gently tighten your left fist. Hold at this level so that you just feel the tension… Let go and relax. Let the relaxation spread through the arms and the rest of the body.
- Tighten each part of the body only to the point at which you can observe tension, where you become conscious of or can "feel" the tension. Hold the tension at that level, and make sure only the intended muscle is tensed while the rest of the body stays quiet and relaxed. Breathe deeply in a relaxed way. Each time you let go, let those parts relax further and further. Tighten ever so slightly your scalp… let go and relax… Let the face become smooth and soft… Let the eyes sink into their sockets… Now slightly tighten the throat and neck. Hold it… Let go and relax
- While continuing to breathe deeply, gently tighten the triceps. Be sure the neck, eyes and tongue are relaxed… Let go of all tense thoughts
- Raise your shoulders up towards your ears. Ensure the neck stays loose. Observe how the shoulders feel different from the rest of the body…. Let go and relax. Feel the relaxation sinking through the body… Gently tighten the stomach. Keep up the deep breathing… Let go and relax. Minimally tighten the buttocks… Let go and relax. Minimally tighten the feet, calves and thighs… Let go and relax. Let yourself reach the calmness and serenity of deep relaxation.
- Now, minimally tense every muscle in your body so that you just feel the minimum tension… jaws…. eyes…. shoulders…. arms…. chest…. back…. legs….stomach…. Keep breathing deeply. Let the whole body relax. Feel a wave of calmness as you stop tensing.
- Now, eyes closed , take a deep breath and hold it for 5 seconds. Note all the minimum tensions…. Exhale slowly and feel the relaxation and calmness developing.. Note a feeling of heaviness.
Other Forms of Relaxation
Other common stress relaxation techniques include imagery, meditation and hypnosis. Imagery is about mentally creating a situation that is very relaxing. The more you are able to ‘picture’ the situation the more relaxing the exercise is. By picturing a scene that is safe, peaceful and restful you can enter a haven that is free from noise, stress and pressure. For example, try the sound of running water, the taste of your favourite drink or the warmth of the sun as you relax without a care in the World. You could picture the countryside, the seaside or whatever you feel comfortable with.
Research has shown that both meditation and hypnosis are two great techniques for relaxation.
Some key research on meditation was carried out by Dr. Herbert Benson and published in his book “The relaxation Response” published in 1968. His research proved that the direct effects of meditation included a slower heartbeat and breathing, reduced oxygen consumption and increased skin resistance.
Self-hypnosis is considered more practical as a stress relaxation technique than normal hypnosis, simply because you don’t need to have a hypnotist present. This is particularly relevant when trying to manage stress in the workplace
A typical self-hypnosis session lasts 15 to 20 minutes and is achieved as follows …
- Find somewhere comfortable and quiet, and sit down with back straight back
- Close your eyes and imagine waves of relaxation running down your body from your scalp downwards, washing away stress and pressure. Let the waves run in time with your breathing, first washing down over your head, then your neck, then your torso, then arms, and finally your legs. Feel the muscles in your body relaxing as the waves of relaxation wash over them.
- The next step is to use suggestion to deepen the state of relaxation. This can be as simple as saying something like: “I am feeling relaxed and comfortable to yourself. With every breath I am becoming more relaxed and more comfortable…" Alternatively, use the traditional approach of suggesting sleepiness: "I am tired and sleepy. I can feel the heaviness in my arms and legs. I am more and more tired…"
An alternative to using self-hypnosis is to listen to special relaxation mp3s or binaural beats - the benefit of these is that you can listen to them and relax when you are too tired to want to go through the stress relaxation techniques listed above.
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Posted under Relaxation Techniques
This post was written by admin on December 21, 2008
Thanks for all the great tips. I will definitely be back to get some more great information.