Three Highly Effective Relaxation Techniques

Here are three relaxation techniques to help you manage your stress.

1. Find your safe place

This exercise is about using your imagination to help you relax. You may find that your imagination is much more powerful than you previously thought.

• Sit in a comfortable position with your eyes closed.  Take a few deep breaths, focusing on your breath going in and out slowly.
• Think of a place that makes you feel comfortable, safe and relaxed.

Some possibilities could be a beautiful place in nature, your childhood home, or even your favourite armchair. It can be real or imaginary. You can use anywhere that feels safe and is meaningful and relaxing for you.

• Imagine the place you’ve chosen in as much detail as possible. Use every one of your senses. What does this place look like? Smell like? What can you hear? Is there anything around you that you can taste?
• Explore your environment. Reach out and feel the things around you. Take a walk around. Spend a few minutes noticing as many details as you can about your safe environment.
• Imagine sitting or lying down somewhere in your safe place. Enjoy the feeling of safety and comfort you can feel here.
• When you’re feeling more relaxed, slowly start to bring your awareness back to the present. Take time to refocus your senses on what’s happening around you. Wiggle your fingers and toes. When you’re ready, open your eyes.

The more frequently you practice going to your “safe place”, the easier it will be to imagine it and feel relaxed when stressful events occur in your day-to-day life.

2. Deep Breathing

We all breathe, but often not very effectively. Focusing on improving the quality of our breathing is a simple way to reduce stress and can be done anywhere, anytime.

A simple, short breathing exercise:

• Sit in a comfortable position with your eyes closed. Feel your feet making contact with the floor.
• Place your hand on your lower belly, just below your navel.
• Take a long, deep breath in, feeling your hand lifting as you inhale.
• Let your breath out slowly, feeling your hand fall as you exhale.
• Continue this process of taking slow, even, deep breaths. Focus on the rising and falling of your belly and your hand.

You can keep doing this for a few breaths or a few minutes – whatever feels right for you.

3. Progressive Muscle Relaxation

You can go at your own pace with this exercise, keeping it as short or as long as you’d like.

• Find a comfortable place to lie on your back. A yoga mat or a soft, carpeted floor works well for most people. Dim the lights. Make sure you’re warm enough. You can use a blanket if you want.
• Close your eyes.
• Breathe slowly and deeply, paying attention to your breath.
• Focus your attention on your toes. Clench the muscles in your toes for a few seconds, then let them relax fully. Move up your body doing the same thing, one muscle group at a time. Slowly work your way up from your toes to your head, paying attention to one area at a time. Slowly tense and relax your feet; ankles; calves; thighs; buttocks; abdominal muscles; fingers; arms; shoulders; neck; and face.
• Take as little or as much time as you’d like. You can focus on even smaller areas if you want, such as doing one toe at a time. You can also choose how long you want to tense and relax each muscle group. Whatever interval you choose, try to keep it even throughout your body.
• When you’ve worked through your whole body, return to focusing on your breathing. Breathe deeply and fully.
• Slowly bring your awareness back to your surroundings. When you’re ready, open your eyes and gently stand up.

One of the above exercises may have worked especially well for you. Maybe all three were equally useful. It’s helpful to know what style of relaxation technique works for you, so you can turn to the most effective stress management exercises when you need them most.

Counselling can help you recognise the stressors in your life and reduce the negative effects of stress. If you live in Melbourne or the Greater Melbourne area and would like to undertake counselling please feel free to contact one of the team members at Paul the Counsellor.

0458 090 687
paulthecounsellor@gmail.com
253 Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC 3000

Tagged as: Stress