Relaxation technique #1: Deep breathing

With its focus on full, cleansing breaths, deep breathing is a simple yet powerful
relaxation technique. It’s easy to learn, can be practiced almost anywhere, and
provides a quick way to get your stress levels in check. Deep breathing is the
cornerstone of many other relaxation practices, too, and can be combined with
other relaxing elements such as aromatherapy and music. While apps and audio
downloads can guide you through the process, all you really need is a few
minutes and a place to sit quietly or stretch out.

How to practice deep breathing

 Sit comfortably with your back straight. Put one hand on your chest and
the other on your stomach.

 Breathe in through your nose. The hand on your stomach should rise.
The hand on your chest should move very little.

 Exhale through your mouth, pushing out as much air as you can while
contracting your abdominal muscles. The hand on your stomach should
move in as you exhale, but your other hand should move very little.

 Continue to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Try to inhale enough so that your lower abdomen rises and falls. Count
slowly as you exhale.

If you find it difficult breathing from your abdomen while sitting up, try lying
down. Put a small book on your stomach, and breathe so that the book rises as
you inhale and falls as you exhale.

Why breathe from your belly?

Belly breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, which runs from the head down the
neck, through the chest, and to the colon. This activates your relaxation
response, reducing your heart rate and blood pressure and lowering stress
levels.
Source: Harvard Men’s Health Watch, May 2019

Listen to HelpGuide’s deep breathing meditation.

#2: Progressive muscle relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation is a two-step process in which you systematically
tense and relax different muscle groups in the body. With regular practice, it
gives you an intimate familiarity with what tension—as well as complete
relaxation—feels like in different parts of your body. This can help you react to
the first signs of the muscular tension that accompanies stress. And as your body
relaxes, so will your mind.

Progressive muscle relaxation can be combined with deep breathing for

additional stress relief.

Practicing progressive muscle relaxation

Consult with your doctor first if you have a history of muscle spasms, back
problems, or other serious injuries that may be aggravated by tensing muscles.

Start at your feet and work your way up to your face, trying to only tense those
muscles intended.

 Loosen clothing, take off your shoes, and get comfortable.

 Take a few minutes to breathe in and out in slow, deep breaths.

 When you’re ready, shift your attention to your right foot. Take a moment
to focus on the way it feels.

 Slowly tense the muscles in your right foot, squeezing as tightly as you
can. Hold for a count of 10.

 Relax your foot. Focus on the tension flowing away and how your foot
feels as it becomes limp and loose.

 Stay in this relaxed state for a moment, breathing deeply and slowly.

 Shift your attention to your left foot. Follow the same sequence of
muscle tension and release.

 Move slowly up through your body, contracting and relaxing the different
muscle groups.

 It may take some practice at first, but try not to tense muscles other than
those intended.

Listen to HelpGuide’s progressive muscle relaxation meditation.

#3: Body scan meditation
This is a type of meditation that that focuses your attention on various parts of
your body. Like progressive muscle relaxation, you start with your feet and work
your way up. But instead of tensing and relaxing muscles, you simply focus on
the way each part of your body feels, without labeling the sensations as either
“good” or “bad”.

 Lie on your back, legs uncrossed, arms relaxed at your sides, eyes open
or closed. Focus on your breathing for about two minutes until you start
to feel relaxed.

 Turn your focus to the toes of your right foot. Notice any sensations you
feel while continuing to also focus on your breathing. Imagine each deep
breath flowing to your toes. Remain focused on this area for three to five
seconds (or more).

 Move your focus to the sole of your right foot. Tune in to any sensations
you feel in that part of your body and imagine each breath flowing from
the sole of your foot. After one or two minutes, move your focus to your
right ankle and repeat. Move to your calf, knee, thigh, hip, and then
repeat the sequence for your left leg. From there, move up the torso,
through the lower back and abdomen, the upper back and chest, and the
shoulders. Pay close attention to any area of the body that causes you
pain or discomfort.

 After completing the body scan, relax for a while in silence and stillness,
noting how your body feels. Then slowly open your eyes and stretch, if
necessary.

Listen to HelpGuide’s body scan meditation.

#4: Visualization
Visualization, or guided imagery, is a variation on traditional meditation that
involves imagining a scene in which you feel at peace, free to let go of all tension
and anxiety. Choose whatever setting is most calming to you, whether it’s a
tropical beach, a favorite childhood spot, or a quiet wooded glen.

You can practice visualization on your own or with an app or audio download to
guide you through the imagery. You can also choose to do your visualization in
silence or use listening aids, such as soothing music or a sound machine or a
recording that matches your chosen setting: the sound of ocean waves if you’ve
chosen a beach, for example.

Practicing visualization

Close your eyes and imagine your restful place. Picture it as vividly as you can:
everything you see, hear, smell, taste, and feel. Just “looking” at it in your mind’s
eye like you would a photograph is not enough. Visualization works best if you
incorporate as many sensory details as possible. For example, if you are thinking
about a dock on a quiet lake:

 See the sun setting over the water

 Hear the birds singing

 Smell the pine trees

 Feel the cool water on your bare feet

 Taste the fresh, clean air

Enjoy the feeling of your worries drifting away as you slowly explore your restful
place. When you are ready, gently open your eyes and come back to the
present. Don’t worry if you sometimes zone out or lose track of where you are
during a visualization session. This is normal. You may also experience feelings
of heaviness in your limbs, muscle twitches, or yawning. Again, these are normal
responses.

Listen to HelpGuide’s guided imagery meditation.

#5: Self-massage
You’re probably already aware how much a professional massage at a spa or
health club can help reduce stress, relieve pain, and ease muscle tension. What
you may not be aware of is that you can experience some of the same benefits at
home or work by practicing self-massage, or trading massages with a loved one.

Try taking a few minutes to massage yourself at your desk between tasks, on the
couch at the end of a hectic day, or in bed to help you unwind before sleep. To
enhance relaxation, you can use aromatic oil, scented lotion, or combine self-
message with mindfulness or deep breathing techniques.

A five-minute self-massage to relieve stress

A combination of strokes works well to relieve muscle tension. Try gentle chops
with the edge of your hands or tapping with fingers or cupped palms. Put fingertip
pressure on muscle knots. Knead across muscles, and try long, light, gliding
strokes. You can apply these strokes to any part of the body that falls easily
within your reach. For a short session like this, try focusing on your neck and
head:

 Start by kneading the muscles at the back of your neck and shoulders.
Make a loose fist and drum swiftly up and down the sides and back of
your neck. Next, use your thumbs to work tiny circles around the base of
your skull. Slowly massage the rest of your scalp with your fingertips.
Then tap your fingers against your scalp, moving from the front to the
back and then over the sides.

 Now massage your face. Make a series of tiny circles with your thumbs
or fingertips. Pay particular attention to your temples, forehead, and jaw
muscles. Use your middle fingers to massage the bridge of your nose
and work outward over your eyebrows to your temples.

 Finally, close your eyes. Cup your hands loosely over your face and
inhale and exhale easily for a short while.

#6: Mindfulness meditation

Mindfulness has become extremely popular in recent years, garnering headlines
and endorsements from celebrities, business leaders, and psychologists alike.
So, what is mindfulness? Rather than worrying about the future or dwelling on
the past, mindfulness switches your focus to what’s happening right now,
enabling you to be fully engaged in the present moment.

Meditations that cultivate mindfulness have long been used to reduce stress,
anxiety, depression, and other negative emotions. Some of these practices bring
you into the present by focusing your attention on a single repetitive action, such
as your breathing or a few repeated words. Other forms of mindfulness
meditation encourage you to follow and then release internal thoughts or
sensations. Mindfulness can also be applied to activities such as walking,
exercising, or eating.

Using mindfulness to stay focused on the present might seem straightforward,

but it takes practice to reap all the benefits. When you first start practicing, you’ll
likely find that your focus keeps wandering back to your worries or regrets. But
don’t get disheartened. Each time you draw your focus back to the present,
you’re strengthening a new mental habit that can help you break free of fretting
about the past or stressing about the future. Using an app or audio download can
also help focus your attention, especially when you’re starting out.

A basic mindfulness meditation:

1. Find a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted or distracted.
2. Sit on a comfortable chair with your back straight.
3. Close your eyes and find a point of focus, such as your breathing—the
sensation of air flowing into your nostrils and out of your mouth or your
belly rising and falling—or a meaningful word that you repeat throughout
the meditation.
4. Don’t worry about distracting thoughts that go through your mind or
about how well you’re doing. If thoughts intrude your relaxation session,
don’t fight them, just gently turn your attention back to your point of
focus, without judgment.