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Relaxation
What is relaxation?
Relaxation helps to calm anxiety and aids your body and mind in recovering from the every day stresses of life. It is a learned technique that can be used to reduce worry and help you gain control. However, many people find relaxation a difficult task.
There are various forms of relaxing, and people generally find a way that is best for them. Some people try to relax using immobile relaxation (meditation); whereas other people find it relaxing to engage in a particular hobby. We will first look at the ‘meditation’ method and then look at some physical activities that promote relaxation. Try these and find out what works best for you.
How can I relax?
There are two different types of relaxation: immobile relaxation and physical relaxation.
Immobile relaxation methods
These relaxation techniques are generally performed while sitting or lying in a quiet environment; they involve concentrating on your breathing and imagining a peaceful place. This activity is also known as a form of meditation. Meditation is a mental discipline in which one attempts to get beyond the ‘thinking mind’, and into a deeper state of relaxation or awareness. It is recognized as a component of most religions, but many people practice it outside faith traditions. It can be useful in gaining greater focus, achieving a more relaxed frame of mind or to help find peace within oneself. A rough guide to relaxing follows:
- Choose a quiet place where you won't be interrupted.
- Stretch a little and try to relax your body.
- Make yourself comfortable, either sitting or lying down.
- Start to breathe slowly and deeply, in a calm and effortless way.
- Concentrate on your breath, going in and out.
- Close your eyes. This reduces the amount of external stimulation that your mind has to process.
- With each exhale, relax, in turn, a different part of your body: your feet and legs; your hands and arms; your upper body; your head, neck and shoulders; your whole body. (Don’t try too hard to relax; simply let go of the tension in your muscles and allow them to become relaxed).
- Continue to allow yourself to switch off and start to picture your own paradise. Imagine the setting: What do you see? – A beautiful garden? A glistening ocean? A relaxing countryside scene? What do you feel and smell? - A light breeze? The scent of flowers? What do you hear? – Birds? Waves? Feel how relaxed your body is and enjoy the time here in your special place.
- Stay like this for about 15 to 20 minutes, then take some deep breaths and open your eyes. Stay sitting or lying for a few moments before you get up.
The breathing part – The key to enjoying a relaxation session is that the breathing is meant to be quite slow and completely effortless: no holding or straining your breath and try not to count – just discover the rhythm that is right for you.
- Breathe in deeply through your nose (count to 3).
- Hold the air for no more than one or two seconds.
- Breathe out through your nose -prolong the out-breath so that it is long and slow.
- Pause for a moment until it feels natural and easy to inhale once more.
Afterwards – After completing the relaxation exercise, notice how you feel and compare it to how you were feeling before you started. Does your mood feel calmer? Do you feel more at ease? Do you feel slightly sleepy? Does your body feel heavy? It may take several practice sessions to become aware of the effects of relaxation. At first, you may find it helpful to use a relaxation tape that will guide you through a series of steps. Keep trying – relaxation is a learned technique which improves and becomes easier with regular practice.
Physical relaxation methods
Movement-based relaxation methods incorporate light exercise to help a person relax. For example, you may find that some of these activities or hobbies relax you:
- Walking.
- Gardening.
- Yoga.
- Tai chi.
- Swimming.
- Fishing.
- Sewing.
- Painting.
- Taking photographs.
- Learning to play a musical instrument.
If any of these things appeal to you, then try them out. You may find that absorbing yourself in one of these activities helps keep your mind off stressors.
Mind v body: the importance of a relaxed body
Relaxation exercises can be divided into those for body and those for mind. Usually people who seek out relaxation exercises are people who want to relax their mind. However, even though a relaxed body may not prevent anxiety-inducing thoughts, it is a good basis for getting control of them. Most people will find it much easier to relax the body than the mind – so maybe relaxing the body is a good way to start.
How to relax your body
Some forms of bodywork are helpful in promoting a state of relaxation (e.g. massage, reflexology or acupuncture). Another technique is systematic muscle relaxation which is a method that uses the same steps as above, but has more emphasis on gradual muscle relaxation. The idea is that this will slow heart rate and lower blood pressure.
More tips for a relaxed life
- Make healthy food choices: sugar and caffeine cause the body’s energy to rise and fall. Try drinking more water and eating fruit instead of sweets.
- Along with healthy eating, try to exercise regularly. A twenty minute walk or cycle a day is a good way of staying healthy and reducing stress.
- Learn to prioritise – make a list of the important things that you have to do on a particular day and deal with them before they start to have a stressful impact.
- If it is the amount of work you have that is stressing you: start taking care of it now so that you can relax later.
More information
- The Edinburgh Psychology Centre can help you. Contact us on 0131-668-1440 to find out more or to arrange an initial session.
- Alternatively you may wish to speak to your GP who should be able to refer you to someone suitable.
- See our links at www.edinburghtherapy.co.uk/links.htm for details of organisations who may be able to provide assistance or information.
- Look into joining a relaxation, meditation or yoga class.
Click here for a pdf version of this relaxation information sheet.
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