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Relaxation Techniques

Beat stress with our helpful relaxation hints and tips

There's no doubt about it, modern life is stressful and 2009 looks set to be a tough time for all, what with the worry of the world recession, redundancy and the credit crunch. Sometimes it takes a huge effort to let go, calm down and allow yourself to relax. So we've put together some tips and techniques to help you.

Change Your Scenery

It sounds counter-productive but sometimes when you're feeling overwhelmed with too much to do, you can get more done by just stopping for a while. Try taking a break and get away from everything. If at all possible get well away from the place where you're suffering the stress. Escape the problem for a little while, returning when you've calmed down. Leaving your desk at work to make tea, or get water, is often enough.

Getting outside can be very helpful. Fresh air and quiet help your mind stop focusing on how awful everything is. A brisk walk can help to burn off some of the physical energy that has been building up and, if you've been using a computer all day, looking out at distant objects gives your eyes a chance to relax.

If you can't get outside, there are other ways to change your scenery. Switching on the TV or radio can provide a much-needed distraction. The main thing is to let your mind 'relax' and shift the immediate problems as far away from your conscious mind as possible for a time.

Meditation

Meditation is a classic relaxation technique. It's relatively simple, can be extremely effective and is very useful for calming, which is particularly good when dealing with exams, stressful working environments and so forth. Try sitting quietly in silence and concentrate on your breathing. Try to think of nothing. Spend some time like this, and after a while you'll feel relaxed. Why not get a     book or cd to learn more about meditation?

Black and Blue

A simple tip that works well is to visualise that you're breathing in blue, calming air and exhaling black, angry air. Imagine the anger draining out of you with every breath, gradually reducing the intensity of the black so that it and your stress fades.

Imagery

The idea behind the use of imagery is that you use your imagination to recreate and enjoy a situation that is very relaxing. The more intensely you imagine the situation, the more relaxing the experience will be. One common use of relaxation imagery is to imagine a scene, place or event that you remember as safe, peaceful, restful, beautiful and happy. You can bring all your senses into the image with, for example, sounds of running water and birds, the smell of cut grass, the taste of cool white wine, the warmth of the sun, and so on. Scenes can involve complex images such as lying on a beach in a deserted cove. You may “see” cliffs, sea and sand around you, “hear” the waves crashing against rocks, “smell” the salt in the air, and “feel” the warmth of the sun and a gentle breeze on your body. Other images might include looking at a mountain view, swimming in a tropical pool, or whatever you want.