Relaxation

Coping with Stress

Distraction techniques

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Relaxation
Why is Relaxation Helpful?
When we are stressed the muscles in our bodies tense up and this muscular tension causes uncomfortable bodily feelings such as headaches, back ache, tight chests and muscle spasms.
These aches and pains of tension can cause mental worry, making us even more anxious. If we can learn to turn on the bodily symptoms of relaxation we can therefore turn off the feelings of tension and anxiety – they are two sides of the same coin, you can’t experience feelings of tension and anxiety when feeling relaxed.
The ability to relax is not something that comes naturally it is something which has to be learnt.

General Guidelines for Muscle Relaxation Exercises
• Try to decide in advance when you are going to practice; you can better develop a routine, which you can stick to – make time for yourself.
• Choose somewhere quiet to exercise.
• Do not attempt the exercises if you are hungry or have just eaten or if the room is too hot or too cold.
• Try to adopt a passive attitude – don’t worry about your performance, just let go and let it happen.
• Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, this is a simple exercise to help you get your breathing right. If you imagine that you are holding an accordion between your hands and you squeeze the accordion inwards as you breathe in and pull it out as you breathe out.

Relaxation Exercises
Make sure you are sitting or lying down in a comfortable position. Relax yourself to the best of your ability, closing your eyes and imagining a special time or place may help, as may some lavender oil or some incense and low lighting.
Consider your various muscle groups one at a time. Aim to learn the difference between tight and relaxed. Try constantly to concentrate on the feelings in the muscle as it goes from tight to loose.

Hands and Arms
Clench your fists and tense your arms; feel the tightness in your hands and arms and then slowly relax them, see how far they will go but do not push them, do not hold on at all – let everything go floppy.
Shoulders
Hunch your shoulders, the gradually let them settle-down. You can lean against a wall (with your back flat against it) bring your elbows in to your waist, raise you lower arms up to waist height and then slowly move your arms out as you feel the pull in you back and shoulders bring your arms back in to the central position.
Forehead
Pull your eyebrows together then gradually let your forehead smooth out.
Eyes
Screw your eyes up tight, and then gradually smooth them out (leaving your eyes closed). Fell your eyeballs sink and your eyelids drop let get really heavy.
Jaw
Bite your teeth together, then gradually ease the pressure and let your jaw get heavy so it drops and your mouth is slightly open.
Back of Neck
Pull you chin into your chest, feel the tightness, hold then relax. Your head and neck should move back into its natural position.
Front of Neck
Pull your head back, fell the tightness and then relax letting your head fall forward to its natural position.
Tummy
Pull in your tummy muscles tight and then let go gradually, for women this can also been done with the pelvic floor and is a good way to relax menstrual cramps.
Thighs
Push your heels down hard against the floor feeling the tightness in your thighs and then gradually let go.
Calves
Point your toes upwards and then let everything go, repeat the exercise but point the toes to the floor and let go.

Total Body Relaxation
At the end of the full body relaxation work out you should have at least ten minutes blanket time. Cover yourself up to your chin with a blanket or a duvet and let everything go further and further and think about a relaxing scene, for example lying by the river on the grass under a warm sun and a blue sky, or sitting in a comfy chair by a log fire. When you feel ready slowly stretch out and you should feel much more relaxed and ready for your next task in hand.
This is also a good bed time routine if you have been revising late.

Cued Relaxation
Once you can recognise the difference between tension and relaxation you should be able to notice more quickly when your body is getting tense. When this happens this should be your cue to try any of the following techniques of cued relaxation:
1. Relax the particular area of your body if it feels tense using the exercise outline above. Think about the muscle relaxing.
2. Change your posture to a relaxed one when you notice yourself getting tense. Drop your shoulders down in a sideways widening direction.
3. Repeat a sound or word which you find relaxing for example the word “calm” or say to yourself “I am going to relax my body – it is feeling more heavier and more relaxed”.
4. Gaze at a fixed object in a room such as a picture or ornament that you particularly like).
5. Think of an image that you find particularly calming and soothing and imagine yourself there, for example lying on a deserted beach or floating on a feather mattress through clouds.
6. Breathe through your nose and become aware of your breathing. As you breathe out, focus on your mental device (step 5). Breathe easily, slowly and naturally.