Quick and Easy Relaxation Techniques To Release Stress

By Elizabeth Beresford

 

 

Are you in need of some quick and easy relaxation techniques that you can use whenever you feel tension build up? Today's world can be very stressful because we have to manage so many strands of life at once. Even when things are going well for us relaxation techniques can help us to keep on top of things, because life isn't easy. So here are some quick and easy techniques to help you to relax when you need to.

Breathing Relaxation Technique

Take a deep breath right down into the bottom of your lungs and hold it for a couple of seconds. Now slowly, to the count of 3 breathe out saying in your mind "relax" and feel your body relaxing and releasing tension. Repeat this sequence four or five times.

When you are going about your normal business try to breath from your diaphragm, that's the bottom of your chest, instead of from the top. If you do this you will feel less stressed all the time.

Imaginary Holiday Break

Close your eyes and breath in and then out slowly as in the previous exercise. Now begin to imagine a place in which you feel calm and relaxed. It could be a beach, the countryside, on a luxury cruise or any place you choose, either real or imaginary.

Simply relax into the scene so that you can feel, hear and even smell the parts of the scene that you are imagining. Let yourself be immersed in it for a few minutes. Then take a deep breath in and then out as you come back to the present.

Office Yoga Relaxation Technique

This one is relaxing for the hands wrists and upper back so it is great for anyone who works at a computer all day.

Place your hands in a prayer pose and press the palms together hard for a moment or two. Then release and lower your hands and arms. Repeat this several times. You will feel the tension in your back being released.

Head and Shoulder Rolls

Bend your head onto your left and then your right shoulder several times. Then bend your head forward onto your chest and backward as far as you can. Repeat a few times. Now turn your head to the right and to the middle and then to the left as far as you can. Repeat each of these head turns two or three times.
Now shrug your shoulders up and hold for a count of five. Then relax down. Repeat a few more times.

Daily Meditation Relaxation Technique

This relaxation technique isn't as quick as the others but if you have 10 or 15 minutes to spare it will help you to cope with daily stress. Simply sit in a chair and close your eyes. Think about your breath going in through your nose down into your lungs resting there for a moment or two and then being released. As you do this your mind will wander but when you catch it just go back to thinking about your breath again.
This is a form of meditation and it should be practiced every day at least twice. If you do it regularly it will have deep healing effects and will be a way to improve your stressful life on a permanent basis.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

You can't really do this relaxation technique when you are at work but it is worth learning to do at home if you feel very tense. It is a useful one to use if you have trouble sleeping.

For this you simply tense and release each muscle group in turn starting with your feet and working up to the top of your head. As you hold each group very tightly and then release it notice the difference between how it felt before and how it feels now that it is completely relaxed.

This method aims to help you to learn the difference in your body between a relaxed and a tense muscle.

To learn more ways to relax including help with daily meditation visit: http://www.magneticsounds.com/relaxation-audio-download.html  or if you have trouble sleeping, you can find help at http://www.sleep-sound.com/

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