Embodied Breathing mins. Cocoa Breathing mins. Wiggle to Wind Down mins. Keep up to date with CTRI Receive a free Trauma-Informed Care E-Manual! Sign me up to receive info on:.

Sign me up to receive info on: Required New Resources, Events, Books, and More. Upcoming Training. New Blogs. Relaxation techniques are often free or low cost and pose little risk.

And they can be done anywhere. Find simple ways to relax and get started on de-stressing your life and improving your health and overall well-being. When faced with everyday jobs and tasks or the demands of an illness, relaxation techniques may not be a main concern in your life.

But that means you might miss out on how relaxation can benefit your health. To get the most benefit, use relaxation techniques along with these other positive coping methods:. Complementary and integrative health specialists, mental health professionals and other healthcare professionals can teach many relaxation techniques.

But you also can learn some on your own. Relaxation techniques generally involve focus and awareness. You focus your attention on something that is calming and raise awareness of your body.

It doesn't matter which technique you use. What matters is that you find ways to relax to gain the benefits. Autogenic relaxation. Autogenic means something that comes from within you. In this relaxation activity, you use both visual imagery and body awareness to lower stress. You repeat words or suggestions in your mind that may help you relax and lessen muscle tension.

For example, you may imagine a peaceful setting. Then you can focus on relaxing your breathing or slowing your heart rate. Or you may feel different physical senses, such as relaxing each arm or leg one by one.

Progressive muscle relaxation. In progressive muscle relaxation, you focus on slowly tensing and then relaxing each muscle group. This can help you focus on the difference between muscle tension and relaxation. You can become more aware of physical sensations. In one type of progressive muscle relaxation, you start to tense and relax the muscles in your toes.

You gradually work your way up to your neck and head. This is best done in a quiet area without interruptions. You also can start with your head and neck and work down to your toes. Tense your muscles for about five seconds and then relax for 30 seconds, and repeat.

In visualization, you may form mental pictures to take a visual journey to a peaceful, calming place or situation. To relax using visualization, try to use as many senses as you can, such as smell, sight, sound and touch.

If you imagine relaxing at the ocean, think about the salt water's smell, the sound of crashing waves and the feel of the warm sun on your body. You may want to close your eyes and sit in a quiet spot. Loosen any tight clothing and focus on your breathing. Aim to focus on the present and think positive thoughts.

As you learn relaxation techniques, you can become more aware of muscle tension and other physical ways your body reacts to stress. Once you know what the stress response feels like, you can try to do a relaxation technique as soon as you start to feel stress symptoms.

This can prevent stress from getting out of control and lowering your quality of life. Remember that relaxation techniques are skills. As with any skill, your ability to relax improves with practice.

Be patient with yourself. Don't let your effort to try relaxation techniques become yet another stressor. If one relaxation technique doesn't work for you, try another one. If none of your efforts at lessening your stress seems to work, talk to your healthcare professional about other options.

Even without formal meditation and controlled breathing, the gentle muscle stretching of yoga can reduce stress. But if that's not your thing, simple breathing exercises can help by themselves. Rapid, shallow, erratic breathing is a common response to stress.

Slow, deep, regular breathing is a sign of relaxation. You can learn to control your respirations so they mimic relaxation; the effect, in fact, will be relaxing. Breathe in slowly and deeply, pushing your stomach out so that your diaphragm is put to maximal use.

Repeat the entire sequence five to 10 times, concentrating on breathing deeply and slowly. Deep breathing is easy to learn. You can do it at any time, in any place. You can use deep breathing to help dissipate stress as it occurs.

Practice the routine in advance; then use it when you need it most. If you find it helpful, consider repeating the exercise four to six times a day — even on good days. Bodily exercise can help relax the mind, and mental maneuvers can, too.

Most often, that means talking out problems with a supportive listener, who can be a friend, a chaplain, or a trained counselor or psychotherapist. But you can also do it yourself, harnessing the power of your own mind to reduce stress. Simply writing down your thoughts and feelings can be very beneficial, and formal meditation exercises have helped many people reduce stress and gain perspective.

Meditation is a prime example of the unity of mind and body. Mental stress can speed the heart and raise the blood pressure; meditation can actually reverse the physiological signs of stress. Scientific studies of Indian yoga masters demonstrate that meditation can, in fact, slow the heart rate , lower the blood pressure, reduce the breathing rate, diminish the body's oxygen consumption, reduce blood adrenaline levels, and change skin temperature.

Although meditation is an ancient Eastern religious technique, you don't have to become a pilgrim or convert to put it to work for you. In fact, your best guide to meditation is not an Indian spiritualist but a Harvard physician, Dr.

Herbert Benson. Here's an outline of what Dr. Benson has termed as the relaxation response:. Select a time and place that will be free of distractions and interruption.

A semi-darkened room is often best; it should be quiet and private. If possible, wait two hours after you eat before you meditate and empty your bladder before you get started. Get comfortable. Find a body position that will allow your body to relax so that physical signals of discomfort will not intrude on your mental processes.

Breathe slowly and deeply, allowing your mind to become aware of your rhythmic respirations. Achieve a relaxed, passive mental attitude. Close your eyes to block out visual stimuli. Try to let your mind go blank, blocking out thoughts and worries.

Concentrate on a mental device. Most people use a mantra, a simple word or syllable that is repeated over and over again in a rhythmic, chant-like fashion. You can repeat your mantra silently or say it aloud. It's the act of repetition that counts, not the content of the phrase; even the word "one" will do nicely.

Some meditators prefer to stare at a fixed object instead of repeating a mantra. In either case, the goal is to focus your attention on a neutral object, thus blocking out ordinary thoughts and sensations. Meditation is the most demanding of the autoregulation techniques, but it's also the most beneficial and rewarding.

Once you've mastered meditation, you'll probably look forward to devoting 20 minutes to it once or twice a day. Stressed muscles are tight, tense muscles. By learning to relax your muscles, you will be able to use your body to dissipate stress. Muscle relaxation takes a bit longer to learn than deep breathing.

It also takes more time. But even if this form of relaxation takes a little effort, it can be a useful part of your stress control program. Here's how it works:.

Progressive muscle relaxation is best performed in a quiet, secluded place. You should be comfortably seated or stretched out on a firm mattress or mat. Until you learn the routine, have a friend recite the directions or listen to them on a tape, which you can prerecord yourself.

Progressive muscle relaxation focuses sequentially on the major muscle groups. Tighten each muscle and maintain the contraction 20 seconds before slowly releasing it.

As the muscle relaxes, concentrate on the release of tension and the sensation of relaxation. Start with your facial muscles, then work down the body.

The entire routine should take 12 to 15 minutes. Practice it twice daily, expecting to master the technique and experience some relief of stress in about two weeks. Few things are more stressful than illness.

Many forms of exercise reduce stress directly, and by preventing bodily illness, exercise has extra benefits for the mind. Regular physical activity will lower your blood pressure, improve your cholesterol, and reduce your blood sugar. Exercise cuts the risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes, colon and breast cancers, osteoporosis and fractures, obesity, depression, and even dementia memory loss.

Exercise slows the aging process, increases energy, and prolongs life. Except during illness, you should exercise nearly every day. That doesn't necessarily mean hitting the gym or training for a marathon.

But it does mean 30 to 40 minutes of moderate exercise such as walking or 15 to 20 minutes of vigorous exercise. More is even better, but the first steps provide the most benefit.

Lie down and relax, and then tighten, hold and then release each muscle in your body, one at a time, starting with your toes and moving up to the crown of your head. It may be more relaxing to listen to someone else walk you through the exercise. Visit this link to find audio, video, and scripts that you can record and then playback to yourself.

By STEPHANIE DOLGOFF. Contentment Magazine Combat Stress Magazine. These fun and effective ideas will help when anxiety is getting the best of you. Quick bursts of movement are great if your stress is making you feel jittery or like your heart is beating faster than normal.

Guillem Gonzalez-Lomas , an orthopedic surgeon at NYU Langone Sports Health. Some good spots are that big ropy muscle at the front of your neck, your shoulders, the hinge of your jaw, and pressure points in the palm of your hand.

Putting on your favorite playlist and letting loose is, of course, good exercise, which is a long-studied stress-reliever. Dancing to music from a happy time and place in your life can trigger positive memories, as well, taking your mind off your stress.

If you want to do some yoga without leaving the house, these apps are a great way in. This is another well-researched stress-relieving practice that people are intimidated by but is actually super simple and really effective once you just do it, even for two minutes.

Another effective way to release energy, frustration, and tension is to learn and practice a martial art. There are many to choose from: Krav Maga, karate, judo, tae kwon do, and more.

In addition to keeping you active, martial arts have other benefits; they teach you self-discipline, and the self-defense techniques you learn can make you feel safer. Kickboxing is a powerful means of reducing stress. It involves controlled punching and kicking movements carried out with discipline.

Kickboxing regularly will help improve your balance, flexibility, and coordination. Tennis, anyone? One of the best ways to fit exercise into your schedule is to round up friends and family and organize a game of football, basketball, or soccer — just three of many choices.

Exercising with friends or co-workers can also motivate you to push yourself a little harder in order to stay competitive. Long-distance running, biking, cross-country skiing, and other outdoor activities provide a change of scenery and a dose of fresh air, both of which can help clear your mind, Plante says.

Also, outdoor settings such as mountains, a biking trail, or a neighborhood park are pleasant places to spend time in. Beautiful settings, especially in spring and fall, can lift your mood and shake up your workout routine.

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To start, put one hand on your belly and the other on your chest as in the belly breathing exercise.

Take a deep, slow breath from your belly, and silently count to 4 as you breathe in. Hold your breath, and silently count from 1 to 7. Breathe out completely as you silently count from 1 to 8. Try to get all the air out of your lungs by the time you count to 8.

Repeat 3 to 7 times or until you feel calm. Roll breathing Roll breathing helps you to develop full use of your lungs and to focus on the rhythm of your breathing. Put your left hand on your belly and your right hand on your chest.

Notice how your hands move as you breathe in and out. Practice filling your lower lungs by breathing so that your "belly" left hand goes up when you inhale and your "chest" right hand remains still.

Always breathe in through your nose and breathe out through your mouth. Do this 8 to 10 times. When you have filled and emptied your lower lungs 8 to 10 times, add the second step to your breathing: inhale first into your lower lungs as before, and then continue inhaling into your upper chest.

Breathe slowly and regularly. As you do so, your right hand will rise and your left hand will fall a little as your belly falls. As you exhale slowly through your mouth, make a quiet, whooshing sound as first your left hand and then your right hand fall.

As you exhale, feel the tension leaving your body as you become more and more relaxed. Practice breathing in and out in this way for 3 to 5 minutes. Notice that the movement of your belly and chest rises and falls like the motion of rolling waves.

Morning breathing Try this exercise when you first get up in the morning to relieve muscle stiffness and clear clogged breathing passages. From a standing position, bend forward from the waist with your knees slightly bent, letting your arms dangle close to the floor.

As you inhale slowly and deeply, return to a standing position by rolling up slowing, lifting your head last. Hold your breath for just a few seconds in this standing position. Exhale slowly as you return to the original position, bending forward from the waist.

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Achieve a relaxed, passive mental attitude. Close your eyes to block out visual stimuli. Try to let your mind go blank, blocking out thoughts and worries.

Concentrate on a mental device. Most people use a mantra, a simple word or syllable that is repeated over and over again in a rhythmic, chant-like fashion. You can repeat your mantra silently or say it aloud.

It's the act of repetition that counts, not the content of the phrase; even the word "one" will do nicely. Some meditators prefer to stare at a fixed object instead of repeating a mantra.

In either case, the goal is to focus your attention on a neutral object, thus blocking out ordinary thoughts and sensations.

Meditation is the most demanding of the autoregulation techniques, but it's also the most beneficial and rewarding. Once you've mastered meditation, you'll probably look forward to devoting 20 minutes to it once or twice a day.

Stressed muscles are tight, tense muscles. By learning to relax your muscles, you will be able to use your body to dissipate stress.

Muscle relaxation takes a bit longer to learn than deep breathing. It also takes more time. But even if this form of relaxation takes a little effort, it can be a useful part of your stress control program. Here's how it works:. Progressive muscle relaxation is best performed in a quiet, secluded place.

You should be comfortably seated or stretched out on a firm mattress or mat. Until you learn the routine, have a friend recite the directions or listen to them on a tape, which you can prerecord yourself.

Progressive muscle relaxation focuses sequentially on the major muscle groups. Tighten each muscle and maintain the contraction 20 seconds before slowly releasing it. As the muscle relaxes, concentrate on the release of tension and the sensation of relaxation.

Start with your facial muscles, then work down the body. The entire routine should take 12 to 15 minutes. Practice it twice daily, expecting to master the technique and experience some relief of stress in about two weeks.

Few things are more stressful than illness. Many forms of exercise reduce stress directly, and by preventing bodily illness, exercise has extra benefits for the mind. Regular physical activity will lower your blood pressure, improve your cholesterol, and reduce your blood sugar.

Exercise cuts the risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes, colon and breast cancers, osteoporosis and fractures, obesity, depression, and even dementia memory loss. Exercise slows the aging process, increases energy, and prolongs life.

Except during illness, you should exercise nearly every day. That doesn't necessarily mean hitting the gym or training for a marathon. But it does mean 30 to 40 minutes of moderate exercise such as walking or 15 to 20 minutes of vigorous exercise. More is even better, but the first steps provide the most benefit.

Aim to walk at least two miles a day, or do the equivalent amount of another activity. You can do it all at once or in to minute chunks if that fits your schedule better. Add a little strength training and stretching two to three times a week, and you'll have an excellent, balanced program for health and stress reduction.

And if you need more help with stress, consider autoregulation exercises involving deep breathing or muscular relaxation. Remember, too, that mental exercises are the time-honored ways to cut stress see box.

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Shining light on night blindness. Can watching sports be bad for your health? Beyond the usual suspects for healthy resolutions. July 7, How does exercise reduce stress? Surprising answers to this question and more. How does exercise reduce stress, and can exercise really be relaxing?

How exercise reduces stress Aerobic exercise is key for your head, just as it is for your heart. Autoregulation exercise and stress relief Regular physical activity keeps you healthy as it reduces stress. Breathing exercise reduces stress Even without formal meditation and controlled breathing, the gentle muscle stretching of yoga can reduce stress.

Here's how deep breathing exercises work: 1. Hold your breath briefly. Exhale slowly, thinking "relax. Mental exercises reduce stress, too Bodily exercise can help relax the mind, and mental maneuvers can, too.

Benson has termed as the relaxation response: 1. Progressive muscular relaxation Stressed muscles are tight, tense muscles. Here's how it works: Progressive muscle relaxation is best performed in a quiet, secluded place. Forehead Wrinkle your forehead and arch your eyebrows.

Hold; then relax. Eyes Close your eyes tightly. Nose Wrinkle your nose and flare your nostrils. Tongue Push your tongue firmly against the roof of your mouth. Face Grimace. Jaws Clench your jaws tightly. Neck Tense your neck by pulling your chin down to your chest.

Back Arch your back. Chest Breathe in as deeply as you can. Stomach Tense your stomach muscles. Buttocks and thighs Tense your buttocks and thigh muscles.

Arms Tense your biceps. Forearms and hands Tense your arms and clench your fists. Calves Press your feet down. Ankles and feet Pull your toes up. Exercise, health, and stress Few things are more stressful than illness.

Popular beliefs notwithstanding, exercise is relaxing. Image: © Rawpixel GettyImages. Share This Page Share this page to Facebook Share this page to Twitter Share this page via Email. Print This Page Click to Print. Related Content. Free Healthbeat Signup Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox!

tension in the neck, stomach aches, chest pains, etc. Invite participants to do the same, it allows the participants to see what stress is actually doing to their bodies and how much they put themselves through.

Also discussed is what we like to do for ourselves and how we can build these things into our lives to help alleviate the stress. Posted online by Catherine Conlon. I ask the audience to name causes of stress and ask them to note these down on the blank wheel handout provided, scoring 0 — 10 0 being stressed — 10 not an issue.

Individuals choose 6 that are pertinent to them and then complete the wheel. This allows participants to identify their key areas of stress. Participants are asked to share with the person next to them initially. Further into the program we look at tools and techniques to cope with the stressors identified on the wheel.

Posted online by Jane Worthington. Then they can spend some time visualizing moments where one of the anger triggers happened and reverse the situation replacing the action they usually do with the action they wish to do.

Use a large balloon and a drawing pin. Tell people that you are going to pop it at some point during the period, but you are not going to tell them when. This helps them feel as if they are taking back control.

Another option is to have them draw symbols on the balloons, representing how they feel. Posted online by Kymberly Dakin. Have each participant list 3 priority stress areas which they find difficult to handle. Ask them not to write their name on the list.

Later, shuffle and distribute the lists. Posted online by Ashok NaraYanan. Have your group stand and give them a half-full cup of water to pass around.

Instruct the group to pass the cup around clockwise or counterclockwise. then another. and soon another. Pretty soon you will find that each person still in the circle has two cups each and is continuing to pass them around faster and faster.

Debrief: Have the group discuss how they all felt about the people who were in the room, about passing the water which was in this case the customer in the call queue how they felt about being pulled out of the circle, how they felt about being in the circle and having to pass things faster and faster with few people.

The use of water is effective because while mostly un-harmful there is something inherently fearful about spilling it that is human nature. It creates a very rich discussion. Posted online by Thomas Cameron. Tackling Stress Management at Work. Stress Management Worries vs. Leadership Activities for Challenging Times.

Liked the simple yet effective activities. Have used the one with Stress balls earlier, will definitely use the water cups and other activities.

Wana know easy and fun way to release your stress, have you tries special stress release toys? Thanks you for sharing this amazing blog..

Nice Post!! Thanks for sharing. You can get rid of stress using stress balls. Written with great care. It is fueled by natural substances such as ashwagandha.

It is a highly recommended article. Thank you for finding the site useful. Great blog!! When we encounter something novel, unexpected, or that puts our sense of self in harm, or when we feel helpless in a situation, it frequently gets triggered. Loved the post. These stress management activities are effective.

I also have a mental health ablog: yourmentalhealthal. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Call Us: Fax: Stress Management Thumball Consider the Consequences Help from Colleagues Quick Calm Deep breathing Exercises Take your Stress Temperature Taking Control — Stress and the Body Stress Wheel Practice… Balloons! Pressing their Buttons Trigger Points Pass the Cup of Water 1. Stress for Success This is a useful exercise to explore the importance of creating systems, staying organized, mindfulness, not trying to do too much at once.

Strategy — besides understanding the difficulty of juggling so many balls, what did they learn they had to do to be successful? Mindfulness — How many thought of what they would eat for dinner, etc.? This is a great lesson on mindfulness, as people are totally in the present, and thus would be an ideal activity for DBT groups when addressing the subject of mindfulness.

Overcommitting — Point out that life is like this activity—we all juggle many things at one time, sometimes taking on more than we can handle.

If we focus too much on the past, the stress balls will pound and bombard us if we are not alert. Posted online by Judith Belmont 2. Straw Activity Take a straw and place it horizontally on the table. Posted online by Pooja Whig 3.