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Mental Relaxation Techniques

Posted by Joshua Bledsoe on October 1, 2010 at 3:36 AM

We've all been there, and we've all heard the same thing from our well-intentioned friends. The conversation usually goes something like this...


WIB= Well-Intentioned Bystander


WIB: Hey, you doing ok? You don't seem like yourself today!

You: Yea, I'm just really stressed out!

WIB: What's wrong?

You: Well, [insert explanation of stressor(s) here] and it's just really starting to wear on me!

WIB: You know, you just need to learn to relax!


This WIB has unknowingly hit on something very important, and that is that almost all of us must LEARN to relax! Our fast-paced lifestyles have made it very difficult for us to truly relax. What follows is mental relaxation that involves using the mind to tell the physical body how to relax. I've categorized this as "Mental Training" because we aren't going to be doing any real physical activity, we're just going to let the mind release the tension and stress we are carrying in the body.


Turn Off Your Distractions (Physically and Mentally)

Find a place of solitude, away from the distractions of your daily life. Turn your phone to silent, turn off the TV, turn off the music (or put on soothing atmospheric music), dim the lights and turn off the computer. No Facebook. No Email. Just You!


Give Yourself Permission

Tell yourself that you're going to spend time working on you. Tell yourself for the next little while you're going to be "unplugged." Many of us unconsciously "run away" from mental relaxation. In the back of our minds, we know we have things to do and places to be. Giving yourself permission to relax and accept that for the next ten minutes or so you are going to relax! 


Get Comfortable

Lie on your bed/floor* or sit in a comfortable chair. If you choose a standard desk chair, maintain good posture while you relax. Keep your feet on the floor, knees over your feet, torso lifted and eyes/ears to the horizon. 


Relaxation Techniques

Routine #1


Close your eyes, and focus on your breathing.

Observe your breath, dont try to manipulate the breath.

Observe your body, notice any areas that are tense or even painful.

Now, mentally go through every part of your body and release the tension in that body part with each exhale. 

Something like this:

 

  • Forehead/Eyebrows
  • Nose/Jaw
  • Neck
  • Shoulders
  • Arms/Hands
  • Upper Back
  • Chest
  • Lower Back
  • Abdomen
  • Buttocks
  • Thighs (front/back-Quadriceps/Hamstrings)
  • Shins
  • Calves
  • Feet
Now, observe how much more relaxed you feel physically and how suddenly your mind is very clear. Indulge in this freedom for a little while. If you have time, repeat this process one or two more times. 

Routine #2 (Imagery)
Observe your breath. Breathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth.
Try to visualize the air coming into your body as one color, and the air exiting your body as another color.
Imagine you are made of steel, feel how heavy you are.
Visualize yourself on your chair/lying down and see yourself in your minds eye.

Now imagine that you are balloon, at the bottom of your feet is an air compressor.
Pump yourself full of air, let every inhale inflate your body.
Switch the lever at your feet and allow all that air to rush out of you as you completely deflate.

Routine #3 (Imagery)
(This routine is most effective when sitting)
Imagine your feet as a tree trunk. 
Let your toes/heels grow roots that firmly plant your feet into the ground.
Imagine a beam of light above your head that comes down over your body.
Feel the warmth of this light over your entire body. Imagine this warming beam of light slowly moving from your head all the way down to your feet.
Now, imagine a rain cloud or waterfall. 
Feel the water wash over your entire body.

Simple Mental Routine
If you find yourself very anxious during the day, try this quick routine to calm yourself.

Close your eyes. Observe your breath.
Imagine a light bulb in front of you.
Place all of your anxious thoughts in this lightbulb. 
With every exhale, you create a cloud in front of you.
Let this cloud slowly envelope your light bulb, until your cloud is so thick that your lightbulb completely disappears.
Open your eyes, take a deep breath and accept that you cannot change a single hair on your head with worry.


I hope this helps some of you find more mental energy and a peaceful state of mind!


*Some sleep articles I've read advice against using your bed for anything other than sleeping. The idea is that when you get in bed, your mind should have only trigger and that is to sleep. It may be beneficial to use the floor or chair if you have trouble sleeping.

Categories: Mental Training

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