Tension Release

When people practice tension release once a day they usually feel more relaxed in general.

Remind yourself to do a relaxation exercise – such as deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation illustrated below – every day, as it will help you to destress in a given moment and maintain your equilibrium.

Relaxation practiced in isolation from anxiety triggers however tends to become compartmentalised, so someone may, e.g., find it easy to relax while meditating at home but find that it all goes out of the window when they encounter stress at work, later in the same day.

The skill of ‘emotional self-regulation’ is one of the techniques I teach during hypnotic sessions so people can tap into their relaxation in the middle of a challenging situation such as an argument or a frightening life situation.

DEEP BREATHING

Is a simple exercise that can be used to manage stress and anxiety. Use this video to help you practice after you have discussed with your therapist how and when to use the technique. Additionally, without practice, most relaxation skills will be of little help in a truly anxiety-producing situation.

PROGRESSIVE MUSCLE RELAXATION

Is a technique that will teach you to identify where tension is being held in your body, which will allow you to release it. This Progressive Muscle Relaxation Exercise video will walk you through each stage of this technique. Progressive muscle relaxation is the most effective when it’s used daily. The positive effects of relaxation aren’t only active while practicing—they can generalize to the rest of the day.

CONTEMPLATIVE MEDITATION

I invite you to practice a simple contemplative relaxation exercise (even if it is for just 5 minutes a day) by getting yourself as comfortable as you can whilst listening to the music in this video. Place both feet on the ground, sitting comfortably in a chair, and allowing your eyes to close, or maintaining a soft gaze in front of you.

As you settle comfortably into your chair, I like to invite you to take three deep breaths and gently bring your attention to the sounds and music being played on your device. You may close your eyes but if you prefer to keep them open then it helps to look at and observe the changing shapes and colours presented with the music.

If you notice your mind wondering during meditation, its okay, just become aware of that fact and gently direct your attention to the sounds in the room and try to maintain focus on the music (and images). You may notice that to sustain attention to what is happening in the environment around you it is not as easy as it may at first seem. The mind has a habit of escaping the here and now. But with practice you will be able through mindfulness meditation to increase your ability to stay for longer stretches in the present moment experience.

After 5 minutes (or longer if you allocated more time for the exercise) emerge from the experience gradually as you slowly bring your attention back into the room and to the space around you. Finally opening your eyes, feeling calm and ready to deal with what lies ahead.