Relax the Mind & Body: Relaxation Techniques for Anxiety & Stress
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The Importance of Relaxation for Anxiety
Even in the “self-help” space, there tends to be a strong focus on achievement, reaching goals, improving one's self and staying motivated – with much less focus on learning to relax and taking time to unwind, reset and let go.
Making Relaxation a New Habit
Benefits of Daily Relaxation
- Helps manage/reduce stress and anxiety
- Lowers blood pressure
- Improves immune system health
- Helps balance lifestyle
- Lowers stress-related hormones
- Relaxes muscles
- Reduces tension
- Lowers risk for heart-related issues
- Allows physical and emotional healing to take place
How to Relax the Mind... and the Body Will Follow
When we take time to relax we become more aware and in touch with our current state – pausing from our normal habituated thoughts and responses – we can reset
- Awareness: increasing present moment awareness allows for a subtle shift from being immersed in our thoughts and worries to noticing how they play out – meditation and mindfulness practices are powerful ways to help improve our ability to bring awareness to our present moment experiences
- Acceptance: acceptance removes the need to change, control or fight our already overactive minds – it gives us space to breath and allows us to surrender to life as it unfolds – trying to fight our anxiety or mentally change our thoughts in the heat of anxiety or panic, rarely works
- Breathing: taking slow deep breaths activates our parasympathetic nervous system which calms the brain and body, slowing the heart rate and reducing an overactive nervous system or stress response; our breath is our direct path to mental and physical relaxation (and it's one aspect in life we can directly control)
- Physical Relaxation: when the body is relaxed the mind typically follows (and vice versa) – this is why massage or focused muscle relaxation can be so helpful in relaxing the mind – even having a more relaxed posture or softening the belly can promote a more relaxed state of mind
Relaxation Techniques
Active Relaxation Techniques
Soft Belly Breathing
Visualization Technique: "The Secret Garden"
Directions:
- Seat yourself in a comfortable position
- Begin by closing your eyes and taking slow deep breaths for several minutes
- As you begin to relax, imagine an elevator in front of you
- Picture it in detail; what kind of elevator is it, what does it look like?
- Enter the elevator and press the button for level G; your Secret Garden
- The elevator doors close and you begin descending down until it reaches level G
- The elevator doors open revealing a garden, the most beautiful and tranquil garden you have ever seen
- What does it look like? What does it feel like?
- Step into your garden and imagine in detail everything you see and feel
- What types of plants do you see? Can you smell them?
- What other things are there? Fountains? Statues? Birds?
- Can you hear the sounds? Can you smell the fresh air?
- What type of weather or climate is your garden?
- Is the temperature mild with a cool breeze? Or warmer like a tropical island?
- As you see, smell, hear and feel everything in your garden, walk over to the center of your garden
- Find a place to sit at the center. It could be a large tree or fountain. Maybe a statue of a God or Goddess. Or a symbol that you have a strong affinity for…
- Seat yourself comfortably in front of this centerpiece at the center of your garden
- Relax and breath slowly and calmly
- Continue to feel, hear and smell everything in your garden as you feel complete calm and relaxation wash over you
- This is your garden, no one else can enter here. You feel complete safety and peace
- Continue to relax and renew yourself here for as long as you desire
- When you are ready to return simply walk back to the elevator
- Stepping inside press the button L to return upwards
- Once the elevator returns to the original location you entered from open your eyes
- Feel free to return to your Center Garden whenever you desire
Focused Muscle Relaxation: "The Golden Ball"
- Get into a comfortable position and close your eyes
- Breathe deeply for several minutes
- Allow yourself to become more and more comfortable wherever you are
- Feel the surface you are resting on, allowing it to fully support the weight of your body
- Let go of trying to support your weight or any part of your body at all
- Now breathe in deeply and imagine a warm golden ball at the crown (top/center) of your head
- At the end of the inhalation, hold the breath while contracting/tightening the crown of your head (in this case you can simply imagine contracting the crown of your head): hold the breath and the contraction for 8 secs
- Exhale and feel that ball of energy move slowly down from your crown to your face
- As it passes down, feel the warmth and relaxation it has left at the crown, with calming thoughts as it passes
- When the golden ball reaches your face, inhale while contracting all the muscles of the face (lips, mouth, eyes, forehead, jaw, etc.): hold the breath and the contraction for 8 secs.
- Exhale, releasing the contraction, feel your face relax completely as you feel the energy from the golden ball move down to your throat
- Inhale, hold the breath and contract the muscles of the throat
- Exhale and feel your throat relax completely as the golden energy moves down to your chest
- Inhale and hold the breath while contracting the muscles of the chest
- Exhale and feel your chest muscles relax completely as the ball of energy continues down to the stomach
- (Continue to repeat this pattern with your stomach, groin, the front of your legs and your feet)
- Really feel that golden energy removing all tension with the arrival of the golden ball on the inhale and contraction and the release, warmth and relaxation on the exhale as it continues moving down
- After you finish your feet continue to the backside of your body, in the same way, working your way back up to your crown (top of your head)
- (The backside will be: the backside of your legs, your butt, lower back, middle and upper back, neck and then crown)
- You can complete this circle as many times as you wish!
Meditation
There are many different forms and techniques of meditation. Too many in fact to cover in this one article on relaxation.
If your interested in learning more about meditation and meditation techniques you can check out our in-depth article which covers different types of meditation, mindfulness, postures, tips and more postures, you can find that article HERE.
Passive Relaxation Techniques
Watching the Breath/ Awareness of Breathing
- Get into a comfortable seated position with your hands on your legs or lap
- Close your eyes and take some slow deep breaths for 1-2 mins
- Now instead of trying to control or slow the breath, simply begin to watch it
- Notice how your breath happens all on its own – there no is no need to make any effort
- Notice how your breath literally is breathing you
- Allow your breath to happen on its own, at its own speed and depth
- Notice where your focus seems to go on the actual sensation of breathing
- It could be the feel of the air passing into and out of the nostrils – or it could be the rising and falling of the chest or stomach
- Choose one sensation to place your attention on and watch throughout the duration of the technique
- Remember we are watching the present experience of breathing as it is happening now – not thinking about breathing
- Whenever you notice you are trying to take back control of your breath simply release and gently allow it to go on on its own
- Feel the freedom and relaxation of simply observing the breath
"The Witness"
- Get into a comfortable seated position with your hands on your legs or lap
- Close your eyes and take some slow deep breaths for 1-2 mins
- Begin watching the breath similar to the exercise above
- Notice how the breath breaths of its own accord
- Now begin to become very curious about your own thoughts and feelings right now
- Begin observing your thoughts as if you were a scientist watching a rare process taking place in front of you
- It's something you've never seen before so you have to observe it carefully
- Where do the thoughts come from?
- What are the thoughts made of?
- Where do they go after they have passed through your mind?
- Simply observe in this detached, non-judging mode
- If feelings begin to form watch those with curiosity as well
- If you find yourself trying to control your thoughts, feelings or emotions, simply witness yourself trying to control your thoughts and feelings
- Let go of trying to interfere in any way
- There is no goal here, it's simply an experiment
- You may begin to feel immense peace
Total Acceptance & Letting Go
- Begin by getting into a comfortable position
- Close your eyes and take several deep breaths and turn your attention inward
- Begin to notice the thoughts, feelings or emotions you are having RIGHT NOW
- Allow them to be whatever they are as they happen
- Don't try to alter, edit or control your thoughts in any way – simply accept them as they are
- As you accept them simply let them go and notice the next thought that appears
- The purpose here is to release your constant “grip” on your mind and need to control or trying to change your thoughts and feelings
- Begin to view your thoughts simply like clouds in the blue sky – they pass by and then they are gone
- More clouds come and then they are gone
- You can not hold onto clouds; they simply arise and then are gone again
- It may help to see your feelings and emotions as waves – building up and intensifying before calming down again and then disappearing – like waves in the ocean
- Continue to accept and let go of any thoughts, feelings and emotions that arise in this moment
- If something arises in you it may be helpful to simply ask yourself “Could I let this go now?” and then let it go
- In time you may find the thoughts have slowed and the only feeling you are left with is peace
- You can continue for as long as you feel
Having Trouble With the Techniques?
- try to use the techniques later in the day or whenever you won't be bothered and have fewer responsibilities to deal with
- if your mind is particularly chatty and won't slow down; prior to doing the techniques take out a piece of paper and free-form write whatever comes into your mind; the key is writing quickly with no editing; when your done crumple the paper up and throw it away; now begin the technique
- taking a hot shower or bath while using any of the techniques above can make it much easier to relax
- if you're still struggling to relax, you can try combining these techniques with the proper anti-anxiety supplements (we have our recommended list HERE), and/or anti-anxiety technologies (which you can find HERE) to greatly enhance your ability to relax
