Learning how to relax will help you control your stress. When most of us think about relaxing, we think of the usual, laying on the couch reading a book or watching our favorite program. We do not think about really relaxing and putting our bodies and our minds in a deep state of relaxation.
POSITION – Sit or lay down in a comfortable position where there is not any weight being distributed uncomfortably. Do not have your legs or arms crossed. I prefer to lay down with my upper body raised up with pillows so that I am in a semi sitting up position.QUIET – This really needs to be done in a quiet room of your home and during a time that you will not be disturbed.CLOSE YOUR EYES – Begin relaxing by closing your eyes for a minute or two.RELAXING YOUR BODY – Tell yourself in your mind to relax your head, relax your neck, relax your shoulders, relax your arms, relax your hands, relax your body, relax your legs, relax your feet. Feel the tension leave your body. RELAX YOUR MIND – In your mind picture a set of stairs going down. Each stair is numbered from 10 down to 1. Picture yourself walking down the stairs slowly, seeing each number as you step upon it. When you get to the bottom of the stairs you will be in a deep relaxation. Knowing how to relax your mind will help you through difficult situations.CLEAR YOUR MIND – When you are at the bottom of the stairs you can tell yourself your message of the day. Such as “my knee will not hurt today”, or “I will have a good day”. Concentrate on only one message at a time.RETURN – When you are ready, slowly picture yourself walking up the stairs, one at a time, counting the numbers back up to 10. When you get to the top you will be out of your deep relaxation, but you can still lay still with your eyes closed for a moment until you feel like opening them up. Do this technique as often as you need to.Take the stress out of your life by learning how to control your mind, body and soul. You can put yourself into a deep trance whenever you need to or on a regular schedule to keep stress out of your life. Live a happier, fuller, and stress free life learning how to relax.