How to learn to relax and ways to relax. Learn to relax for a happier, healthier life

Our world is dynamic, and sometimes it changes too often. Stress becomes a common part of everyday life. It is so familiar that we stop noticing it. But to maintain your own mental balance, you need to give yourself the opportunity to relax and relieve stress. Below are effective ways to help you do this. Many of them are quite ordinary, but some will seem a little unconventional to you. But use them, because you deserve a rest.

1. Keep moving

It will seem strange to you, but it works. Perhaps the only thing you want is to just lie down on the couch and relax, but believe me, movement will energize you and give you a good mood. Take a leisurely walk after a hard day at work and you will feel your fatigue go away.

2. Love tea

Especially green. It is rich in L-theanine, and this substance has been scientifically proven to help fight anger.

3. Use mental visualizations

This method helps you calm down. Just imagine yourself in your favorite place, such as the beach or a quiet cafe, and you will feel a sense of peace.

4. Turn to nature

The green color of leaves and grass is calming, in contrast to the similar shade of pixels on the screen.

5. Keep a diary

Well, or a blog, if this option suits you better. By throwing out your feelings and emotions on paper, you can analyze your actions and understand what to do next.

6. Don't run away from boredom

The next time you feel bored, don't go online to find a new movie or TV series. Think about the real world, your immediate material surroundings. What would you like to change about it? Take action! As you can see, boredom can spark creativity.

7. Make time for your interests

Do you like cross stitch? So do it. Do you like to cook? So bake a pie. Spend time on activities that bring you joy.

8. Take a nap

Sometimes, to calm down, you just need to sleep for an hour during the day. And then you begin to look at all the problems and troubles differently, and they no longer seem so daunting.

9. Get off the Internet

This will help you focus on what is happening here and now. And with constantly pop-up notifications about messages on social networks, peace of mind is unlikely to be achieved.

10. Meditate

This method of achieving harmony with oneself has been known for a long time. And it just works.

11. Do yoga

Yoga is the same meditation, but only supplemented with an important physical component. And it works too.

12. Clean up

Cleanliness and order around will bring harmony and peace to your inner world. It is hardly possible to achieve peace while in chaos.

13. Take a walk

A walk will give you a sunny mood, and at the same time stress will subside. Admire the city, the people around you and recharge yourself with positivity.

14. Read

Imagine an evening, a soft blanket, an interesting book... Is it calming? Then make it a reality this evening. By the way, you have now used the visualization technique described in point 3. Are you convinced that it works?

15. Dance when no one can see you

Sounds stupid? It is so indeed. But dancing helps to cope with stress, not only mental, but also physical.

16. Talk to yourself

Before you doubt the adequacy of the author of the article, just try this. You can talk to your reflection in the mirror about yourself, about the people around you, and even about how your day went. When we verbalize our own experiences and thoughts, it becomes easier to find a way out of difficult situations.

17. Hug your pet

This method will not suit you if you only have aquarium fish at home. And for owners of cats and dogs, such hugs with their pets help them cope with stress. In addition, it lowers blood pressure and calms you down.

18. Listen to music

You just have to like the melody. In this case, the emotions from listening to it will be extremely positive.

19. Chat with friends

Man is a social being. He can't be alone and still be happy. So invite your friends over and just chat.

20. Learn something new

Have you always wanted to learn how to shoot a bow or weave macrame? So why not do it today?

21. Say no

Helping people is okay. Moreover, it is noble and truly humane. But know how to refuse help if this altruism brings negative results primarily to you personally. And don't do anything that is beyond your strength.

22. Stretch!

Stretching will not only help relieve tension, but also gain flexibility. In addition, it has a beneficial effect on the health of the body’s circulatory and lymphatic systems.

23. Take a bubble bath

Warm water will help you relieve stress after a long hard day. And the bubbles are soothing.

24. Buy a special ball

A simple small ball is an excellent exercise machine for the muscles of the hands. It also helps relieve stress.

25. Look out the window

This is a great way to let go of worries and calm down in a short period of time for those who cannot get up and leave work right now.

Popcorn, a warm blanket and a good movie are one of the best ways to relax.

28. Eat chocolate

Scientists have proven that dark chocolate actually helps reduce stress levels. But remember to have a sense of proportion when relaxing in this sweet way.

29. Smile

Try to smile more often. Look for reasons for this in everything. Stress goes away if you look at the world with a smile.

30. Walk barefoot

You might be mistaken for a hippie. But this method really works, because by feeling the soil, grass or even warm asphalt on your skin, you strengthen your own unity with nature. And this is calming.

31. Sing to yourself

Channel your inner Beyoncé and sing along. This method is ideal when used with option 15 (“Dance when no one is watching”).

32. Treat yourself

It doesn’t matter what it is, a chocolate bar or a ticket to a concert of a famous rock band. Just allow yourself something that you really want for a long time.

33. Try aromatherapy

Some scents, such as jasmine or lavender, are soothing and romantic.

34. Find the reason

Knowing how to relax is very important. But sometimes you just need to find the cause of stress in order to cope with it. Do this, but remember: what escapes the gaze may actually be hiding in plain sight.

35. Chew gum

Yes Yes exactly. Chewing gum really helps cope with stress. Just put it in your mouth, what could be easier?

36. Find your relaxation mentor

This could be your colleague who steadfastly endures all the difficulties of work and personal life, or another hero from an American film who remains calm no matter what happens around him.

37. Be spontaneous!

No, this does not mean at all that you should quit your job, home and go to live in Tibet right now. Just add a little surprise to something quite ordinary. For example, take a different route to work or go to a store on the other side of town for something tasty.

38. Forgive yourself

Are you again tormented by incomprehensible emotional stress? Let go of the situation, forgive others and yourself. By staying in the past, we become “missing” in the future.

39. Breathe

This is perhaps the easiest way. No matter where you are, you can always just take a few deep breaths. And this will definitely calm you down.

40. Remember: everything is fine

We all make mistakes. Whatever it is, everything changes, and usually for the better.

6.09.2015 | 2788

Anna Krachek 09/6/2015 2788

Stress kills thousands of nerve cells in minutes. We learn to quickly get rid of it.

There are times in life when all the bad things come at once: problems at work, tension in relationships with your husband, children’s reluctance to study, lack of money. You rush around like a squirrel in a wheel, trying to bring life back to normal, but you feel that a little more and your nerves will give in.

Stop for a minute, catch your breath, and try one of these quick relaxation techniques. They won’t take much of your time, but your mood will immediately improve and stress will subside.

Hot bath with essential oils A bath filled with hot water is one of the most affordable and effective means

to relieve stress at home. The principle of its operation is very simple: immersing yourself in hot water, you again seem to find yourself in your mother’s womb, where you felt warm, calm and good.

Add a few drops of essential oil to the bath and you will greatly enhance the effect of the procedure. Oils of lavender, orange, ylang-ylang, bergamot, and mint are known for their relaxing effect on the nervous system. The oil must be diluted in some base (milk, base oil, honey), and the resulting mixture must be dissolved in water.

Be careful: the bath water should not be too hot, otherwise it may adversely affect the functioning of the cardiovascular system. The optimal temperature is 37-38 degrees.

Meditation

For a meditation session, you will need a secluded place where no one and nothing will distract you from the process. If the weather permits, go outside: to the lawn in a small park or to the river bank.

Take the most comfortable position for you (it is not at all necessary to sit in the lotus position), breathe deeply and evenly, relax all your muscles as much as possible. Try to throw away all thoughts about problems, affairs and feelings. Focus on the breathing process, be aware of each inhalation and exhalation.

During meditation, try not to move or be distracted by extraneous noises. Pronouncing a monotonous sound such as “Mmmmm” can help with this, but this is not at all necessary.

If you can spend at least 5-10 minutes in a state of immersion, you will feel much calmer and relaxed.

Neuromuscular relaxation

This relaxation technique is often used during hypnosis sessions, but it can also work well for relieving stress at home.

Take a comfortable position. It is best to lie on the floor with your legs and arms spread apart. You can also sit in a comfortable chair or on a sofa. Turn off the TV and music, ask your family not to disturb you or make noise for 15-20 minutes.

Close your eyes and begin to mentally relax every muscle in your body. Imagine how your legs become warm and heavy, you cannot lift them off the floor. Then do the same for your hands. After this, imagine your body going limp. Lastly, relax your neck and face, allowing your head to hang freely. Stay in this position for a few minutes, trying not to move.

Finish the session by stretching as if you had just woken up. You will be surprised how much your well-being and mood will improve!

Output of aggression

This method is good if for some reason you are very nervous and angry. If aggression is not released in time, it will cause considerable damage to your health: suppressed emotions lead to nervous breakdowns and the occurrence of depression.

Don't take your anger out on your colleagues or family; instead, take a pillow and beat it well, imagining the person who made you angry. With each blow, you will feel the negative energy leaving, and calmness taking its place.

There is another good way to get rid of bad emotions, but to do it you will need all your acting skills and a good imagination. Imagine that your left hand suddenly goes crazy: it convulses, moves absolutely chaotically, you cannot control it. The more “wild” the movements are, the better!

Now imagine that the madness has spread to your right hand. Then - on the legs and torso. Move your arms and legs as you please, move your pelvis and other parts of your body intensively. After 5 minutes, stop and restore your breathing. The effect of such a “wild dance” is simply incredible! You won’t even remember about stress and nervous tension.

By the way, it is better to perform this exercise in solitude. Otherwise, there is a high risk of ending up seeing a psychiatrist.

Pets

Cats, dogs, horses and other animals, being close to a person, help relieve stress and calm. If you have a pet, pick him up, pet him, and play with his favorite toys.

If you haven't got a pet yet, feed homeless animals or go to a shelter: volunteers are always needed there. This way you will not only relax and relieve stress, but also do a truly good deed. And who knows: you might find your best friend for life.

Tension is at the root of many illnesses. Constant muscle spasms destroy the body, a feeling of internal tension kills the soul. The fast pace of life, especially urban life, makes us constantly on our toes. This is the main drawback of modern life, for which we pay with lost health.

Relaxation is a natural state

We get so used to feeling under tension that we no longer notice how we constantly literally clench our teeth when we try to solve even the most trivial problem, or how we frantically clench our hands into fists when faced with unexpected trouble. Even when falling asleep in bed, we involuntarily tense the muscles of our arms and legs, remembering the past day. All this gradually destroys our health.

There is only one way to get rid of these problems that are gradually depriving us of the joy of life - to relax. It would seem that it could be simpler: relax your muscles and surrender to the power of peace. However, we can no longer keep the body in a relaxed state for long. As soon as we stop controlling the degree of tension in our body, it immediately becomes heavy and the muscles tense.

We pay for life in the conditions of civilization by the fact that we have lost the skill of relaxing, that for us the natural state is not a healthy feeling of relaxation and tranquility, but constant tension, which undermines our health day after day.

The Russian scientist Brekhman noted that modern man is in a painful state, which he defined as “the third state of neither health nor illness.” And the inability to relax plays an important role in our unhealthy state.

Now only children know how to constantly be in a relaxed state - they have not yet been poisoned by civilization. The natural relaxation of the child is “responsible” for the fact that children, constantly falling, extremely rarely get fractures. If adults lost their balance and fell as often as children, and from a height commensurate with their height, then they would not have time to recover from fractures. And children “tumble” from chairs, tables, sofas, steps - and in most cases remain absolutely healthy after falls. Why? They are naturally relaxed.

How to learn to relax

In Tibetan monasteries they teach relaxation (mental relaxation), they teach you to fall the way children do - easily and without consequences for health. But that’s why they are monks, because they can afford to devote their entire lives to the science of relaxation. We will try to learn to relax in our conditions, which are as far removed from Tibetan ones as possible: in the rush of city everyday life, after work and family troubles.

In fact, there are quite a few relaxation methods. There are methods that require enormous concentration and knowledge of Eastern teachings. But there are more accessible ways that will not force us to completely change our way of life, but will allow us to find time for ourselves and teach us to fully enjoy life.

Aromatherapy

We all know about the influence of various smells on our mood and well-being. Close to the base of the nose is the olfactory center, which recognizes the smell and sends information to the part of the brain that controls emotions. So smells may well control our mood. By correctly composing a “bouquet” of smells, you can help your body relax.

The easiest way to obtain odors is to purchase a special “smoker,” install it in your apartment, and fill it with essential oil that has a calming effect. Oils of lavender, cinnamon, bergamot, sandalwood, and rose have a relaxing effect. You can add a few drops of oil to your bath or massage with aromatic oils.

Breath

European culture, unlike Eastern culture, pays almost no attention not only to what we inhale, but also to how we do it. Meanwhile, breathing methods are important for health, including the ability to relax. If you breathe frequently, then soon the whole body will enter a nervously excited state. Conversely, correctly done breathing exercises will help you calm down and relax.

Relaxation exercise. Performed while sitting or lying down. We switch our attention to breathing, relax our facial muscles, straighten our shoulders, and take a deep breath. But we take air not into the chest, but into the stomach. Hold your breath for five seconds and exhale. The exhalation should be about a third longer in duration than the inhalation. We hold our breath a little before inhaling again (for a couple of seconds) and take a deep breath into the stomach. We repeat the exercise hold – inhale – exhale up to 15 times. You can breathe through both your mouth and nose, whichever is more convenient. This exercise perfectly saturates the blood with oxygen, and relaxation occurs with a long exhalation.

Active aggression

This method, in essence, is a replacement method, when we take out negative emotions, stress, and tension on something. The ideal place for this is the gym. Don't think that this method is only good for men. Women who “fight” in the gym thus achieve no less relaxation than after visiting spa salons with a set of relaxing procedures.

You can “beat” some toy, break a cup, split an old stool. The main thing is not to destroy anything valuable and not get injured. Or helps a lot. Screaming at full power makes it possible to throw out all the negativity. We noticed how peace and relaxation sets in after a scandal. Unfortunately, this method cannot be used always and not everywhere. There are restrictions on place and time.

Autogenic training

This technique is designed for you to seriously engage in spiritual practices. However, at an elementary level, anyone can master relaxation techniques using self-hypnosis. You need to instill in yourself certain sensations for some part of the body. First there is a feeling of warmth, then heaviness - tingling. Usually, with the help of autogenic training, a person works on the limbs. After training, muscle spasms are relieved, and then internal calm comes.

Relaxation according to Jacobson

E. Jacobson's technique is based on tensing the muscles of the body and then relaxing them. For 10-15 seconds, various muscles are alternately tensed: face, arms, legs, back, abdomen, shoulders. Then, in the same sequence, you need to relax these muscle groups. The exercise also works great if you tense your whole body, as if you are gathering it into a fist, and then relax it in the same way.

The exercise is difficult to perform in a public place. If there is a need to relieve tension, for example, at the workplace, then you can tense and relax your hands. Make a fist with your hand, strain it tightly, almost to the point of pain, for 10 seconds, relax. Relaxation needs to be felt well. Repeat several times. It will be invisible to others, but the effect will be obvious.

Music

Sounds, and music in particular, have an excellent relaxing effect. Finding music for relaxation on the Internet is not difficult. You can listen to it as a separate technique for relaxation, or while using other techniques: taking an aromatic bath, performing breathing or other exercises.

Entering a trance

In fact, entering a light trance state is not as difficult as it seems. To imagine what it is, it’s enough to remember how, after a hard day, we tiredly sink into a chair, close our eyes and fall into a state of detachment from everything around us. The brain remotely records what is happening around us, we hear sounds, understand what they mean, but we do not react to it.

The most accessible way to enter a trance is to passively observe something pleasant and light. Watching the slight movement of clouds across the sky, a fire in a fireplace, or the movement of water in a river can put a person into a state of light trance.

After a few minutes of being in a trance state, we will feel complete relaxation.

Berestova Svetlana

When using or reprinting material, an active link to is required!

Many people get so tired and stressed during the day that they just need to relax, to put their thoughts, emotions and sensations in order, they should find out how to learn to relax and bring your physical and mental state back to normal.

To relax and unwind the soul and body, various techniques and exercises are used: auto-training to calm down; methods of psychotraining, hypnosis and self-hypnosis..., You are offered another way with which you can learn to relax.

Find out how to learn to relax on your own

The method consists of concentrating visual attention on some spot or object, the so-called attention point. Your consciousness is focused on the object, and in the meantime you set yourself to relax and enter a state of relaxation.

Find a suitable point and fix your gaze on it. You can use the following suggestions, which you either record on a tape recorder or remember and say to yourself.

By looking intently at the point, I will begin to relax. After a few minutes, it will be easier for me to concentrate, although the dot seems to move slightly and even its color changes a little... but I still continue to look closely at the dot.

I continue to look at the point, even if something happens to it or nothing happens. The closer I look, the more I relax. My eyes are riveted to a point, and they begin to get more and more tired... they blink from time to time... Sometimes tears come... And I continue to watch... I relax more and more.

The point I choose will help me enter a state of trance... a state of relaxation... self-guided... self-sufficient... and very beneficial. I guide him... He will help me and I will gain a lot from this experience of relaxation.

I will be willing to learn and learn new information... to know more about myself... than I currently know. I will embrace these new discoveries with all my eagerness. All this is my information... It comes from me.

I even look at this spot of my own free will. I look and relax and seem to feel my eyes glazing over... everything is floating... but my eyes are still fixed on one point.

Sometimes I feel my feet and legs... and how my shoulders sag... while I continue to stare.

Starting the count, I exhale... let the unnecessary air come out. I will breathe in new... fresh air... And I know that my body... has an internal filtering device, and it will provide me with the best breath... naturally.

As long as my eyes are fixed on the point... I will relax more and more... my eyelids will gradually become heavier. If the eyes are already closed... because they are constantly focused on the point and constantly feel it... this is good. It’s just that I will relax even more... and more completely with each count number.

If the eyes are still open... my gaze will remain the same intense and focused until the eyes close on their own... or until I count to zero.

Let my behavior be the most natural... the most relaxed, so that I can enter a state of trance. As I begin to count down, I will feel myself going one step lower with each number... And the closer I get to the bottom of the ladder... the greater the feeling of calm and relaxation.

I may feel like I'm going down an escalator... or an elevator. Sometimes I imagine myself going down the steps. I feel like there's a beach waiting for me below... or a green lawn... or when I go down, I'm going to feel like I'm floating... so blissful... relaxing.

I will be as good and calm as I wish. Now I’m starting to count down... Each step will lead me further down. I will feel the weight of my body and the heaviness of my eyelids. My whole body will gradually fill with heaviness... everything, everything... from top to bottom.

I’m starting at 30... I’m becoming calmer and more comfortable.

29... an odd number... may all odd numbers help my body relax completely.

28...an even number...may all even numbers help my thoughts to wander freely to awaken the possibilities of the subconscious...to awaken the strong personality hidden within me...so that the mental, spiritual, emotional and physical changes I have planned will be realized.

27... I continue to relax, one more step down.

26... I feel good, pleased. The eyelids become heavy... the head bows slightly.

25... I’m relaxing more and more, I’m getting better. I'm learning more and more about myself.
24... the feeling of heaviness becomes more and more intense, the legs become heavy and relax... the arms become heavy... the lower jaw relaxes.

23... nice changes.

22... breathing becomes deeper, slower, more natural. I'm getting closer to the desired state.

21... what peace... what a pleasant state... covers me more and more.

20... a third of the descent has been completed, it seems to me that I have descended even lower. I know this is true, and I will go even lower.

19...more and more heaviness is taking over...

18...how my arms and legs relaxed...

17...I feel even better and more pleasant...

16... sounds come from outside, let them help you achieve even greater relaxation... and feel even more complete peace.

15...halfway down the descent...one eye is already closing. Both eyes are closing... closed. Let what happens happen.

14... continue to relax...

13...more and more fully...

12...the legs seem to grow into the floor, or, conversely, they have an extraordinary lightness and tingling sensation.

11... 10... two thirds of the descent completed.

9... even closer to the base... closer to an even more pleasant and relaxed state.

8... the lower jaw is hanging... the face is relaxed... the arms and legs are getting heavy. Sensation is lost in the arms, as well as in the legs.

7... I relax... I feel a change in sensations in my arms and legs... Let these sensations diverge further...

6... to where I need to go... to even more pleasant peace of mind... to where the most effective changes I seek will begin.

5... I am ready to change in this state of increasing peace... even deeper relaxation.

4... the heaviness is increasing.

3...almost there, even more relaxed.

2... eyes remain closed... I remain receptive to suggestions... I am extremely relaxed... completely open to suggestions... I feel very, very good.

1... 1... 1... 1... 1... I will repeat this number as many times as necessary. I will feel when the time comes.

0... 0... 0... 0... 0... 0... 0... the path is over... complete relaxation... A place has been reached that I call relaxation... a natural relaxed state.

I can return to this state of complete relaxation... as soon as I want... I'll just count backwards from thirty to zero. I’ll take a few deep, full breaths and exhales and count backwards from thirty to zero.

I can wake up alert and refreshed by counting from zero to five. When I get to five, my eyes will open... I will feel completely alert and fresh. 0... 1... 2... 3... 4... 5... I woke up, full of vigor and good mood.

Practice this method of relaxation and relaxation daily, after a busy day or before bed.

psychologist-psychanalyst Oleg Vyacheslavovich Matveev
Consultation with a psychologist for stress and depression

Order individual

Good afternoon. Having mastered the step how to learn to relax, you will learn the most effective relaxation techniques. This step, like each of the steps in the framework, will be divided into theory and practice.

After you become familiar with the theory, you can undergo practice and for seven days, every day, learn different methods of relaxation. You complete the practice on your own, simply by reading my course and following the recommendations from it.

If you have completed the practical recommendations given in the previous steps, you will hopefully have gained some insight into developing willpower and awareness. These skills will help you greatly as you complete this step. And if you started studying my self-development plan from this step, then it’s okay, finish it, and then proceed to the previous ones, if you wish.

As a theoretical basis for this step, I will present the main conclusions from all the articles on relaxation that are presented on my blog. So you can think of this step as a stand-alone article that summarizes all the others, and it will summarize all the information that will help you learn to relax.

The ability to independently relax is an important skill.

In our busy lives, the ability to relax on your own is a strategically important skill. But, unfortunately, not everyone has this skill and therefore resort to alcohol and all sorts of sedatives and without this they cannot relieve tension. These people are convinced that their tension is caused by the stressful environment around them, and that, under such circumstances, it is impossible to relax without aids. But that's not true. The amount of stress received per day depends not only on the external environment, but also on your sensitivity to stress and your ability to maintain a relaxed internal state amid the external hustle and bustle. Therefore, it is important not only to be able to relax during rest, but also to be calm during the day, letting in as little stress and negativity as possible. And the less tension we get, the easier it will be for us to relax later.

Many people forget about this and, having tried several relaxation techniques, they fail because the tension is too great. Therefore, here we will learn not only relaxation techniques, but also how to maintain a relaxed state throughout the day.

If you get used to relaxing with the help of alcohol, then your body gradually loses its ability to withstand stress. This happens, firstly, due to the fact that alcohol destroys the nervous system, and, secondly, because, having become accustomed to doping, to an easy and quick means of relief, you lose the ability to independently bring yourself to a calm state and, when you don't drink, your anxiety level goes up.

It is important to be able to suppress nervousness in yourself and extinguish accumulated tension. A tense and nervous person is like a car moving at high speed, which is very difficult to control: one careless effort directed at the steering wheel, and the car begins to move from side to side, losing its balance. When you are nervous, it is difficult for you to control yourself and everything does not go at all the way you want it to: you lose your thoughts, make unnecessary movements, speak very quickly, and stammer. In general, you “skid” in every possible way when turning.

A relaxed person drives at a reasonable speed, which allows him to deftly maneuver around obstacles without missing a single traffic light or warning. When you are relaxed, everything works out better for you, the way you want. In addition, a relaxed body, like a slow car, uses much less energy than a body that is constantly stressed. And if you are relaxed all day, then the rest of your strength and good mood remains in the evening.

“The slower you go, the further you will go,” says popular wisdom. The less tense you are and the more relaxed you are, the less you get sick and, accordingly, the longer you live, since many diseases are associated with the state of the nervous system.

How to achieve such relaxation? The following articles will help you with this. You can familiarize yourself with them or read the conclusions from them, which I will give below. The conclusions will concern only theory; we will deal with practice in the next part of this step. If you are eager to learn about the basic relaxation techniques, go straight to practice, it is presented below in the article, especially since I outlined the main theoretical conclusions in this step.

Theory

Elective

If the reason you cannot relax is constant nervous haste, impulsiveness, constantly distracted attention, difficulty sitting in one place for a long time, then I recommend reading this article.

If you are nervous a lot, then I advise you to read this article, as nervousness creates tension.

Conclusions from the theory

• Stress is your internal reaction to what is happening. And how strong this reaction is depends on you.
• Nervousness and inability to relax only interfere with life.
• Stress and fatigue are easier to prevent than to prevent!
• The fact that you can’t relax without alcohol and other drugs is a lie.
• Alcohol is one of the most harmful and dangerous drugs. It has a destructive effect on the body. This is far from the most suitable means of relaxation.

Practice. We master relaxation techniques.

The practice, as usual, will be divided into days and should be done gradually. Every few days we will master one of the relaxation techniques. In addition, there will be daily tips to help you relax as you go through your day. The goal of the practice is to try various relaxation techniques yourself and make sure that our body can relax on its own, you just need to set yourself up correctly. The program is designed to help you gradually learn to relax, its schedule will help you control yourself, following the plan I have established. This is much more effective than doing things haphazardly.

But if you don’t want to follow the plan, then from here you can get a lot of useful information about relaxation methods. But still, I recommend conducting an experiment on yourself and studying according to a schedule, this will also help you live an unusual week for you and add variety to your life.

During the practice of this step (7 days), completely eliminate alcohol consumption. If you smoke, then reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke daily by at least 1.5 times, or better yet, by 2 times.

Day 1-3. Mastering diaphragmatic breathing

Let's start with a very effective relaxation technique. This breathing occurs through the rise and fall of the diaphragm, an internal organ that separates the upper torso from the lower. Unlike chest breathing, when you breathe from the diaphragm, it is your belly that moves down and up, not your chest. This breathing allows you to effectively saturate your tissues with oxygen, it provokes a faster release of toxins and helps you relax.

When you are tense, you breathe through your chest at a fast pace, but to relax you need to take deep and slow rhythmic inhalations and exhalations (perhaps this is the reason why a smoker relaxes, inhaling and exhaling smoke - it’s all about breathing.).

How to learn diaphragmatic breathing? Very simple. Sit or lie down. Back straight, look ahead. Place one hand on your chest, the other on your stomach. Breathe. If you use diaphragmatic breathing, your chest should remain in place and your belly should move up and down. In this case, there is no need to forcefully protrude and compress the stomach through muscular effort: tension abdominal cavity must occur due to air expanding the lungs, lowering the diaphragm. The abdominal muscles should be relaxed.

Inhale and exhale as deeply as possible, the duration of which should be equal to each other. You can watch a stopwatch or measure these time intervals by heartbeats. It is not necessary to hold your breath between inhalation and exhalation. Do not be distracted by extraneous thoughts: relaxation also occurs due to the fact that you fix all your attention on your breathing.

Diaphragmatic breathing may not work at first, but it comes with practice. Do this exercise for 3 - 5 minutes. 2-3 times a day, but not immediately after meals. After completing the exercise, pay attention to how you feel, you feel calmer, don’t you? You can breathe like this before an important meeting, in a traffic jam, at work (or after it), when you need to get your head and nerves in order and relax.

A more complex version of the exercise is breathing with a compressed glottis. You need to tense your throat in a special way so that the air enters and leaves you through a narrow gap, then when you inhale and exhale, the sound “xxxxxxx” appears. Thus, the difference in pressure between the air outside and the air inside increases, and the oxygen that fills the stomach begins to put more pressure on its walls. This makes for a more effective massage. internal organs and saturation of tissues with oxygen. This type of breathing is used in yoga. You can try it after you have mastered the basic skills of breathing with your diaphragm.

Additional exercises

From this day on, try to take breaks from work every day (3 - 4 times a day for 10 minutes). During your break, walk around and move around if you have a sedentary job (basically, do an activity completely different from your job). If possible, it is better to go outside and breathe. Think about something else. During a break, you cannot look at the monitor. Get used to taking breaks from work, try to do this always, in the future, and not just while doing the practice from this step.

Train yourself to never rush, even if you are late. Make this a rule for yourself. Haste has a very bad effect on your nervous well-being and is very tiring. When you rush, you actually don't achieve results much faster than if you take your time. You may even lose because you lose focus and composure as a result of rushing.

On one of these three days, take a long walk alone. During it, try to clear your mind of thoughts about the current day, think about something abstract. Look around more, pay attention to what is happening around you and do not become isolated in thoughts about yourself and your experiences. As soon as you catch yourself thinking about today's problems, calmly stop it. Discipline your thinking, it will help you a lot in life.

And I hope you haven't forgotten about meditation? If you haven't read the previous steps, study this step along with it and add meditation to your daily practice.

Day 4. Yoga relaxation techniques

On the fourth day, after reading these materials, try another relaxation technique, while continuing to practice diaphragmatic breathing 2-3 times a day.

In the evening, lie down on the bed (or on a rug, “foam”, on the floor), on your back. Turn your arms palms up, spread them slightly so that the angle between your arm and torso is thirty degrees. Close your eyes; no extraneous sounds should distract you. If you want to relax with music, then it should be very smooth music for relaxation (ambient, calm ethnic music). Begin to slowly stop your attention in turn on each part of the body from the crown to the toes and relax it: crown, eyebrows, mouth, throat, shoulder, left arm: humerus, elbow, forearm, wrist, palm, fingers (you can stop at each separately ) again palm, forearm, elbow, humerus, shoulders, right arm: humerus... And so on we reach the toes. Then we try to relax the whole body.

Observe your thoughts as an outside observer; they should not carry you away. If your attention “floats,” gently bring it back. There is no need to try to stop thoughts and experiences at all costs; your goal is to relax. Just like with meditation. The more you force yourself to relax and not think about anything, the worse you will get at it. Your will should rest, you do not need to direct it to relaxation. In this state you have no will, no desires, no intentions... You just calmly observe.

Spend five to twenty minutes in this position, as long as you need. Come out of it smoothly: while continuing to lie and without opening your eyes, move your toes, then your fingers. Slowly roll onto your side and, helping yourself with your hands, sit down (this is so as not to make sudden muscle efforts). Open your eyes. Assess your condition, compare it with what it was before the practice. Now you feel much more relaxed.

This exercise is also used in yoga to achieve complete relaxation after physical activity. Its principle is that relaxation of the body entails peace of mind.

Now you know how to do this and from now on you use this practice every time you need to relax. You can sometimes replace meditation with it.

Day 5: Go for an easy run

On this day, go for a short run in the evening. What everyone can do. You should be a little tired. Assess your condition after physical activity. You should feel pleasantly tired in your body. At the same time, nervous fatigue should disappear, and your mood and general well-being should be better than it was before. It’s not just that I advise you to evaluate your condition every time. It is important to establish a connection in your brain between meditation, exercise, relaxation techniques and well-being.

When you want to drink alcohol or smoke, you are not drawn to the bottle and cigarette, as such, but to those states (relaxation, satisfaction, calm, good mood) that you achieve with the help of these things. Having a formed connection in your head between the feeling of pleasure (or lack of displeasure) and certain drugs is one of the factors of addiction. The goal of this step is to make sure that you associate pleasure and relaxation with something useful, and not with drugs that are destructive to the body. And awareness of the effect of relaxation techniques and assessment of your condition help to better consolidate the necessary connections in your brain.

This way it will be easier for you to do all this, you will want to do it, as you will have a desire to feel better.

Day 6. Relax with music

In the evening or afternoon, listen to an album or collection of some relaxing music. At the same time, you should not do anything, but only listen. For many people, quietly listening to music is a rather difficult task, since they are used to listening to music “in the background” (while driving in the car, doing work). And in the absence of other external stimuli, this process will seem very boring to them, they will want to interrupt it or do something in parallel. You must ignore this urge. We listen for 40 minutes to an hour, before that we don’t get up. Let's relax. But we remember that we should not force ourselves to enter into relaxation and worry that we are not succeeding. Everything happens by itself.

Day 7. Final exercises

On the last day of your internship, take an hour-long walk or run that is within your ability. Take a mental recap of your last week. Ask yourself, what new things have you learned? What have you learned? Are you able to somehow relax on your own? You should not expect significant progress in just a week, but, in any case, you should feel the acquisition of at least some relaxation skills and feel the effects of the techniques described in this step.

Results

The purpose of this step was not simply to list various relaxation techniques. You should have tried doing them yourself in order to make sure that independent relaxation is possible without auxiliary drugs. And the main thing is that this awareness is fixed within the patterns of your thinking. The purpose of this step is to teach through a live example, and not just to provide information about what relaxation techniques are.

I hope you understand from your own experience that there are many effective, healthy ways of relaxation. And I hope even more that you will continue to implement this new knowledge in your life and not stop when you complete your practice. Good luck to you! Wait for new steps to come out.