How to relax after a stressful day?
Nowadays due to certain work pressure and other office related things, I usually find myself too stress.
I wonder if any techniques can help me to get rid of this stress and improve my health.
I did some research and found 3 most useful as well as easy to learn techniques. I am sharing 3 techniques here.
Do anyone of the mentioned techniques and get rid of stress and stress-related problems.
How to relax after a stressful day?
Diaphragmatic Breathing
Most of the people breathe from the chest, which causes shallow breathing and which in turn decreases the amount of oxygen.
The better way of breathing is, you need to use your diaphragm.
Breathing through the diaphragm is used by athletes, sportsmen, actors, singers and Buddist Monks. The reason is when breathing through your diaphragm it helps you to give more oxygen.
How to Breathe through diaphragm?
The diaphragm is located right under the chest cavity, in the upper part of your stomach.
When you breathe through the diaphragm, your chest will barely come out.
Process of Diaphragmatic Breathing.
- Lie down on the floor with Kneed bent with feet or you can sit on chair or table, refer the image.
- Take one hand and place it on your stomach and another on your chest.
- Take three deep breaths. Inhale from your nose and exhale from your mouth.
- Observe which hand or hands moving, if your chest or both hands are moving that states that you are using your neck muscles instead of the diaphragm.
- Now, Take another nice deep breath from your nose and visualize air coming through your back of the throat, to your chest and till your stomach.
- And then release the air from your stomach, to your chest and exhale from your mouth.
- Make sure only your stomach moves not your chest.
Watch Video Here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xQJ2O4b5TM
While doing this exercise in sitting position you will struggle a bit more since you have to fight with gravity also.
You may first want to do this while lying down and then go for the sitting position.
This exercise can be done anywhere right? You can do it in your office, while stuck in traffic and at home.
Autogenic Technique
Once you have mastered the diaphragm breathing technique you can try Dr. Johannes Heinrich Schultz.’s “Autogenic Technique” for relaxation.
It is one of the best techniques to reduce stress, control physical sensation and sleep better.
There are several ways this technique positively have helped, clinical researches have shown “Autogenic” techniques helped people with ulcer and hypertension also.
Now let me guide through the process.
- Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed during this exercise.
- Sit down on a comfortable chair with your back straight.
- Breathe as per the diaphragm process and be relax.
- Gently focus on your body and all muscles, let them loose and feel relax.
- Concentrate on your one arm and say “my arm is warm and heavy” repeat it three times slowly and with a gap of few moments in each turn.
- Concentrate on other arm and repeat step 5
- Concentrate on your legs and say “my legs are warm and heavy” repeat it three times slowly and with a gap of few moments in each turn.
- Enjoy this relaxation and change your focus to Chest/solar plexus and say ” my solar plexus is warm…” 3 times
- Say this to yourself ” I am relaxed and I feel calm….” 3 times
- Now focus on your heartbeat and say ” My heartbeats are calm and regular…” 3 times
- Now focus on the stomach and say ” my stomach is warm and soft….” 3 times
- Focus on the forehead and say ” my forehead is cool and calm…” 3 times
- Finally, say ” I am calm and comfortable…” 3 times
- Take a few deep breaths and allow yourself to relax.
You may struggle initially but with continuous practice and dedication, you can master at it.
Try to do it for 30 to 60 days for 3 times a day.
Progressive Relaxation Technique
Remember this, If you change your physiology that also changes your emotion and your way of thing.
This method was developed by Edmond Jacobson, in 1920.
“An anxious mind cannot exist in a relaxed body.” – Edmund Jacobson
Things to consider before conducting this exercise please keep following in mind.
- This exercise ideally lasts for 20 to 25 minutes, more than 25 minutes can make you fall asleep.
- Exercise with the system, it will help you to create it as a habit.
- Make sure none disturb you.
Process of Progressive Relaxation Technique
- Take two deep breaths as per diaphragm exercise, Now tighten the fists of both hands. Feel the tension in your hands. keep it like that for around 5 seconds and then release. Give yourself some moment to feel the relaxation in your both hands.
- Now use you both hands, clench muscle of both hand, bring your hands to shoulder, moving forearms to shoulder. (Making Biceps). hold for 5 seconds and then release.
- Now shoulders clench them, hold for 5 seconds and then release.
- Raise your eyebrows and wrinkle your forehead. Hold… and release.
- Clench your eyelids and all the muscles around your eyes and face. hold … and release.
- Grit your teeth while strongly pushing your tongue to your palate. Hold…and then relax.
- Clench the muscles of your neck. Wait a while… and let go. Do it twice, as neck muscles are tenser.
- Strongly clench your back muscles. Hold… and release.
- Take a deep breath, hold the air and clench your breast muscles. Hold, then release the muscle tension when you exhale.
- Tense your abdominal muscles. Hold… and release the tension.
- Tense your buttocks. Hold… and release.
- Clench your legs muscles. Start with your thighs, then proceed to calves. Hold and release.
- Tense all the muscles of your feet, aiming your toes in the direction of your face. Hold it…release it.
- Clench your toes, strongly tensing all the muscles. Hold the tension… and let go.
- Consciously feel the state in which your body is right now. Fully feel the deep relaxation you’re in right now. If even a single muscle part is still tense – clench it strongly and release after a few seconds.
- Relish this relaxation state for a few minutes, take nice deep breaths and when you are ready just open your eyes.
Watch a similar video here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpKadO6fJQQ
You can do this exercise anytime, anywhere. You may choose to work on more muscle groups simultaneously.
You can do this while cooking, washing dishes or working on the computer.
How can I implement this?
It is very simple to start taking action right now.
I would recommend you challenge yourself for 7 days, 21 days and increase the number of challenges to make it a habit.
Which techniques you are going to try? Share your experience in a comment.
Read our other posts here- https://nlpsure.com/how-to-deal-with-anger/