Many of us are unaware of the state of being stressful.
We believe we are perfectly well both physically and mentally. There is a lot of confusion with the terms anxiety, stress, and fear. Some think they are all same. Considering the behavior and actions as "normal"; people resort to smoking, drinking and violence not acknowledging the fact that it is something called 'stress' that is driving people to seek solace in those things.
It is a common tendency to fill the mind with all sorts of garbage. Hatred, vengeance, envy, jealousy, greed, anger etc. dominate the thoughts of people forcing their brains to produce chemical substances that eventually induce more stress. There is only very little place for positive emotions in a polluted mind. Some people were forced to live like this because of the particular environment they were living in. Some just drift unknowingly into a maddening and stressful life for no reason.
It is interesting to note that many super successful, high-level achievers lead a very stressful life. One might wonder -
"is the high level of stress an accompaniment of success! ?"
The truth is that Stress exists in every one of us, even the children are not spared, the level of it may vary from people to people though. Rich and the poor alike suffer from this problem.
Some stress is normal but its level should be within the normal range. But our stress levels shoot up most of the time and it becomes uncontrollable. Few people start doing some remedy to counter stress at an early stage but majority seek a remedy or outlet rather late. It is better to start remedial measures as early as possible; the response then would be better. Earlier the better!
Our body and mind need a lot of fine tuning just like the machines. The only difference is it is much more delicate and intricate than them. There is no operating manual or handbook available for humans that is universally acceptable for such a purpose. What works for me may not work for you.
- How to relax our body and mind?
- How to unwind?
- How to control stress?
The following technique worked well for me. Allow me to share it with you.
If you think you really have a serious problem it is better to seek professional help. Always remember that nothing else will substitute professional help.
Those who have not practiced some form of relaxation techniques before will have to lie down and practice when they feel like doing it any time suitable for them. They must get the feel of 'relaxation', only then will they be able to apply the method to relax when they feel stressed out in day-to-day life.
Always keep in mind "practice makes one perfect".
Now let us begin.
First I will describe the method for those who are going to do this for the first time. This is meant for those who have not experienced any sort of relaxation before or who have just begun to realize the problem of stress and its seriousness.
The whole process may take about 20 to 30 minutes.
Select a place where no one will disturb you. The place should be comfortable. It should be calm, quiet, peaceful and clean. This can be indoors or outdoors. The setting may preferably be natural if possible. I need not tell you how relaxed we become without any effort on our part if we go to a beach or to a place of abundant natural beauty. Mother Nature makes us relaxed automatically! I have highlighted this fact so many times in the posts on this blog.
Lie down on a soft bed or any surface where you will feel comfortable. Wear loose clothes. Jewelry etc. may be removed. No music or any form of electronic activity in the vicinity, please! Some dislike music in any form, some might like! Individual preferences, of course!
First, you may lie down on your back. You can use a mattress if needed. Use a neck and head pillow if you like or use pillows under your knees if you have discomfort or some ailment in the knees or legs. The most important thing is that you must feel good in this position. So make yourself comfortable, in any position you like.
Once you have attained some grip on your performance you can lie sideways or on your tummy with face turned to one side and practice relaxation. Gain control over your mood in whatever positions you want to lie down.
Some people tend to fall asleep the moment they lie down. For those, I recommend relaxation in the sitting position.
Once you are comfortable close your eyes and breathe deeply. Just be aware of your breathing process. Inhale and exhale deeply. Concentrate on your breath. This breathing process should be effortless and slow. Try to imagine that you are filling your mind and body with the vital energy through this type of breathing.
Find a keyword, for eg: "Relax", "Cool" etc. Chant it slowly, really imagining the meaning in a detailed way. Feel it. Let the energy fill you wholly. Relaaaaaaaaax...!
This method of diverting the direction of thought processes to something pleasant makes us feel better giving a break to the production of stress-producing chemical substances in the brain. The vicious circle of 'bad thoughts - more bad chemicals - more stress - more bad thoughts' is broken giving relief to the mind and body.
Now try to deepen the level of relaxation you just now have experienced. Slowly and effortlessly breathe in and out.
Now loosen the tight muscles in the body. Concentrate on each and every inch in the body and try to loosen.
Imagine that you are feeling weightlessness as though you were in Space.
- You are feeling light.
- You feel secure and safe.
- You feel confident.
- You feel better.
- You feel like you are getting what you wanted in life.
- All your wishes are getting fulfilled.
- You feel great happiness.
Deepen this state of relaxation further and further. Loosen more. Slowly chant the keyword. Avoid getting into sleep.
This is a
state of 'active' relaxation. You are in control, your mind is under your control. Your body is under your control. Your mind and body are now stress-free. Good!
Once you feel like you are better, slowly come back to reality. Open your eyes slowly. Move your limbs slowly. Turn over to one side and get up. Return to the normal activities of daily living. This phase is also equally important like that of relaxation; slowly come out of it. Take your time!
Never rush through this process.
Practice this daily as much as you can. You can do this anytime you want whenever you feel like doing it.
Once you have learned the technique of relaxation you are going to apply it during the daytime when you need it while doing the activities of daily living. The moment you feel some external stimulus like an environmental event or emotion inducing stress in yourself apply relaxation technique to calm yourself. This state of relaxation is going to become your normal state sooner.
Now let us train in a different way.
Sit on a chair wearing your work clothes. Don't loosen the buttons.
Keep the palms facing up on your thighs with elbows bent. Feet on the floor.
You can keep your footwear. If you wear spectacles, keep them if you like.
Here we are simulating your work environment where you are likely to experience a lot of stress.
Concentrate on your breathing. Inhale and exhale deeply, slowly and smoothly. Imagine everything like you did in the above session that I have described. Relax. Feel better. Feel confident. Feel calm and cool. Narrate the keyword. Let it resonate in your mind. Chant it.
After some time, once you feel better, slowly come out of this state and engage in the activities of daily living. As days go by, with more and more practice, you will notice that you have slowed down your pace in life and is feeling more in control of your thought processes. You will feel that you are tackling challenges in a cool and relaxed way. Now you want to win over the challenges or solve problems. Thus you will enjoy that winning feeling.
You are sure to win. You are a winner!
Practice this and get more control upon yourself. With more and more practice you will be able to attain better control upon your emotions thereby reducing stress.
You can also do this at your workstation if you have privacy. If not, don't practice this while at work but once you attain some sort of control you can relax just by thinking about the keyword. Induce relaxation by chanting your keyword in your mind while at work when you feel stress. Your breathing becomes regular, you relax and feel better. Negative thoughts just disappear. You become cool in no time. A smile appears on your face.
Now try to be
actively relaxed, calm, cool, well adjusted, balanced, with better control of your life, confident, secure, and contented all the time. Practice being in this relaxed attitude always. Anytime, anywhere you need, induce relaxation by chanting the keyword in your mind. Feel the wave of relaxation sweep through your mind and body. Practice more and more. Train your mind and body.
- Don't allow stress to build up.
- Anytime you feel too much pressure, take deep breaths, or take a short break and relax.
- Put some real effort to loosen up.
- Try not to be angry.
- Cultivate a positive attitude.
- Radiate warmth.
- Never allow destructive criticisms to affect you badly.
- Wipe off negative influences as quickly as possible.
- Repel negative vibes. Don't pollute your mind, be kind to yourself.
- Try to get out of the artificial environment and enjoy the beauty of nature at least for sometime every day.
- Wear comfortable clothing always that makes us relaxed.
- Tight clothes and stilettos may be fashionable but those make us uncomfortable.
- Exposure to electronic machinery can induce stress. Limit it. Take short breaks to calm yourselves.
- Too much TV, music that is too loud, smoking (both active and passive), alcohol, drugs etc. are all bad, they make you more stressful ultimately.
- Jokes, humor, and laughter are good but avoid making fun of people and enjoying at the expense of others' peace of mind.
- Let everyone be a winner.
- Sleep well.
- Avoid comparisons. Never compare, you are unique !
- Limit listening to the so-called 'advisors and 'Didn't I tell you? You never listened'...type of people.
- Limit social media :)
- Practice, practice, practice...
Good luck!
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