Relaxation techniques for anxiety

Your body and your mind are closely connected in a way that many people don’t always realise; emotions affect you physically, but it’s equally true that addressing these physical symptoms can also make you feel better emotionally. Here is a very simple relaxation exercise that uses this principle to help you relax anywhere, whether at work, whilst driving, at home or out with friends or colleagues.

Quick relaxation techniques for anxiety and stress

Stress affects your body in a large number of different ways. If you’re stressed, then it’s likely that you have tensed various muscle groups without even realising it. You may be frowning, your back, neck and shoulders are probably tight (all of which can lead to stress headaches, back and neck pain), and your stomach muscles may be tensed, which has the effect of hunching you over and causing postural problems and other aches and pains. If you are driving, you may find yourself gripping the wheel with white knuckles, leaving your fingers aching. Your breathing will probably be fast and shallow, too.

Although these are the result of stress, there is a feedback process which means that changing the messages that your mind is receiving about the way your body feels physically can also have an emotional impact – your mind associates those typical physical stress sensations with emotional anxiety. This is the reason why drinking coffee can make you feel anxious: caffeine mimics the effects of adrenaline, a stress hormone, and your mind then looks for a reason for feeling on-edge. (On a lighter note, it’s also the reason why some people find words like ‘duck’ funny, a phenomenon called facial feedback: it’s hard to pronounce the letter ‘k’ without smiling, and your mind associates the physical act of smiling with feeling happy.)

Start by paying conscious attention to the muscle groups you have involuntarily tensed, and relax them one by one. Often the best way to do this is to tense them deliberately and briefly, as hard as you can. Sit or strand up straight with your head up, breathing slowly and deeply, just as you would if you were relaxed, confident and in control – which is what you want to be feeling. Relax your face, and perhaps smooth a hand over your forehead, which is probably creased with frown lines.

All of this has the effect of sending positive messages back to your subconscious mind, reassuring you that you are capable of dealing with the situation. Although you will probably have to keep reminding yourself to pay attention to the way stress is affecting you physically, this can be a useful quick-fix to help reduce the effects of stress temporarily.

Deeper relaxation

This exercise uses mental and physical techniques to relax you more deeply. It’s best used when you need to relax properly, perhaps at the end of the day or when you have plenty of time and will not be rushed. You should make sure you are not going to be disturbed, and that your surroundings are calm and quiet, without harsh lights. You could also put on some soothing music, or a relaxation CD.

Start by relaxing your body. Take your shoes off and lie down somewhere comfortable. Beginning with your feet, tense every muscle group hard for a few seconds, in order to relax them deliberately when you stop. Work up through your calves, legs, buttocks, stomach, arms and hands, shoulders, neck and face, until you have consciously relaxed your whole body.

Next, imagine a familiar and calming object – perhaps a flower such as a rose. Visualise it in detail, paying attention to the colours, the way the light plays on the surface and on the droplets of water on the petals.

After a minute or so, bring to mind the people you care about the most – close friends and family, a partner and anyone else important to you. After another minute, return to the visualisation of the rose. Then bring to mind the set of people next most close to you, perhaps including other friends and family members, and work colleagues you care about. After returning to the visualisation of the rose a third time, bring to mind anyone else important to you for a minute, again finishing with the rose.

These are good relaxation techniques for anxiety and stress to calm your body and focus your mind on the people who are most important to you, but it’s best employed when you have plenty of time to yourself.

Anxiety treatments

These exercises are useful techniques to use occasionally, but if you are suffering from chronic anxiety you may benefit from a more comprehensive course to tackle the condition. The Linden method is one such course. You can read StressingOut’s review of The Linden Method here, or Purchase The Linden Method here.