Relaxation Therapies

 Relaxation Techniques

 A. Deep Breathing Exercise

 A.1 Set a baseline

 This is not part of the technique but it will give you a reference point of how you are breathing. Lie on your back and time yourself for 60 seconds. All you have to do is count the number of breaths you are taking in that 60 second time period. Write down the number of breaths you are currently taking in one minute. Now that you have that completed you can begin with your breathing exercise. After you complete the breathing exercise you will time yourself again and compare it to the baseline when you started. This is a powerful way to see the difference proper breathing can make in anxiety. Notice how you feel once you get the numbers down. Practice this and record your results. 

Sample Chart

 Breathing Exercise

People who are suffering from anxiety or panic attacks tend to breath through their mouths and chest, taking shallow breaths sort of like a dog panting. This exercise will help you to take control of your breathing and with practice you will train yourself to breathe this way without even thinking about it at all. This is a simple, easy technique that you can use anytime you feel anxious. 

It is important to complete this exercise while breathing through your nose, it takes practice, don’t get discouraged.

Lie on your back in a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed.

Place your hands on your stomach (it is important to do this so you can feel your stomach rise and fall with each breath).

Take a slow deep breath through your nose on the count 1-2-3, then release 1-2-3. Take note of your hands on your stomach and if completed properly you should feel your stomach rise and fall with each cycle.

Continue this exercise for 5 minutes.

Take breathing count for 60 seconds

Record

Complete 3 times per day or use when feeling anxious.

 If feeling panicked keep practicing, practice makes perfect. You can also use positive self talk while doing this exercise. Choose a positive word and repeat it while you are inhaling and exhaling. It is ok if you have difficulty not letting your mind wander, again practice makes perfect!

 B. Progressive Muscle Relaxation

 I like this technique as you are completing 2 positive tasks at the same time. First you are relieving stress and gaining relaxation and secondly you are toning your muscles and getting exercise. Again this is a simple activity that gives great results. I suffer from severe arthritis and used this exclusively to gain back leg strength enough to walk again! This is similar to isometrics that are used by athletes and rehabilitation centres to assist people to regain muscle strength in their bodies. If any part of your body is causing you pain, skip that part and move on to the next. The key is to give a contraction or gentle squeeze of your muscles and not to give yourself any discomfort. If you are feeling any discomfort you are not doing this exercise properly. Continue to breathe normally and do not hold your breath. 

Progressive Muscle Relaxation Exercise

Find a quiet place to lie down flat on your back with your hands to your sides 

You can also use music at this time you are completing the task, choose music that is soothing, and keep the volume low. 

You can begin from your shoulders and work your way down to your feet or do the opposite. 

In this case we will begin with our faces, yes faces!

 Close your eyes and make a grimace (tighten your forehead and cheek muscles in your face) and hold for 1-2-3-4-5 and relax 1-2-3-4-5. Complete 3 times

Next shrug your shoulders 1-2-3-4-5 and relax 1-2-3-4-5. Complete 3 times

Continue with your Arms-Hands-Chest-Stomach & Back-Buttocks-Thighs-Calves-Feet.

C. Music Therapy

 Music Therapy can be defined as the use of music to induce relaxation and reduce stress decreasing your anxiety. Music can include sounds from nature and some audio files contain subliminal messages that contain positive or calming statements to induce relaxation.

 Music Therapy Exercise

This is very simple to perform. Finding the time to do it is probably the most difficult part of doing it. It is recommended to check your local library for your selection of music as most have a selection of music specifically targeted for this type of activity.

Find a comfortable area to lie down or sit and keep your music volume to a low level. This is also a great time to complete some simple breathing exercises discussed earlier. Commit 15-30 minutes for this activity. 

D. Aromatherapy

The rationale behind this exercise is to use scents to calm or uplift spirits. Most scents are widely available from health food stores to hair salons. Some scents can be found right in your kitchen such as bananas, orange peels, apples, apple cider and vanilla. This technique is commonly combined with others to enhance the relaxation experience. Aromatherapy is commonly used with music therapy, massages therapy, and guided imagery. 

Music Therapy/Aromatherapy Exercise

 This example will use the smell vanilla and any calming music you may have at hand. Many libraries have a variety of self help cd and DVD’s that can be loaned out for free. The whole idea is to utilize the self help techniques that do not cost you loads of money and are effective to the individual.

Using a lamp that has not been turned on place a couple of drops of vanilla on the light bulb. When the light bulb is switched on the warmth of the bulb enhances the smell of the vanilla filling the room with a pleasant scent. When using music it is important to keep the volume low as not to over stimulate yourself. The idea is to provide background music to induce relaxation. If you find yourself tapping your feet to the music then you are most likely using the wrong music. After you have turned on the music and a nice aroma has filled the air it is a good idea to become comfortable in the lying or sitting position. You can use breathing, meditation, guided imagery at this time to enhance your relaxation session. Continue this activity for 15-30 minutes giving yourself 5 minutes at the end of the session to slowly regroup before moving on with your day. This is a good time to “listen” to what your body is doing while in this relaxed state. Note the difference of how you felt before and after the exercise. Be aware of the sensations you are feeling while completing the activity. This is a great learning activity as when we suffer from anxiety we are so in tune with our negative self talk and body tension that we forget what a relaxed body and mind feel like. You can recall this experience at times when you are feeling anxious and not able to complete this exercise through positive memory recall. Basically invoking the sensations you were feeling during the exercise by recalling the positive experience through memory.