Relaxation techniques can modify your feelings. This happens because relaxation changes your reaction to a situation, your thoughts, feelings and the physical symptoms that you experience.
The diagrams below help to explain this.
When relaxation techniques are practised, you can use them to change your thoughts, feelings and behaviour, breaking the cycle of stress or anxiety.
Each person will find different relaxation techniques helpful. At the bottom of this page are some exercises, which focus on different areas, that you might find helpful. Try them and see which works best for you.
Some relaxation exercises reverse what is happening in the body during the fight or flight response so that it is gradually stopped. When the response is stopped, the body can stop acting as if it’s in danger.
Some relaxation exercises help to take your thoughts away from the stress, worry or anxiety to something more calming and pleasant.
Some relaxation exercises help to release tension from your body so that you can change how you act.
Try to notice when you are getting stressed. You might notice tension in your body, changes in your thoughts, or changes in what you feel motivated to do. If you notice that you are stressed, try to do something before the feelings become very strong. It can be easier to manage feelings of stress before they gain strength.
This is a calming breathing technique for stress, anxiety and panic. It takes just a few minutes and can be done anywhere.
This teaches you how to relax your muscles. You systematically tense particular muscle groups in your body, then release the tension and notice how your muscles feel when you relax them.
This exercise can help you to develop and use experiences of inner warmth, safeness and soothing, via compassion and self-compassion.
This is an imagery and visualisation technique. These are used within many therapeutic approaches to relax, improve mood states, and reduce distress associated with traumatic memories.
