Play a tune on the guitar and sing along. That works even in the worst of times. By the time I’m done with the song, I’ve breathed deep, I’ve controlled myself to some degree to be able to sing on key :-), and I’ve come back into myself, and more into the real time moment.

Internet Discussion Forum

 

Music and be a great way to relax.  I am definitely not a great musician but I do love listening to different kinds of music.  Singing along also helps me to become more relaxed.  Usually at first I don’t feel like singing along or I think that I am too tired but once I get going it is fun and relaxing.  Because everyone has different taste in music be sure to listen to music that is relaxing to you.  This is important because listen to music that you don’t like can actually cause you to become more stressed.

The perfect example of music making you more stressed is when I used to make my mom go shopping with me and stores that would play really loud music.  She would do in as long as she could stand it then would make me stand in line to buy the clothes while she waited outside.  I always thought this sort of action was a little extreme, but loud unwelcome music can be a huge stressor, especially if you are trying to relax by going shopping or spending some time away from a busy schedule.

Music Therapy

Loud Music in Stores Bothering You? You Are not Alone

 

Another common way I have realized that I relieve stress is by getting away from the grind of the world and doing an activity that can take me away. For example, a walk, a drive in the car, or a relaxing bath are all ways that can be very useful to help forget the problems of the day and for the moment, and hopefully after as well, be in your own little place where you can think clearly, or not think at all.

TV actually is not a good way to relieve stress. With the commercials flashing around, and the bad news that usually accompanies the news and other stations, it has been shown that TV actually raises stress levels. So get away from the media aspect of life and try to clear your head in a calming situation.

Alternative to Watching Television

 

Another good method to relive stress is to work out.  Because I have been swimming competitively for many years I have a lot of experience with this one.  Working out is one way that I know I will be able to leave my stress behind.  Working out also releases endorphins so that you feel good all day long.  It makes me feel more awake and happier.  This is one of the best kinds of stress release.  Some find that it can be difficult to fit a work out in when they have a busy schedule, but I do think that that is it a worth while effort.

Any kind of physical activity can be helpful.  It does not necessarily need to be a work out.  It can be a game or dancing or anything that gets your body moving and active.  Being active also aids in being able to sleep soundly during the night.  Taking care of your body with in turn help you achieve better emotional health.

Bear Treadmill

The next method for relaxation is the power nap or catnap.  This short nap will add with memory, alertness, mood, and lowering stress.  The perfect time for a power nap is debatable an seems to vary depending on the individual, but most agree that a good length for a power nap is around 15 minutes.  If you sleep any longer the body will go into the third sleep cycle, this can be counter productive because it can take as long as 30 minutes to “wake up” again.

This method is another that I really like.  As long as I don’t sleep for too long a catnap really helps me regain focus.  I do find that this one can also be frustrating though when I have a hard time falling asleep.  If this is the case I usually go to a progressive muscle relaxation technique instead.

Power Nap

So far this has been my favorite relaxation technique, probably because I tend to hold a lot of muscle tension. The video focuses on feeling the difference between tension and relaxation in your muscles. It makes relaxation more noticeable when you first tense up your muscles in a particular area and then release that tension to feel the complete relaxation of that area.

One of the problems that I do have with this technique is I tend to fall asleep before I finish the entire routine. However, I feel like this is not a problem because if I am relaxed enough to fall asleep, then I am at the level of relaxation that I should be at and as my grandpa has always told me, there is more than one way to skin a cat.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

The next relaxation technique that I tried was making myself laugh by watching some of the funny YouTube videos that are also posted on this blog. The definitely made me laugh which in turn relieved me of my stress. Laughter truly is a medicine for physical and emotion health. Not only does laughing help relieve stress, it also burns calories and releases endorphins which are all good things.

This is one of my most often used stress release techniques. I never really considered it a stress relief technique but now I can see that it is a good way to take a time out from life and have a laugh. With the joys of the internet, especially YouTube, it is extremely easy to have this access. Life is to be enjoyed, so if you are feeling overwhelmed, take a minute to laugh.

The second relaxation technique that I tried was a video on breathing techniques. For me this video was slightly more relaxing than the first video that I tried. The deep breathing techniquies helped me open my lungs and “release”. Still, a little on the cheesy side by more effective for me personally. I feel more relaxed than I did before.

I would recommend this video to others who need a break in their day to de-stress. Even if you don’t have the video with you, the technique is rather simple and can be done in any environment, minus the chanting of “release” in public places.

Breathing Relaxation Video

For my first blog post I thought it would be helpful to try out some of the relaxation techniques that I found online.  I tried a video with soothing music and images.  I thought that the video was kind of cheesy.  I could see how it would be useful in a situation where I was really stressed out and need to escape the office or something like that but to relieve everyday stresses I find it impractical.  It would make nice background music though.  I could see something like this being very useful for someone else but for me I just couldn’t let go enough to get fully relaxed and into the video.  Maybe I just need some more practice since I am pretty new at this relaxation thing.

Give this a try for yourself though and see how you like it.  If you are not feeling it then I will provide other methods you might like more.  Sometimes it is good to do many different types of relaxation exercises so that you will be able to focus more and not get into a rut doing the same routine technique.

Stress Management Techniques