Relaxation Exercises

Relaxation exercises are helpful in calming you down when you are
stressed, anxious or distraught. They also help to reduce depression
and insomnia.
For our purposes we will focus on four relaxation techniques that are
known to be effective and easy to learn and practice.

Deep Breathing / Diahragmetic Breathing

Sit down or lie down comfortably.

Put your hand on your abdomen.

Breathe in slowly, counting to 4 or 5.

Hold your breath for about 2 seconds,

Exhale slowly, counting to 5 or 5.

Repeat the process for 10 to 15 minutes

Please use the form below to track your breathing exercises and how they affected you:

Day Did you practice today? How long? How did you feel How did you feel
before? after?

1 Yes No

2 Yes No
3 Yes No

4 Yes No
5 Yes No

6 Yes No
7 Yes No
 Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)

Progressive muscle relaxation is a two-step process that involves systematically tensing and
relaxing muscle groups.

Creating muscle tension followed by relaxation allows your muscles to achieve a more relaxed
state than they were in previously.
When your muscles are relaxed, you feel relaxed!

Exercise Instruction:

Step 1

• Find a comfortable position, either sitting or lying down, in a quiet space.

• Loosen any tight clothing, close your eyes.
Step 2:
• Set the tone for the session: this is about focusing on you and relaxing specific body muscles.
• Remind yourself to let your thoughts come and go without focusing on them.

Step 3:
• Tense and relax each muscle group in the order below:
• o Forehead -Wrinkle your forehead. Try to make your eyebrows touch your hairline for five seconds.
. Relax.
• o Eyes and nose -Close your eyes as tightly as you can for five seconds. Relax.
• o Lips, cheeks and jaw -Tighten your face muscles and grimace for five seconds. Relax.
• o Hands -Extend your arms in front or above you. Clench your fists tightly for five seconds. Relax.
• o Forearms -Extend your arms out against an invisible wall and push forward with your hands for five
seconds. Relax.
• o Upper arms -Bend your elbows. Tense your biceps for five seconds. Relax. Feel the anxiety and
tension disappearing, Relax
• o Shoulders -Shrug your shoulders up to your ears for five seconds. Relax.
• o Back -Arch your back for five seconds. Relax. Feel the anxiety and tension disappearing.
• o Stomach -Tighten your stomach muscles for five seconds. Relax.
• o Hips and buttocks -Tighten your hip and buttock muscles for five seconds. Relax.
• o Thighs -Tighten your thigh muscles by pressing your legs together as tightly as you can for five
seconds. Relax
• o Feet -Bend your ankles toward your body as far as you can for five seconds. Relax.
• o Toes -Curl your toes as tightly as you can for five seconds. Relax.

Step 4:
• Focus on any muscles that still feel tense.
• Tighten and relax each tense muscle group three or four times.

Step 5:

• Notice your sense of relaxation.

Notes

How did you feel?

After First Practice Date:

Second Practice Date:

Third Practice Date:

Fourth Practice Date:

Fifth Practice Date:

Sixth Practice Date:

Seventh Practice Date:

Guided Imagery
In this technique the goal is to visualize yourself in a peaceful setting.

-¢-Lie on your back with your eyes closed.

-¢-Imagine yourself in a favorite, peaceful place. The place may be on a sunny

beach with the ocean breezes caressing you, swinging in a hammock in the
mountains or in your own backyard. Any place you find peaceful and relaxing is
ok.

-¢-Imagine you are there. See and feel your surroundings, hear the peaceful
sounds, smell the flowers or the barbecue, feel the warmth of the sun and any
other sensations that you find. Relax and enjoy it.

-¢-You can return to this place any time you need to. As you use this place
more and more you will find it easier to relax or fall sleep as this becomes your
conditioner.

-¢-To help you sleep, some patients find it useful to visualize something boring.
This may be a particularly boring teacher, lecturer, coworker or friend.

Meditation - A simple meditation exercise

 Sit comfortably, cross your legs and close your eyes. Circle fingers, connecting middle finger
and thumb. Take deep breaths in and out, while focusing on your breath. Think of the sun or
anything that brings joy, coming into your life.

 Take a deep breath in, hold it, and exhale slowly. Focus on an aspect of your breathing, such
as the sensation of air flowing into your nostrils and out of your mouth or your belly rising
and falling as you inhale and exhale.

 Once you have narrowed your concentration in this way, begin to widen your focus.

 Become aware of sounds, sensations and ideas.

 Embrace and consider each thought or sensation without judging it as good or bad. If
your mind starts to race, return your focus to your breathing. Then expand your
awareness again