Do you feel stressed and tired most of the time? Are you suffering symptoms of stress and fatigue? Learning some easy relaxation techniques can improve your health, reduce your stress and relieve anxiety. If you are constantly tired then learning relaxation skills may improve your sleep patterns. But how do you find the time if you are busy person?

Learning the basics of relaxation for stress relief is not difficult if you practice regularly. There are several key skills that are common to almost all relaxation methods. These are:

Learn To Notice Physical Signs Of Tension
Start paying attention to your body and how it feels at different times of the day. Take a few moments and just notice how your body feels. Is there any tension anywhere? Is your breathing fast or slow? Is it shallow or deep? Do you have a headache or a clenched jaw? Do you feel relaxed or tense? Describe the feelings in your body. This is called a ‘body scan’.

Each person experiences tension in his or her own way. Doing a body scan several times a day will help you get to know your body better. Recognizing signs of stress and tension early is an easy relaxation skill.

Learn To Control Your Breathing

All relaxation techniques include different breathing techniques. Start to pay attention to your breathing and learn to slow it down to 10-12 breaths per minute. Learn how to breathe deeply and slowly, using your abdomen. Yoga and meditation are two methods of learning relaxed breathing styles. Slowing the breathing down is one of the fastest relaxation techniques. It works because it changes the oxygen concentration in your blood. Slowing the breathing rate helps to relax tense muscles.

Notice your breathing during the day. Is it shallow and fast? Does your chest and throat feel tight? Or is it slow and deep? Try to change your breathing and see what effect it has on your level of tension. Don’t take big deep breaths or you may hyperventilate or become light headed which will increase tension.

Learn to slow down your mind

Is your mind always busy and thinking of all the things you still have to do? Do you worry a lot? Many people have trouble “switching off”. Begin to notice when your mind feels more active and when it feels calmer. Practice letting the thoughts come and go without getting ‘hooked’ into them.

It is a common myth that when learning relaxation your mind should be empty of thoughts. This is not true. Even when deeply relaxed most people have thoughts. The difference is that when relaxed you can let them float by and not have to put effort into them. It is a like sitting at a train station. Trains come and go, you notice them but you do not have to get on every train that goes through the station.

Learning to notice body signs of tension, controlling your breathing and slowing down your mind are the basic skills of all relaxation methods. If you practice these each day your ability to relax will quickly improve.

Try these ten easy relaxation tips to feel more relaxed and in control:

1. Take a short break and leave a stressful situation. If you are at work, offer to run an errand or go for a short walk. A few minutes away can help you think clearly and the walk will get rid of some of the tension in your body.
2. Take a break from the activity you are working on and do something different. Sometimes it helps to come back to a stressful task later when you feel more relaxed instead of persevering. If you are at home with small children it is often better to stop when they, and you, become frustrated and take some time out to do something else so everyone can calm down.
3. Listen to relaxing music while you work. Listening to classical or nature music has been shown to lower heart rate and slow breathing. People often report feeling calmer after listening to calming music. Develop the habit of playing music in the background while you work for easy relaxation.
4. Take regular breaks during the day. Spend 5-10 minutes to read something uplifting or humorous, or chat with a friend. Small breaks help to prevent your mind and body from becoming fatigued, a major source of stress.
5. Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is the ability to be fully aware of the present moment. It is a skill that helps to reduce stress and depression. Learning relaxation techniques is a good way to start learning mindfulness. As you gradually become more aware of your body and subtle changes that occur with relaxation your ability to notice small changes will improve. Start by spending 5 minutes a day just sitting in the quite noticing the sights, sounds and bodily sensations you are having. You can also learn mindfulness through meditation techniques.
6. Change your focus. As people feel more stressed their attention becomes focused on what they believe to be the cause of their stress and they ignore other information. Write down the things that were good about the day. Keep a gratitude journal.
7. Have a hot bath or shower. This will help to get rid of the tension in your muscles that is a normal result of stress.
8. Write down the things that are worrying you. If you are worried it is very difficult to relax easily. Once you have written them down then see how much control you have over them. Can you take any action to solve the problem or are you worrying about things that are out of your control. Worry is a habit that can be helped by learning effective relaxation techniques.
9. Keep things in perspective. Ask yourself ‘how important is it?’ ‘How important will it be in a year’s time?’ Many of the things that cause stress are not important when we look at the big picture.
10. Slow your breathing and purposefully relax your body for quick results.