How to Relax, Cope with Stress and Reduce Tension

This popular exercise can be a great tool for you to use to control tension and enhance relaxation in both your mind and body.

Source: relaxwithnature.com

Step 1 The Begining

It will probably be most useful to you if you or a friend would tape record the following exercise and listen to it rather than to just try to read and remember the various parts of the exercise.

Read the exercise slowly with pauses to allow the relaxation to occur. If you do make a tape for yourself, please remember to use it only when you are sitting or lying comfortably at home or where you are not needing to be involved in an activity requiring you to be fully alert.

Do not use the tape while operating any kind of machinery, including cars. One of the main activities suggested in this exercise involves alternatively tensing and relaxing muscle groups. Put enough tension into the muscles to make them tense, but not enough to cause pain. Feeling pain means that you are tensing too much.

Comments

[dream of dmt]

this is definitly a great able.

[lawizeg]

Wow! i just did this, i feel a whole lot better. I love the pictures.

[JettyMae]

I just did this and its really, really relaxing. I loved the first picture the best(didn't want to feel left out w/ everybody else commenting on the lovely choices of pictures) te te.

[monkey666]

you know the thrid picture.... that just destracted me with "man thats hot!"

[Obsessive]

For a moment I though the main picture was a prick of blood. Then I though this whole Instructable was about cutting yourself to cope with stress! Silly me. Jumping to conclusion like that.

[jason kb]

yo ilike3 the girl woohooo

[GorillazMiko]

Nice. I like that last picture with the flower growing out of the road.