{"id":1023,"date":"2020-04-01T10:54:25","date_gmt":"2020-04-01T10:54:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/as\/aberdeenshireeps\/?page_id=1023"},"modified":"2022-05-30T12:33:59","modified_gmt":"2022-05-30T12:33:59","slug":"relaxation-and-stress-management","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/as\/aberdeenshireeps\/relaxation-and-stress-management\/","title":{"rendered":"Relaxation and Stress Management"},"content":{"rendered":"

When things feel overwhelming or\u00a0 uncertain it can be useful to use some relaxation and stress management tools to help you manage your emotions. They can help you understand what is going on in your mind and body.<\/p>\n

Finding ways to relax that work for you can help you to manage your worries better.\u00a0 It can also improve your sleep and help with some of the physical symptoms that can come with stress, such as headaches or sore stomachs.<\/p>\n

It is important to notice and recognise when your body is telling you it is feeling stress.\u00a0 People can experience this differently but some of the common signs are below:<\/p>\n

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Take a moment to think about what your body is telling you when you are stressed.\u00a0 These are your early warning signs that things are getting tricky and that you might need to use\u00a0 calming strategies.<\/p>\n

Here is a\u00a0video from Mind<\/a> <\/span>with some great ideas of ways to relax. Choose what works for you as there is no right way to do it!<\/p>\n

Some relaxation tools need a bit of practice.\u00a0 Don\u2019t give up if it doesn\u2019t work to begin with! Keep trying and you should start to see the benefits.<\/p>\n

Before you get started, it is good to find a quiet space where you are less likely to be disturbed.\u00a0 Try and find 20-30 minutes to focus if you can, but even 5 minutes can be helpful.<\/p>\n

Breathing techniques<\/h1>\n

One of the main tools for managing stress and anxiety are breathing techniques.\u00a0 There are many different types of breathing exercises that you could do and you can find a simple breathing exercise on the NHS website<\/a><\/u><\/p>\n

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3-4-5 Breathe<\/strong><\/p>\n

This exercise can be very effective for helping with anxiety or stress.\u00a0 It’s very simple.\u00a0 Breathe in for three seconds, hold for four seconds and breathe out for five seconds.\u00a0 When you breathe out for longer than you breathe in, you reduce the signs of being in a stress state i.e. you slow your heart down, reduce the ‘sweaty palms’ feeling etc. and encourage your body to get back in a position where it can manage better.<\/p>\n

Younger children should not hold their breath so they should just breathe out for longer than they breathe in for e.g. breathe in for four counts, breath out for six counts.<\/p>\n

Progressive muscle relaxation<\/h1>\n

This teaches you to relax your muscles through a two-step process.\u00a0 First, you deliberately apply tension to certain muscle groups, then you stop the tension and turn your attention to noticing how the muscles relax as the tension flows away.\u00a0 It is a great technique for reducing overall body tension.<\/p>\n

What to do:<\/p>\n

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  1. Lie down or sit with your back straight and your feet on the floor. Close your eyes or focus on a spot in the distance.<\/li>\n
  2. Begin by tensing all the muscles in your face. Make a tight grimace, close your eyes as tightly as possible, clench your teeth, even move your ears up if you can. Hold this for the count of eight as you breath in.<\/li>\n
  3. Now breath out, and relax completely. Let your face go completely slack, as though you were sleeping. Feel the tension melt from your facial muscles, and enjoy and notice the difference between the 2 feelings.<\/li>\n
  4. Next, completely tense your neck and shoulders, again taking a breath in and counting to eight. Then breath out and relax.<\/li>\n
  5. Continue down your body, repeating the procedure with all the different muscle groups. Take time to notice any parts of your body that feel tense, tight or tired. You can repeat if you still feel tense. For the shortened version, just include the four main muscle groups: Face, Neck, shoulders and arms, Stomach and chest, Bottom, legs and feet.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/em> <\/strong><\/li>\n
  6. Take a moment to relax, then slowly and gently begin to move. When you feel ready, you can stand up slowly.<\/li>\n
  7. For younger children, these relaxation scripts<\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0are an easier way to work on these skills – you might find that you prefer these too!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Mindfulness<\/h1>\n

    Mindfulness is a technique you can learn which involves making a special effort to notice what’s happening in the present moment (in your mind, body and surroundings) \u2013 without judging anything. See these great tips on mindfulness<\/a><\/u> from Mind for more information and ideas.<\/p>\n

    Calm<\/a><\/u> have produced a webpage with lots of useful free resources such as calming music, movement exercises, soundscapes and sleep meditations. There are resources especially for children too.<\/p>\n

    Mindfulness is not for everyone and some can find it quite intense so if you feel it is not working for you and even making things worse, then stop and look at other strategies instead.<\/p>\n

    Grounding techniques<\/h1>\n

    When people feel really overwhelmed, at times it can be useful to use what are called Grounding Techniques.\u00a0 These involve trying to calm the brain and the body by reconnecting to the world around you, for the times when we can flip our lid (see below\u00a0a video about what happens when your brain gets overwhelmed):<\/p>\n