Relaxation Exercises for Stress Reduction

Below is a range of relaxation exercises to help you reduce stress and muscle tension. Try out each of them to see which you initially prefer Then commit to practising at least one of them every day for the next couple of weeks.

To get the most out of these exercises it is important that you practice them regularly. Often, full benefits are not achieved until a couple of weeks of practice.

SLOW, PACED BREATHING

Slow, paced breathing is a great way to calm the mind and body. Below are a couple of videos to help you regulate your breathing. There are two options: 10 breaths a minute and 6 breaths a minute. Although 6 breaths a minute is the ideal pace for most people, it is important that you choose a pace that you are initially comfortable with. If you find 10 breaths a minute is your prefered pace, gradually work toward the slow pace over time.

Here is another short video demonstration of slow, paced breathing.

PROGRESSIVE MUSCLE RELAXATION

Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is a great technique to help you relax your muscles. It involves tensing and relaxing your muscles in a particular sequence. Below is a PMR script you can download (taken for the PI Therapy Workbook: Relaxation and Stress Reduction), an audio exercise, and a visual one.

SCRIPT: Progressive Muscle Relaxation Script (taken from the PI Therapy Workbook: Relaxation and Stress Reduction)

AUDIO: Progress Muscle Relaxation Audio Exercise (click to play or download)

AUTOGENIC RELAXATION

Autogenic relaxation is a popular and effective relaxation technique where you relax each part of your body by imagining that it is warm, heavy, and relaxed. You repeat the instructions in your head while concentrating on each part of the body. With practice, it can induce a deep state of relaxation.

Below is a script you can use to practice autogenic relaxation (taken for the PI Therapy Workbook: Relaxation and Stress Reduction). Alternatively, you can listen to, or download the audio exercise.

SCRIPT: Autogenic Relaxation Script (taken from the PI Therapy Workbook: Relaxation and Stress Reduction)

AUDIO: Autogenic Relaxation Audio Exercise (click to play or download)

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