Stress - a quick fix relaxation

We all see different things as being stressful. Some of us enjoy bungee jumping, keeping pet spiders or having twenty kids round for a sleep-over. Others can feel their stress levels rising at the very thought.

The same goes for many other situations, at work and at home. So it’s fair to say that stress is more to do with how we see what happens to us, than with what actually happens.

You can’t always control the things that make you feel stressed (though most of us manage to avoid the bungee jumping). But learning to respond creatively to stressful events helps you feel in control, and reduces your risk of stress related illness.

Regular relaxation is an essential part of managing stress, and learning proper relaxation techniques can help when it all seems a bit too much.

There is more about dealing with stress in the other posts on this blog, but in the meantime, take some time for yourself, book a massage, learn self hypnosis or meditation, and use the following two minute stress buster:

Quick fix relaxation –

• sit somewhere comfy and close your eyes
• focus your attention on your breathing: become very aware of how it feels to breathe in and how it feels to breathe out.
• imagine that each time you breathe out, you breathe away tension and stress.
• each time you breathe in you breathe in relaxation.
• allow your breathing to become slower and steadier, and accept the changes in how that makes you feel.

Continue that slow steady breathing for a couple of minutes then open your eyes feeling calm and relaxed.

If you find this difficult without guidance, download my 'five minute freebie' audio track from http://www.yorkshirestressmanagement.com/freebies.htm

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Author: Debbie Waller is a professional stress management coach, specialising in working with individuals and smaller employers to minimise stress and maximise feeling in control.Debbie is has also written about helping people with IBS in the Hypnotherapy Handbook which is available from Amazon.co.uk.

Find out more about Debbie's services on www.yorkshirestressmanagement.com  or phone 01977 678593