My tense and panicky feelings began to diminish as soon as I began to do my relaxation exercises regularly. At first, 1 hadn’t done them often enough and I did not get much benefit. Then I decided to make a real effort and it paid off. I found that I got mental relief as well as physical relaxation and this gave me hope that I could learn to start dealing with my anxiety. Now I can feel relaxed very quickly and I can “switch off” the tension in all sorts of situations which used to bother me.
Under stress, the muscles in our bodies tense, and muscular tension causes uncomfortable sensations such as headache, stiff neck, painful shoulders, tight chest, difficulty in breathing, trembling, churning stomach, difficulty in swallowing, blurred vision and back pain. Of course, these sensations are very similar to a host of anxiety symptoms, and can trigger more tension and so a vicious cycle is set up.
The most effective way of dealing with anxiety and controlling bodily tension is learning how to relax in response to tension. This applied relaxation isn’t just a matter of sitting in front of the television or having a hobby (although these recreations are important too); applied relaxation means developing a skill which enables you to reduce physical tension whenever you need to. You can then begin dealing with anxiety and the associated unpleasant bodily sensations in a variety of situations. Furthermore, when your body is free of tension, your mind tends to be relaxed, too.
The ability to relax at will is achieved by progressing through a series of structured exercises. These are designed to help you to learn to relax step by step. The first two routines are quite long and you may find that taped instructions are helpful. You can make your own tape following a relaxation script, being sure to use slow, gentle speech.
General Guidelines for Relaxing
- Plan when you will practice, and try to keep to this time each day so that you develop a routine which you will be able to stick to.
- Practice the relaxation routine two or three times a day: the more you practice the more easily you will be able to relax.
- Make sure that you choose somewhere quiet to practice, and that no one will disturb you during your relaxation exercises.
- Do not attempt your exercise if you are hungry or have just eaten; or if the room is too hot or too chilly. This will make it difficult to relax.
- Start the exercise by lying down in a comfortable position, wearing comfortable clothes. Later, you can also practice relaxation while you are sitting or standing.
- Try to adopt a ‘passive attitude’, which means not worrying about your performance or whether you are successfully relaxing. Just ‘have a go’ and let it happen.
- Breathing is important: try to breathe through your nose, filling your lungs completely so that you feel your stomach muscles stretch. Breathe slowly and regularly. It is important that you do not take a lot of quick, deep breaths as this can make you feel dizzy or faint and even make your tension worse. If you place your hands on your stomach, you will feel movement if you are breathing properly. Try this out before you exercise to make sure that you are used to the feeling.
- Record your progress so that you can assess if the relaxation procedure is working for you. Use a record sheet to keep details of your experiences. Expect day-to-day variation in your ability to relax – we all have days when relaxation comes easily and other days when it is more difficult.
Dealing With Anxiety - The Exercises
