David’s “Top Ten” Tension-Easing Tips
1. Relax All Over. Use progressive relaxation techniques. Start by tensing your feet then relaxing them. Next, tense up your legs and relax. Keep moving progressively up your body (feet, legs, belly, chest, hands, arms, neck, face) alternately tensing and relaxing each area one at a time.
2. Be an Affirmation Addict. “I can choose peace instead of this.” “I know what to do and I am doing it.” “The earth supports me and I trust the flow of life.” etc…
3. Take a Two-Minute Holiday! Close your eyes and bring to mind a beautiful place, perhaps a sandy beach or a green forest. Tap into a sense of deep relaxation and wellbeing… which you can then bring back with you as you return to the rest of your day.
4. Cultivate an attitude of gratitude. Feelings of thankfulness have tremendous positive value in coping with daily problems, especially stress. When things appear to be going wrong, find something small to be grateful for. This can be the first step to becoming calmer, thinking more clearly, and appreciating life rather than draining our energy by resisting it.
5. Box Breathing
Picture a box.
On the first line, inhale.
On the second, hold your breath in.
On the third line, exhale.
On the fourth line, hold your breath out.
Give four counts (or more) to each line of the box. Repeat.
6. Smile. Next time you are feeling down, try putting on a smile. There’s a good chance you mood will change for the better. Smiling can trick the body into helping you change your mood. There is even a measurable reduction in blood pressure when you exerciese the smile muscles
7. Share a joke with someone. Laughter is the best medicine!
8. Listen to relaxation recordings (natural sounds like a waterfall) or soft music. Both can promote relaxation and be inspiring.
9. Reframe your response. How you react to stress is determined by how you perceive a particular event. Reframe your response by acknowledging that the stressful event is outside of you. You are the center and controller of your response. “I am bigger than any obstacle.”
10. Count to 10. When emotion goes up, intelligence goes down! Use the pause to breathe, relax and collect yourself. It will allow a more relaxed response and lower tension in muscles.