Effective Relaxation Techniques

Practicing relaxation techniques really can help in dealing with stress.

It can have a two-fold positive effect:

1. it helps us to relax and calm right down during the time that we are actually practicing the technique.
2. practicing relaxation techniques on a regular basis has a cumulative effect, increasing our mind and body’s resilience – our ability to cope with stress and anxiety.

picture by M. Khajoo flickr.com

For those who suffer from binge eating, bulimia or other eating disorders, then dealing with stress is often a continual problem. So anything that can help to increase our ability to cope effectively with stress has got to be a good thing!

What can help is finding some regular time in the day (I know, I know…if we had more spare time then maybe we wouldn’t feel so stressed out in the first place…but…). What I mean is just ten minutes or so if that is all we can find.

But do try to make it a regular habit, to make some space for ourselves when we can be on our own, and devote that time to looking after ourselves by practicing either of the following relaxation techniques:

We give you two versions here, a long one which is a full body relaxation for when you have 20-30 minutes available. The other is a shorter version for when you only have 10 minutes or so.

Don’t forget to read our other pages on dealing with stress, including ‘Breathing Exercises’ and ‘Mindfulness’.

FULL BODY RELAXATION:

Very often, people do not realise how much tension they have built up in their muscles until they try an exercise like this one!
Make sure you are comfortable and will not be disturbed. You might want to put some relaxing music on in the background, or dim the lights to improve your experience.

• Close your eyes, and focus on your breathing. Take gentle, deep breaths in, followed by long slow breaths out. Let your breathing become nice and regular and notice how you start to feel more relaxed simply by focusing on your breathing in this way.
  
  
• Let your attention pass to the area around your forehead, eyes and cheeks. Now screw your eyes closed tightly while making a deep frown with your forehead and clenching your cheeks. Feel all the tension created by screwing your face up…hold it just for a moment…and then let it all release and relax. Feel all the tension drain away as your muscles smooth out and let go.
  
  
• Then, pass your attention down to your jaw and neck. Without straining, clench your mouth shut tightly, tensing the muscles around your neck and jaw - Feel all the tension created…and then let it all release and relax. Feel all the tension drain away as your muscles smooth out and let go.
  
  
• Then, down to your shoulders……….lift your shoulders up towards your ears….hold them there for a moment..and then let them drop down and relax…
  
  
• Continue in this way, as you clench (without straining) and relax each part of your body…including your arms and hands…your abdomen and back….your upper and lower legs….remember to take your time!
  
  
• Finally, down to your toes…clench your toes, screwing them up tightly…hold the tension for a moment…and then release and relax.

Now just lie still for a few moments more, enjoying the sense of stillness and relaxation. When ready, get up and have a stretch, and return to what you were doing.
(NOTE: Do not drive or operate machinery for 10 minutes or until fully alert.)

FASTER BODY/MIND RELAXATION:

(adapted with permission from http://www.stress-relief-workshop.com)

For a quicker version of the above relaxation technique, simply follow the same procedure, but this time, instead of actually clenching and relaxing each part of your body, you can simply ‘notice’, imagine and FEEL your muscles relaxing as you let your concentration pass slowly down your body. You can quite quickly relax your whole body in this way.

And then, once relaxed (after using either technique), let your mind imagine a beautiful scene, somewhere you feel completely safe and at peace. Notice all the colours, or sounds and all the details in the scene. Enjoy experiencing the sense of safety, tranquillity and peace.

 Then, when ready, you can open your eyes, have a nice stretch, and get up again, confident in the knowledge that you can return to this pleasant state of relaxation whenever you need or want to.

Eating disorders and binge eating problems can take over our lives. If we can find short periods of time in our day to dedicate to practicing such relaxation techniques, it can:

• help to re-integrate ourselves to our bodies in a positive way
• take our mind off our worries for a while
• remind us what it feels like to be deeply relaxed and at peace
• help to increase our sense of self worth as we start to look after ourselves again
• and it can break the ‘stress…unpleasant symptoms… increased stress’ cycle that many of us get caught up in.

So I hope you enjoy practicing these positive relaxation techniques and so increase your abilities in dealing with stress, thereby helping improve your self esteem and sense of self worth.

Best Wishes and Happy Relaxing!