Relaxation and Sleep Techniques at Actually Work
Relaxation and Sleep Techniques That Actually Work
The article discusses five simple relaxation techniques which include physical relaxation, deep breathing, imagery, and spiritual relaxation, i.e. praying. These technique can be used to fall asleep at night, as well as to calm your nerves and recharge when you’re under stress.
You’re busy. As busy as one could be.
There’s your work-deadlines, meetings, a screaming boss, performance reviews
Then there are your adolescent kids.
And finally there’s the new fitness program you’ve joined.
So all in all you have too much on your plate.
I know you’re concerned. You’re worrying about one thing or another most of your time.
Anxiety is your constant companion. You’re unable to find ways to get out of its clutches. At times it feels like a horrible prison from which there’s no escape- getting smaller all the time, choking off all chances of breaking out.
Every night when you lie on your bed waiting for sleep, you have the most terrifying experience. Everything that has gone wrong in the course of the day comes back to you-only now they look bigger, cause besides their deadly claws and poisonous teeth, the beasts have now got fancy tails. If the memory is that of a failure the tail says, "I’m good for nothing. I’ll never succeed." If it’s that of being treated unfairly, the tail tries to match saying, "This is an unjust world. I’ll never get my due."
You’ve visited sites which offer you advice for free, and products for a nominal’ price, which profess to get you a peaceful sleep.
You’ve listened to life-changing’ CDs.
You’ve read books.
Nothing has worked.
Hmm. I guess, unlike pizzas and Pepsi, sleep was not meant to be sold.
"Then how on earth can I fall asleep? Sleep doesn’t come to me the natural way-the way it was meant to come!"
Let me tell you, that’s the only way it can come.
But yes, it comes only to tired people and animals-the ones who need to sleep.
"What do you mean I’m not tired? I work like crazy throughout the day! Add to that my mad workout in the gym."
Oh yes, in theory you’re tired. But is your brain tired? No, it’s thinking hard.
Are your nerves tired? Do they want to go to sleep? No. They’re on tenterhooks.
So all your body knows is that you don’t want to sleep, and that your brain’s working hard. And being a loyal servant of yours, it faithfully keeps every trace of sleep away.
If you want to sleep you have to relax. Period.
Now how do you do that when the natural tendency of your mind is to wander off to the most unpleasant memories and make you anxious? Here’s the easiest and most practical approach that I’ve found in my search for relaxation techniques. In my case, it’s really worked like magic, even when I was the most anxious and worried. So here we go without wasting more time:
Physical relaxation: Lie on your back and close your eyes. It’s better if you can avoid using pillows at this stage. Consciously relax all the muscles in your body. To do this, think of the different body parts one after the other. It’ll go something like "Are my fingers relaxed?…Yes My palm?…Yes My upper arm?…Yes My legs?.." In this way, make sure your whole body is completely relaxed.
Imagery: When your mind crams up with worrying thoughts, systematically lead it away from there. The best way to do this is to lead it to some pleasant thoughts. Your mind loves pleasant thoughts and memories, so once there, it’ll not move away. Think about something pleasant and also completely unrelated to whatever was bothering you. You might recollect your last vacation by the sea, or a cozy and happy afternoon you’d spend reading, or watching your favorite movie with your family. It might also be an imaginary experience-a safe and peaceful one.
Vivid visualization: Make this image as vivid in your mind as possible. Conjure up sensations of sound (Example: that of water flowing), touch (the cool breeze caressing your face), smell (the grass, the forest, the salty air of the beach) and taste (cool white wine) to give life to your mental image. Remember, the more real this image is the more relaxed your mind will be.
Deep breathing: Take slow, measured deep breaths. Count the breaths. Say "One", "Two" etc. every time you exhale. This will make sure your mind doesn’t get the chance to wander off to some negative thought.
Spiritual relaxation: If, in spite of using the counting technique you’re unable to control your mind, it’s time for spiritual relaxation. According to this technique, you keep breathing deeply while breathing a prayer. When you rely completely on someone greater than yourself, you feel a deep sense of calm and relief. But you have to really believe in what you’re doing, i.e. praying to God.
You can also think about your purpose in life, who you are and what you want to do for others. This will calm your mind, and most importantly, take it out of the whole context of your worries, namely your material life.
While I’ve talked about these techniques mainly as sleep strategies, they work equally well as simple relaxation techniques, which can be used any time you’re anxious or under stress. All you have to do is find a quiet place, sit straight and follow the techniques. I’ve personally benefited a lot from using these techniques. I hope they’ll work for you too.
So that’s all for today. Here’s wishing you a happy journey towards a stress-and-anxiety-free life.
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Relaxation techniques will help your body to wind down and prepare for the sleep cycle. Try this breathing technique when you first get into bed.
Relaxation Techniques For Sleep
Sleep Disorders If you spend too much time lying awake in bed at night or frequently nod off during the day, you may suffer from a sleep disorder. Read this article will help to deal with this problem.
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