Mental Relaxation

Just like your body, your mind also gets tired, so you need mental relaxation. When the mind is constantly bombarded by stimuli, it becomes overloaded and exhausted. We may be unaware that we are doing it, but by thinking and worrying we are using up tremendous amounts of energy. When that happens, it's time to take a break and do something to rest your mind.

When worries become intense and get out of hand, energy resources are strained. Mental fatigue sets in, often resulting in wear and tear on the physical body as well. It is important to set aside some time each day for the mind to relax, unwind and recoup its energies.

Whenever you experience mental tension, try to breathe slowly and rhythmically for a few minutes while you concentrate on the breath. This leads to an experience of inner peace following the mental relaxation.

Mental Relaxation Exercise:

Deep Breathing: Continue breathing deeply while thinking that you are calmed, relaxing and coping with this situation. Continue repeating for several minutes, but don't strain at the breathing.

Visualize: Make yourself comfortable. Close your eyes and imagine a beautiful soothing place in nature where you have been before. This place could be anything from a beach, forest, or a hillside. Start to imagine yourself in this relaxing place.

Relax: Lie on the floor and close your eyes. Relax, be aware of your body being in contact with the floor. Place both hands flat on top of your stomach so that your fingers are touching.

Mind emptying : In this you willfully force your mind to think thoughts that keep you awake. This forces an immediate shifting of our attention, which will lead us away from preoccupying thoughts.

Reverse Psychology: Reversing the thought pattern, telling yourself that you must stay awake for as long as possible can help you become sleepy naturally without putting yourself under pressure.

Counting: Counting is another popular relaxation technique. Close your eyes and count backwards slowly from 100 to zero. Visualize the numbers being written slowly and carefully by a calligrapher, or on a staircase, with the numbers descending with the steps. Use your imagination for other scenarios. Continue until sleep overtakes you.

Creating Pictures : Think of an object that you find simple and pleasing. Study every detail in your mind. Feel the picture by engaging all of your senses. If you're on the beach, feel the sun on your face, your toes in the sand, the breeze on your skin, the ocean air smell.

Floating: Floating can be an effective relaxation technique in which you Imagine that you're floating on air. The lower you float, the calmer you are.

Positive self-suggestion: Make yourself comfortable and relaxed as much as possible, repeat to yourself appropriate, positive, self-affirming statements. For example, 'I can pass my exams', 'I can succeed', 'I do understand the work', and so forth.