Stress relief exercises. Exercise "Inner Ray" to relieve stress and tension

Date of: 14.10.2019

Relaxation and stress relief exercises:

Rhythmic four-phase breathing (2-3 minutes)

1. (4-6 sec.) Deep breath through the nose. Slowly raise your arms up to chest level, palms facing forward. Concentrate your attention in the center of the palms and feel

the warmth of a "hot coin".

2. (2-3 sec.) Breath holding.

3. (4-6 sec.) Strong deep exhalation through the mouth, lower your hands.

4. (2-3sec.) Breath holding.

Autogenic training (3-5 minutes)

1. Sit comfortably, close your eyes, back straight, hands on your knees.

2. Mentally say “I am calm.

3. "The right hand is heavy" - 5-6 times.

4. "I'm calm"

five. " Left hand heavy "- 5-6 times.

6. “I am calm. I'm ready. I am collected. I am sure of success.”

7. Squeeze your hands into a fist, open your eyes, inhale deeply and exhale.

Some stress relief techniques:

Awareness and pronunciation (out loud or to yourself) of emotional experiences.

Look for support. In times of stress, those who have friends, kind teachers, a psychologist, receive at least some protection from shocks.

Wet the whiskey with water.

The exercise : Breathing with the stomach (and not with the chest), while the tongue is pressed to the palate.

The exercise: You can slowly count from 1 to 10 and vice versa, linking the count with the rhythm of breathing and pulse.

The exercise : When you are very tired, it’s hard for you, you want to lie down, but you still need to do something, throw off the “mountain from your shoulders”. Stand up, spread your legs wide, lift your shoulders, take them back and lower your shoulders. Do this exercise 5-6 times and it will immediately become easier.

To distract yourself, mentally move your eyes from one object to another, holding each glance for 1-2 seconds and pronouncing its name (mentally or in a whisper, but pronouncing it clearly and distinctly)

Clean up your desk, in the house. You can watch a funny movie, go on a visit, go in for sports, etc.

Don't be too hard on yourself. Learn to answer "no" when you are asked to do something that is beyond your ability.

Material prepared by: O.V. Yartseva teacher-psychologist of MAOU "Secondary School No. 5" 13.04.2012

Tension Relief Exercises

Sometimes we just need to quickly calm down, “pull ourselves together”, BUT it doesn’t work ... There are exercises that, with the help of proper breathing and relaxation elements, allow us to relieve tension and relax in 2-3 minutes.

"Balloon"

Target: relieving tension, relaxing muscles through breathing.

Accept comfortable posture close your eyes, breathe deeply and evenly. Imagine that in your stomach balloon. You inhale slowly, deeply, deeply, and feel how it inflates ... Now it has become big and light. When you feel that you can no longer inflate it, hold your breath, slowly count to five to yourself, then exhale slowly and calmly. The balloon deflates... And then it inflates again... Do this five or six times, then slowly open your eyes and sit quietly for 1-2 minutes.

"Fly"

Target: releasing tension from the facial muscles.

Sit comfortably: put your hands freely on your knees, shoulders and head lowered, eyes closed. Imagine that a fly is trying to land on your face. She sits either on the nose, or not on the mouth, or on the forehead, or on the eyes. Your task is to drive away the annoying insect without opening your eyes.

"Lemon"

Target: state management muscle tension and relaxation.

Sit comfortably, place your hands loosely on your knees (palms up), shoulders and head down, eyes closed. Mentally imagine that you have a lemon in your right hand. Start squeezing it slowly until you feel that all the juice has been squeezed out. Relax. Remember your feelings. Now imagine that the lemon is in the left hand. Repeat the exercise. Relax again and remember your feelings. Then do the exercise with both hands at the same time.

"Seven Candles"

Target: releasing tension through breathing.

Sit comfortably, close your eyes, relax. You feel calm, comfortable and comfortable... You breathe deeply and evenly... Imagine that there are seven burning candles at a distance of about a meter from you... Take a slow, deep breath. Now imagine that you need to blow out one of these candles. Blow as hard as you can in its direction, exhaling the air completely.

The flame begins to tremble, the candle goes out... You take another slow, deep breath, and then blow out the next candle. And so all seven ...

"Shade"

Target: express regulation of emotional state, fast stress relief.

Sit comfortably, relax and close your eyes. Imagine that inside you, at chest level, a bright lamp is burning, covered with a lampshade. When the light goes down, you are warm, calm and comfortable. But sometimes, when we start to get nervous, the lampshade turns upside down... The harsh light hits our eyes, blinds us, it becomes hot and uncomfortable.

Imagine such a situation. But it's up to us to fix it.

Imagine how the lampshade slowly and smoothly turns down, takes its normal position. The blinding light disappears, you feel warm, cozy and comfortable again...

Material prepared: N.V. Tkach, teacher-psychologist of MAOU "Secondary School No. 5", 02/15/2015

Every year we meet and see off And every day look into the souls of children. Every hour we feel the unity with them And every moment it becomes cleaner, better.

Smart moves.

The Brain Gymnastics complex was developed by psychologist Paul I. Dennison. Today this method is successfully used in schools, sports sections, psychological consultations. This is a set of simple exercises, each of which will help the student (and his parents too) to cope with what daily prevents him from working or studying effectively, building relationships with others, and just feeling good. Positive results noticeable almost immediately and have a cumulative effect.

Exercise "Cross steps".

To begin with, mentally draw a line from the forehead to the nose, chin and below - it divides the body into right and left halves. Movements crossing this line integrate the work of the cerebral hemispheres. Therefore, "Cross Steps" contribute to the development of coordination and orientation in space, make the acquisition of reading, writing, listening, and assimilation of new information more successful. They also relieve back pain and tighten the abdominal muscles.

1. With the elbow of the left hand, we reach for the knee of the right leg. Lightly touching, we connect the elbow and knee.

2. We repeat the same movement with the right hand and left foot. Perform standing or sitting.

3. We connect the left leg and right hand behind the back and vice versa. Repeat 4-8 times.

It is advisable to do “cross steps” at a slow pace and feel how the abdominal muscles work. If this sensation is not present, see if the elbow drops low, if the knee rises too high, if there is an excessive inclination in the lower back.

Exercise "Your own swing"

It is drizzling outside, turning into the first snow, and children spend more and more time without moving. During the day they sit at school for lessons, and then they run home in short dashes to bury themselves in books or a computer. They go for walks only on weekends.

Due to a shortage physical activity our body in the autumn season so lacks vivacity, energy, drive. Therefore, it is more and more difficult to wake up in the morning, and in the afternoon it is difficult to concentrate on completing tasks. And even more so - to be able to quickly solve the problem or find an additional non-standard solution.

Exercise "Rocker" relieves tension after a long sitting at a desk, computer or driving a car, adds energy, helps to achieve sports success, promotes creative thinking. In addition, it promotes the development of understanding reading, improves emotional reading and retelling skills. The exercise is performed on a soft surface. Suitable, for example, a gymnastic rug.

1. Sit on the floor, without forgetting to spread a special mat, and bend your knees.

2. Grasp your knees with your hands, lean back and, rounding your back, sway back and forth, from side to side. The amplitude of movements is small, it is regulated by the appearance of tension.

3. Return to the starting position. Lean back, leaning on your elbows and hands. You should be comfortable supporting your body in an inclined position.

4. Raise your legs, bent at the knees, smoothly begin to describe the "eight" with your knees. If the execution of movements is difficult, then for a start it is enough to simply do circular rotations with the legs.

We offer another version of the exercise "Rocker". Sitting in a chair, leaning on the armrests, raise your legs, bend at the knees and make circular movements with them.

Exercise "Relieve stress - easy!"

Specialists know that stretching exercises, which are often used during physical education classes, as well as in the practice of athletes, dancers, yogis, help to relax, gain plasticity, grace, freedom and grace of movements, and good posture. But why do such movements make school students more successful?
It is clear that good academic performance involves the active development of new information. But, for example, when a student finds himself in an unfamiliar situation, or the threat of test work hangs over him, or when parents squint disapprovingly because of the received triple, the child's muscles contract. This is a normal physiological reflex in response to danger and stress. However, in this case, the signal does not reach the anterior parts of the brain responsible for understanding, motor control, rational behavior, which are so necessary for learning activities and in communications.
Stretching movements relieve stress and relax muscles, helping the student to calm down, come to working condition. Therefore, such exercises contribute to the strengthening of various learning skills.
ov - understanding listening, reading, creative writing, expressing thoughts through speech. They also allow you to release tension, slouch a little less and be more flexible.

Exercise "Pump"

1. When the exercise is performed correctly, the weight of the body always falls on the leg in front. This is easy to check. If you can lift your other leg off the ground, then the weight is distributed correctly.

2. Stand with your left leg forward with support on the entire foot, the right leg behind, on the toe. Body weight on the left leg. The body is vertical. If you find this position difficult, lean on a chair or wall with your hands.

3. Begin to squat on the forward leg, while the right one, set back, falls from the toe to the entire foot. The weight remains on the left leg.

4. Feel the stretch calf muscle right leg.

5. Change the position of the legs and repeat the exercise.

Suggested movements also improve social behavior, help get things done, increase concentration and attention time, and enhance language skills.

Exercise "Eight" for good luck

Regular exercises "Alphabetic Eight" help to become more attentive, solve mathematical problems faster, memorize foreign words, read and, most importantly, write more competently.
Such successes in schoolchildren of any age are observed due to effective stress relief. According to experts, these movements are very relevant for graduate students before passing the exam.
To activate memory while studying foreign language psychologists advise writing letters of the studied alphabet in a circle. Reproducing numbers in the figure eight, according to experts, helps to integrate the work of the cerebral hemispheres to solve complex mathematical problems. Parents should also know that it is useful to do exercises with children, as such cooperative activity improves mutual understanding and psychological climate in the family.

Take a comfortable position. Draw a lazy figure eight in front of you in the air. Through its center, draw a vertical line from top to bottom, thereby dividing the eight into two circles.

To the right or left of the vertical section, inscribe the letter in the circle using its line. Thus, the circle line becomes part of the letter. You decide where in the alphabetical eight this letter looks more appropriate.

After entering one letter, draw a figure eight again and separate it with a vertical line. The exercise with one letter is done with each hand three times and three times with both hands at the same time. In order to relax as quickly as possible or tune in to the upcoming work, it is recommended to fill in the circles of the eight with phrases that are relevant to you, using the above method of writing.

The exercise "Pull-pull"

What could be nicer than stretching from the heart! Here the cat falls on its front paws and bends its back. A bird on a branch stretches its neck ...
We wake up in the morning and stretch our whole body, preparing for a new day. The proposed movements will help children and adults quickly tune in to perform important work.

1. Stand or sit with your back straight and stretch your arms out in front of you.

2. Raise your right hand up. With your left hand, move your right hand in different directions: approaching the head, away from the head, trying to lower your hand down, take it behind your back. At the same time, the outstretched right hand exerts slight resistance to the left.

3. We do movement in each direction four times and always on a long exhale. Exhaling will help you feel the relaxation of the muscles in your arm.

4. Return to the starting position and extend your arms in front of you. When performed correctly, the right arm feels longer than the left!

5. Repeat the exercise by changing hands. After that, stretch them in front of you and feel the complete relaxation of the shoulder girdle. It is also useful to actively rotate or shake the shoulders.

These exercises normalize breathing, relieve tension in the upper chest, arms, thereby improving gross and fine motor skills. This leads to precision in manipulating instruments, improves handwriting.
Our sips also contribute to concentration. They help to make speech more expressive, more clearly express your thoughts in conversation and on paper. Therefore, experts recommend especially active use of such exercises in preparation for control and other creative work, in particular, for composing and presentation, as well as before passing oral and written exams.

The exercise "Energize"

Summer is freedom! Finally, you can run more, jump - lead active life. Thanks to this, the clamping of the lumbar muscle group is removed, the body relaxes, and coordination of movements in general improves. So it's time to master useful exercise"Grounding". You will need it at the start school year in order to be able to concentrate energy as much as possible on the performance of work.
Movements relieve tension in the lumbar muscles, improve vision, and normalize breathing. This helps to increase concentration, actualizes short-term memory, develops mathematical skills, logic.

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, hands on your belt.

2. The right foot is turned with the toe to the right, the left foot forward, hands on the belt.

3. Gently bend your right knee, resting your whole body on the foot.

4. Keep your back straight and lower your body evenly down.

5. Lunge towards the supporting right leg. Turn your head to the right as well. Body weight stays centered. In this case, the body should not turn and move towards the supporting leg. Don't take your feet off the ground!

When performed correctly, you tense your lower back and feel the tension in the inner thigh muscle of the outstretched leg. Make sure your back stays straight.
Do the exercise 3 times, then change the supporting leg and repeat.

The exercise "Let's hold our ears, friends!"

Last month holidays. Let's build a bridge from summer to autumn. And all the most positive things that happened on vacation, we will take with us. Our exercises will help you get involved in the learning process easier and faster.

Exercise "Positive Points"

Can be done standing and sitting.

1. Place the middle and index fingers of both hands on the points located on the forehead in the middle between the line of eyebrows and hair. vertical axis dots in the middle of the pupil.

2. Hold your fingers on these points until there is warmth or pulsation underneath. In this case, it is possible to present a positive solution to the problem situation.

3. Keep your head straight without straining your neck and chin.

4. Grasp your ears with your hands so that thumb turned out to be on the back of the ear, and the rest of the fingers in front.

5. Massage the ears from top to bottom, slightly turning them towards the back of the head.

6. Having reached the lobe, gently massage it. Repeat the exercise 4 times.

The exercise helps schoolchildren to avoid the situation “I taught, I know the answer, but I just can’t remember.” With its help, children learn new information more actively, their memory improves. In addition, it helps to cope with stress, quickly find a way out of a problem situation, and reduce emotional tension. The exercise is especially relevant before writing control works, public speaking and during exams.

Exercise "Thinking cap"

Can be done standing and sitting.

These movements sharpen hearing, help the work of short-term memory, increase mental and physical abilities. By the way, they perfectly improve balance.

According to psychologists, the “thinking cap” will be useful for schoolchildren before the start of lessons, as it will help them quickly concentrate their attention. The exercise is also very useful before public speaking and for focusing when working with a computer.

The exercise "A New Look"

Adults and children look at the baby with a smile when he first raises his head and looks around with curiosity. During this wonderful period Small child actively explores the world. Try to look around through the eyes of a baby who is just learning to control his body. Perhaps many things will appear to you in a new light.
The exercise "Energizer", which we present in this issue, returns schoolchildren to a state of creative knowledge of the surrounding reality. It increases concentration, concentration, improves the perception of new information and creativity.
Movements also energize for the quick completion of training tasks, making the right decisions. They help to improve coordination of movements, relieve the stress of a static posture if children sit at a desk or computer for hours. For adults who are tired of sedentary work, this exercise will also help restore strength.

1. Sit at the table and place your hands in such a way that the fingers are pointing towards each other and slightly forward.

2. Lower your head with your forehead on the table. The posture should be as comfortable as possible.

3. While inhaling, begin to raise your forehead, head, neck and upper back, as if pushing the ball up with your nose. The lifting limit is the end of inspiration or tension in the back. The chest and shoulders should be turned and relaxed.

4. Raising your head, make several smooth circular movements of your head from shoulder to shoulder.

5. Lower your head in the same sequence: forehead, head, neck, back.

Repeat the movements 3 times. During their execution, it is important to synchronize the work of the body and breathing.

Another version of the exercise is to perform movements while lying on your stomach on a soft surface. The sequence remains the same. The hips and lower back are relaxed and motionless.

The exercise "For the five - on the elephant"

These exercises help you learn more easily and get good grades more often. After all, they noticeably increase attention and composure, and educational material remembered faster.

Exercise "Elephant"

1. Stand comfortably, feet shoulder-width apart, knees relaxed. Raise your right hand and lower your head on it. The shoulder should be pressed against the ear so tightly that if you put a sheet of paper between them, it will hold. Look at the fingers of the outstretched hand.

2. Draw a lazy figure eight with the whole body. To do this, we squat a little, start a wave-like movement from the knees through the hips and higher into the body. At the same time, we are buzzing “uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum”. The imaginary tip of the "brush" is your hand.

3. The eyes follow the movement of the hand and project the figure eight into the distance.

4. We repeat the same movements with the other hand.

The exercise combines all channels of perception: auditory, visual, kinesthetic. It also stimulates inner speech and creative thinking. As a result, reading, listening, writing, speech skills improve, attention increases, memory improves. When performing movements, it is important to ensure that the whole body works.

Exercise "Owl"

5. The right hand grabs the left supraspinatus muscle (between the neck and shoulder). The palm should be soft, as if "glued" to the muscle.

6. Squeeze the muscle and slowly turn your head from left to right. Reaching the extreme convenient point, we begin to move in the opposite direction. At the same time, the lips are folded into a tube and on the exhale they say “wow”. The neck is slightly extended, the chin moves forward, and the eyes round with each "hoot" like an owl's. Usually there are 5 sounds per turn of the head. All movements are performed synchronously! Do the exercise at least 3 times.

7. Change hands and repeat, relaxing the right supraspinatus muscle. Exercise relieves tension in the neck area, improves blood flow to the brain. It promotes learning skills such as listening and math.

Thanks to the “hoot”, jaw clamps are removed, which makes speech more coherent. This exercise is especially useful after a long period of writing, working with a computer, driving a car (for adults).

Exercise "Long live creativity!"

These exercises will help relieve eye fatigue, neck strain, back pain after working at a computer or driving a car, so parents are no less useful than children. They are especially recommended for bespectacled people, as they improve the functioning of the eye muscles, strengthen the hand-eye connection. And, perhaps most importantly, they stimulate the desire to fantasize and actively create.

Exercise "Lazy Eights"

1. Imagine in front of you at eye level a figure eight lying on its side (the sign of infinity). Its center passes at the level of the bridge of the nose.

2. Extend your arm forward, slightly bent at the elbow. Clench your fingers into a fist, lift your thumb up. Move your hand in the air from the center to the left and up counterclockwise, in a circle down and back to the center. Continue to "draw" to the right-up, returning to the starting point. Movement should be smooth and continuous. Follow the thumb with your eyes, the head remains motionless. Repeat three times with each hand.

3. Join hands in the castle. Again we draw a lazy figure eight and follow the fingers with our eyes. Repeat three times.

Exercise "Double Drawings"

4. Starting position - both arms are freely extended in front of you. Imagine that you have a pencil in your hands and a canvas in front of you.

5. Simultaneously with both hands from the center, begin to draw mirror images on an imaginary canvas. The plot does not matter, but the drawings should be located at the top and bottom of the canvas. The body is relaxed, breathing at a natural pace, hand movements are free.

Options: draw with chalk or markers on the board, pastel on paper attached at eye level.
Exercises are recommended to be done without glasses so that they do not limit the field of view.

Stress has long been an integral part of modern life. It is important not only to avoid difficult situations, but to learn how to correctly and timely reduce Negative influence stressors. This will help exercises to relieve stress and tension, which include a variety of complexes and directions.

Few from modern people knows how to breathe properly. But breathing is the most important process that is given by nature. Often, in the bustle and stress, a person is in a hurry, doing various things, but at the same time he does not follow his breath. It becomes superficial and frequent, gets lost. As a result, the body suffers from a lack of oxygen, and a person has a feeling of weakness and fatigue.

Breathing exercises on relaxation bring great benefits, increases efficiency and endurance, respectively, and stress resistance becomes higher. Anti-stress exercises necessarily include respiratory relaxation. Deep breathing helps to relieve tension, relaxation, and reduce the effects of stress. The following exercises are the most popular among breathing practices.

Diaphragmatic breathing

This is a natural process - breathing with the stomach, that is, using the diaphragm. Her movements allow you to better fill the lungs with air, respectively, the body is saturated with oxygen, the work of the heart and blood vessels, and lymph flow improves. This practice is used to prevent bronchopulmonary diseases. It is important to learn how to perform it correctly for smokers and overweight people.

Diaphragmatic breathing is best practiced twice a day, morning and evening. It is enough to devote half an hour a day for a week to exercises, while you can not be distracted. Body position - lying or sitting. It is necessary to relax as much as possible, put your hands on your stomach, the left one is located on the chest, and the right one on the stomach is slightly lower. This will allow you to control the execution of the technique.

The chest does not move when inhaling, the stomach rises. When you exhale, the stomach drops, the exit of air should be three times longer compared to inhalation. In a minute, you should repeat the exercise 15 times, in total, slow breathing is practiced for 15 minutes. At first, dizziness may occur, but the body quickly adapts, and they will pass. People with high pressure.

When, after a deep exhalation, there is a pause of several seconds, the person feels the lungs open and prepare to take a new breath of air. This exercise can be improved, and one more element can be added to breathing exercises, an additional exhalation. After the breath is aligned, on a pause after exhalation, an effort is created to exhale even more completely. That is, an attempt is made to exhale all the air to the end. Then breathing should be restored and the usual counting exercise continued.

Breath on account

This practice is suitable in cases where you urgently need to relieve tension, but it is not possible to avoid a stressful situation. The inhalation-exhalation cycle should take 20 seconds, breathing very slowly and deeply. When inhaling, it is necessary to concentrate on the process, count to 7, then while exhaling - up to 11. The benefits for the body of this practice are great. A person is distracted from the stressor by shifting attention to breathing, the lungs are stretched, which allows you to remove tension in the intercostal muscles, and long exhalation helps to relax the stomach.

Exercise "Belly Laugh"

The stress relief exercise is similar to diaphragmatic breathing. The difference is that the hands are placed on the diaphragm. First, take some time to breathe in your stomach, which will allow you to calm down. Then it is necessary to recreate the sensations, as if a person is overcome by laughter, while tension and movement are formed in the stomach, which the hands will feel. Laugh repeat for a few seconds, and switch to normal breathing.

Inhale and exhale through different nostrils

This is the most important exercise practiced in yoga. To perform it, you should pinch the right nostril, and take a deep breath in the other. Then the left nostril closes, and air is released through the right. This is called alternate breathing, which has a beneficial effect on relieving tension.

Flexibility and muscle relaxation exercises

Tension and stress relief exercises include flexibility and relaxation exercises. It is recommended to perform the complex in a certain order, starting from the joints of the upper limbs, moving down. In between sets, practice relaxation. In order to learn, it is important to own your body. For the development of flexibility, 2-3 sessions per week are enough, and after a few months the result will be noticeable.

Shoulder stretch

The attractiveness of stretching exercises is that they can be performed at home, this does not require complex equipment. To stretch the shoulder girdle, stand up straight and place your palms on opposite shoulders. Breathing is even, while inhaling, the elbows of the hands stretch up. Do 15 repetitions in total.

Exercise "Reach for the Stars"

This psychological technique helps to achieve peace of mind, relieve tension from the muscles. To complete it, you need to imagine the night sky with bright stars. Each of them is the personification of a certain desire. It remains only to guess it, get a star and remove its basket. You need to reach for it high, stand on tiptoe, and with both hands pick a star from the sky. This is done on inhalation, on exhalation, relaxation occurs, and the star is placed in a beautiful basket.

"Girth of legs"

Leggirth exercise is performed in a sitting position on a chair. Bend your legs at the knees so that your feet are on the edge of the chair. Tilt your head between your knees, tightly clasp your legs with your hands and press them to yourself. The position is maintained for 15 seconds, then abruptly release the grip. Very good effect gives the performance of this practice in the morning after waking up, it is enough to do 12-14 repetitions to get a boost of energy for the whole day.

Having mastered simple exercises, you can easily and effectively learn how to get out of difficult situations.

You can watch the implementation of a simple Relax complex in this video:

Yoga

Yoga is a unique system in which special attention is paid to breathing. It is the correct implementation of breathing techniques that increases their benefits. Any exercise to relieve stress begins with the cleansing of the lungs, exhalation. You need to make sure that your breathing is continuous. These practices aim to Everyday life a person could easily apply the breathing exercise and relax when needed.

Yoga classes act in several directions at once, heal the whole body. More information about the benefits of doing practices can be found in the table at the end of the paragraph.

"Child Pose" or "Balasana"

Starting position: sit on the mat on your heels, legs next to each other, bend over and put your forehead on the floor surface. Shoulders move forward, hands lie freely on the floor, palms up. In this position, repeat five cycles of breathing.

This asana allows you to relax, calm down, release tension.

"Vriksashana" or "Tree Pose"

The Vriksashana technique should be performed between the hours of morning and noon. It allows you to get rid of fears and low self-esteem, increase self-confidence, better concentrate on tasks, become more collected, patient.

To perform tree pose, stand up straight and relax. Slowly raise the right leg, take it to the side and place the foot on the inner surface of the thighs. When balance is achieved, the arms rise up and stretch as high as possible. To begin with, it is worth holding out for 10 seconds, gradually the time increases to 30 seconds. Similarly, the exercise is performed for the left leg.

Uttanasana or "Indian forward bend"

Uttanasana is a great way to relieve tension from the spine, stretch the muscles of the legs and arms, which is so lacking in a modern person who leads an inactive lifestyle. It is great for relieving tension from the shoulders and neck, which often lead to headaches.

Stand up straight, feet together. On a deep breath, the arms rise up, on the exhale, the stomach is drawn in and a deep tilt is carried out. The palms are placed near the feet, the hips are pulled up, the neck and head are relaxed. In this position, you need to take 2-3 breaths and exhalations. Return to IP.

Ardha Chandrasana or Half Moon Pose

This is a central asana that is great for developing balance. It touches a large number of hard-to-reach muscles, which allows not only to relieve tension, but to form a beautiful healthy body. It is performed in a standing position, breathing is even and deep.

The weight of the body is transferred to the left leg, the body leans forward, and the right leg rises up. The goal is for the right leg and body to form a straight line parallel to the floor. Then this line should be pulled in different directions, while the pelvis remains motionless.

The right palm drops to the floor, the body turns to the left, and the left hand rises up. Vertically, the line of the hands should be even, the gaze automatically rises up to the fingertips of the left hand. Hold in this position for about a minute, then repeat the exercise on the other side.

"Viparita Karani"

This asana is performed in the supine position, with the legs raised up to the wall, which will serve as a support. You can first lift only the legs, later it will be easier, and the pelvic region is raised to the desired limit. Attention, after this exercise, asana Shavasana - the pose of the corpse is necessarily performed.

Garudasana or Eagle Pose

In a standing position, the knees are slightly bent, and the right leg wraps around the left, maintaining balance. Hands rise forward, intertwined, palms touching. In this position, you need to sit down as far as possible. Effort is applied until a pleasant tension is felt in the body. The exercise is repeated with the other leg. Rest is required after each exit from the pose.

"Matsyasana" or "Fish Pose"

In the lotus position, while inhaling, the body leans back, supported by the hands, until the top of the head touches the floor. The knees can lift slightly, but ideally they should be on the floor. In the final position, exhalation is carried out.

The feet or big toes are grasped with hands and a deflection is made in the back so that the chest opens. The time spent in the asana is from 30 seconds to 3 minutes, breathing is free, calm. Exit after inhalation-exhalation, rest your elbows on the floor and slowly raise your head. Helping with your hands, return to the lotus position.

Benefits of yoga exercises

Direction of impact	What is the positive impact
The cardiovascular system	Active breathing, which is practiced by yogis, activates blood circulation, trains the heart. This increases stamina.
reproductive system	The decrease in potency and sexual activity is affected by low mobility of the small pelvis, caused mainly by sedentary work. Performing asanas improves the condition of internal organs and allows you to learn how to properly control your body, enjoying every movement.
Joint mobility	A person's life depends on the health of his body. The more flexible the spine and joints, the more complete and longer man lives. Stretching and flexibility exercises allow you to restore flexibility to your joints and spine, regardless of age. In addition, muscles are stretched, tension is reduced, heaviness disappears.
Development of endurance	Physical strength and endurance develop as you progress through the practices and increase the complexity of the exercises performed. Separate asanas are aimed at strengthening muscles, improving coordination of movements, increasing the endurance of the whole organism.
Relieve stress	The benefit of yoga is that practitioners learn to quickly and effectively relieve tension, which is very important in conditions of constant stress. This protects the body from premature aging and the development of nervous disorders. In addition, by practicing meditation with breathing exercises, a person learns to better understand the needs of his body, to be distracted from external stimuli, to maintain a balance between the body, emotions and mind. People who regularly practice yoga are less affected by stress.

Anti-stress exercises are also contained in qigong gymnastics. This Eastern practice gives calm and strength, allowing you to support the body in the fight against. A kind of autogenic training helps to increase the tone of the nervous system and get rid of irritation.

The Tiger Hug exercise is widely used.

To perform it in a standing position, spread your arms to the sides at shoulder level, connect your palms and fingers, pull them to the navel. At the same time, the words are pronounced: I accept everything, both good and bad.
Then, with a sharp movement, the palms unfold, as if rejecting everything accumulated, with the words: I accepted everything that happened to me. I don't let it affect me anymore. I reject stress.

This powerful exercise of the Qigong system will allow you to learn how to control stress, how a powerful lever will help you emerge victorious in many difficult situations. Moreover, gymnastics is aimed at improving the quality of life and promoting health.

Other exercises

There are many more practices and exercises that are aimed at reducing the impact of stress on a person. It is important to remember that there is protection, but you need to rely on yourself. Anyone can master the exercises.

An exercise called The Problem will help you cope with a situation where tension is caused by problems, as if hanging in the air, when a solution is difficult to find. The main thing is to change your attitude towards her.

To do this, it is enough to devote 10-15 minutes to yourself, get comfortable and close your eyes. It is worth starting to present your problem by concentrating on it, gradually including neighbors, friends, people around, the house where the person lives in the spectrum of attention. At the same time, one should try to consider the cause of tension as if from the outside, in the mirror.

Then the mirror reflection includes the city in which the person lives, the country and all the people inhabiting it. The expansion of the picture is made in ascending order, to collect the image until the picture covers the entire earth, with continents and oceans, and millions of people living on it.

The main task is to ultimately feel the entire Universe, the entire solar system, from which emanates indifference to humanity living on earth. When the maximum point is reached, it is worth returning to your problem and formulating it in a few words.

The solution is achieved due to the fact that against the background of human life in this world, the relevance of one task is lost. This will help to change the attitude to the situation, relieve stress. Which in turn will allow you to find a more sober and constructive solution.

Very effective is another exercise called Drawing. It will take 15-20 minutes to complete it, during which time it will be possible to eliminate the unpleasant state caused by stress, conflict, turmoil, and calm down.

With colored pencils or felt-tip pens, draw your mood on a piece of paper. You need to allow yourself to relax and express subconsciously all that is bothering you at the moment. All experiences are transferred to the sheet, you don’t particularly need to control yourself, just allowing your hand to draw lines, squiggles, spots.

After completing the drawing, on the reverse side, describe in words your condition, resentment, which reflect the mood. After that, the leaf must be torn, vigorously and with pleasure, as if removing one's hardships with it. These simple steps are very effective in getting rid of bad mood, elimination .

How to choose an individual set of exercises

There are many complexes and exercises to eliminate the symptoms of stress, it is important to choose something suitable for a particular person. Everything is individual, and the same exercises will have a great effect on one person, and will help little on another. How do you know which one is right for you?

To do this, you just need to try a few exercises that are most attractive to you. The selection criteria are as follows:

actions should bring pleasure, if it is pleasant to perform the technique, it will definitely help;
satisfaction should be from the very process of doing the practice, the calculation is not only on the result;
after the implementation of the method, relief comes, emotional stress decreases, mood rises;
the practice should be done easily anywhere and anytime (you should pick at least a couple of exercises that will allow you to calm down in moments of high tension without the need for privacy or the use of any equipment).

We are not alone in dealing with stress. Everyone can and should be able to eliminate it Negative consequences that threaten not only health, but also life. It is important to find ways suitable for yourself that will help out in difficult times, returning a positive attitude and faith in yourself.

children

"Center for additional education of children"

Prepared

Tulgan 2014

Methodical piggy bank of exercises for relaxation and stress relief.

Explanatory note.

Preserving and strengthening the health of students is one of the most significant problems of modern education. Considering the negative impact of increasing physical and emotional stress on schoolchildren during their stay in an educational institution, the issues of monitoring the health status of students, disease prevention and health-saving organizations require special attention. educational process. Therefore, we have developed a methodical piggy bank of exercises to relieve emotional tension and stress.

Target:To acquaint students with ways to relax, relieve emotional tension and stress.

Equipment, design:separate office and quiet relaxing music.

Exercises are designed for both students and teachers.

Before doing the exercises, you need to take a comfortable position, turn on calm and relaxing music. Concentrate on your breath and body.

Relaxation and stress relief exercises:

Breathing exercises.

Breathing - a very important process for a person, we cannot live even 2 minutes without air. Since ancient times, a connection has been found between respiratory processes and emotions, physical and mental state of a person.

There is no such organ in our body that does not need breathing. Therefore, breathing exercises heals all body systems: endocrine, respiratory, circulatory, digestive, urinary, nervous. Breathing exercises are contraindicated in people:

- with organic heart disease;

- blood diseases;

- severe traumatic brain injury;

- increased intracranial pressure;

- retinal detachment;

- mental disorders;

- inflammation of the lungs;

- diaphragm defects;

- mental illness;

- acute neurotic states.

1. Rhythmic four-phase breathing (2-3 minutes)

1. (4-6 sec.) Deep breath through the nose. Slowly raise your arms up to chest level, palms facing forward. Concentrate your attention in the center of the palms and feel

the warmth of a "hot coin".

2. (2-3 sec.) Breath holding.

3. (4-6 sec.) Strong deep exhalation through the mouth, lower your hands.

4. (2-3sec.) Breath holding.

2. Extended breath: sit comfortably with your back straight. Take a slow breath through your nose and in the middle of the breath, begin to slow down its pace. Then exhale relatively quickly without delay.

3. Extended exhalation: in a sitting posture, inhale and without a pause, long, slow exhalation. The ratio at the beginning of classes should be 2:12, i.e. the inhalation lasts 2 seconds, and the exhalation is 12. In this case, the exhalation is distributed as follows: 4 seconds is a normal breath, 8 seconds is an extended one.

4. Abdominal breathing: with exhalation, draw in the abdominal wall, then slowly inhale through the nose, releasing the diaphragm, the large wall bulges forward on inhalation and the lower parts of the lungs are filled with air; exhale again abdominal wall is drawn inward, expelling air from the lungs through the nose. During abdominal breathing, only the lower lobes of the lungs are filled, so the wave-like movement is made by the stomach, while the chest remains motionless. Psychoregulation formula: “My inner gaze is on the solar plexus, with abdominal breathing, everything is massaged internal organs improves blood supply and functions of the digestive organs, lowers blood pressure, facilitates the work of the heart muscle.

5. Medium breathing: after exhalation, take a slow breath through the nose, expanding the ribs, while exhaling, contract the ribs, expelling air through the nose. The middle lobes of the lungs fill up. The abdomen and shoulders are motionless. Formula: "My attention is on the chest, the blood supply and function of the liver, gallbladder, stomach, spleen and kidneys are improved, the work of the heart muscle is facilitated."

6. Top breathing: after exhalation, slowly inhale through the nose, raising the collarbones and shoulders and filling the upper lobes of the lungs with air, as you exhale slowly lower the shoulders and expel air from the lungs through the nose. The abdomen and chest are motionless. Formula: "My attention is on the tops of the lungs, their blood supply and ventilation improves."

Autogenic training (3-5 minutes)

I. BUT autogenic training (based on the classic auto-training by J. Schultz).

Very effective method relaxation is undoubtedly autogenic training (abbreviated as AT). AT is used after fatigue, to regulate the emotional state, to combat insomnia. AT is based on self-hypnosis.

The most favorable time for self-hypnosis, natural autohypnosis is the moment after a night's sleep and before falling asleep. In addition to the morning and evening hours, AT can be performed up to 2-3 times a day, depending on the rhythm and routine of life. Remember: in order to reach maximum effect, you need to practice daily, regardless of well-being. Autogenic training can be prevented by falling into a passive state of drowsiness. To overcome it, you need to take a deep breath and exhale 3-4 times, then close your eyes tightly 3-4 times without lifting your eyelids. At the same time, say to yourself: “Drowsiness passes, a feeling of peace and relaxation sets in,” and then continue training.

The range of use of AT is very wide. It is used as an independent technique, but it can be combined with other methods. You can practice both individually and in a group.

It is necessary to train at least 3 times a day for 10-15 minutes.

The formulas must be pronounced "to yourself" on the exhale, but if the formula is too long, then you can stretch it for two exhalations.

First of all take comfortable position and try to get rid of extraneous thoughts and sensations that are not related to training. To do this, you can use the following formulas:

I prepared to rest;

I calm down;

Extraneous sounds do not disturb me;

All worries, worries, anxieties go away;

Thoughts flow smoothly, slowly;

I'm resting;

I am completely calm.

Deeper rest is facilitated by the relaxation of all the muscles of the body, which we evaluate as a feeling of heaviness. A detailed feeling you experienced, for example, in your legs after a long walk. But then this feeling was involuntary, now you need to return to it consciously.

First of all, you need to learn how to relax your right hand (left-handed - left, because this hand is most controllable when practicing AT). To do this, you can use the formula:

My right hand is heavy.

This formula must be presented with all clarity. Here the muscles of the hand relax - fingers, hand, the whole hand has become heavy, like lead. She is relaxed and lies like a whip. No strength, do not want to move it.

Repeat the proposed formula 6-8 times, trying to remember the sensations you caused more clearly.

After you have learned to relax your right hand reflexively - on the first try, try to relax the rest of the muscles. As a rule, this goes much easier:

A pleasant feeling of heaviness appears in the right hand;

Hands get heavy;

Hands are getting heavier and heavier;

Hands are pleasantly heavy;

Hands are relaxed and heavy;

I am completely calm (en);

Rest gives rest to the body;

Legs get heavy;

The right leg becomes heavy;

The left leg becomes heavy;

Legs are filled with heaviness;

The legs are pleasantly heavy;

Arms and legs are relaxed and heavy;

The body becomes heavier;

All muscles are relaxed and at rest;

The whole body was pleasantly heavy;

After class, the feeling of heaviness will pass;

I am completely calm (en).

II.

1. Sit comfortably, close your eyes, back straight, hands on your knees.

2. Mentally say “I am calm.

3. "The right hand is heavy" - 5-6 times.

4. "I'm calm"

5. "The left hand is heavy" - 5-6 times.

6. “I am calm. I'm ready. I am collected. I am sure of success.”

7. Squeeze your hands into a fist, open your eyes, inhale deeply and exhale.

Some tricks stress relief:

Awareness and pronunciation (out loud or to yourself) of emotional experiences.

The exercise: Breathing with the stomach (and not with the chest), while the tongue is pressed to the palate.

The exercise: When you are very tired, it’s hard for you, you want to lie down, but you still need to do something, throw off the “mountain from your shoulders”. Stand up, spread your legs wide, lift your shoulders, take them back and lower your shoulders. Do this exercise 5-6 times and it will immediately become easier.

Clean up your desk, in the house. You can watch a funny movie, go to visit, play sports, etc.

Don't be too hard on yourself. Learn to answer “no” when things are asked of you that are beyond your ability.

Tension Relief Exercises

"Balloon"

Target: relieving tension, relaxing muscles through breathing.

Take a comfortable position, close your eyes, breathe deeply and evenly. Imagine that you have a balloon in your stomach. You inhale slowly, deeply, deeply, and feel how it inflates ... Now it has become big and light. When you feel that you can no longer inflate it, hold your breath, slowly count to five to yourself, then exhale slowly and calmly. The balloon deflates... And then it inflates again... Do this five or six times, then slowly open your eyes and sit quietly for 1-2 minutes.

"Fly"

Target: releasing tension from the facial muscles.

Sit comfortably: put your hands freely on your knees, shoulders and head lowered, eyes closed. Imagine that a fly is trying to land on your face. She sits on the nose, then on the mouth, then on the forehead, then on the eyes. Your task is to drive away the annoying insect without opening your eyes.

"Lemon"

Target: .

Sit comfortably, place your hands loosely on your knees (palms up), shoulders and head down, eyes closed. Mentally imagine that you have a lemon in your right hand. Start squeezing it slowly until you feel that you have "squeezed out" all the juice. Relax. Remember your feelings. Now imagine that the lemon is in the left hand. Repeat the exercise. Relax again and remember your feelings. Then do the exercise with both hands at the same time.

"Seven Candles"

Target: releasing tension through breathing.

The flame begins to tremble, the candle goes out... You take another slow, deep breath, and then blow out the next candle. And so all seven ...

"Shade"

Target: express regulation of one's emotional state, rapid stress relief.

Imagine such a situation. But it's up to us to fix it.

Imagine how the lampshade slowly and smoothly turns down, takes its normal position. The blinding light disappears, you feel warm, cozy and comfortable again...

"Wax Sculpture".

Target: managing muscle tension and relaxation

Participants are invited to sit in a circle with closed eyes and take turns creating the same sculpture from each other, remaining in a sculpted pose until the last "copy" is completed.

"Live picture".

Target: managing muscle tension and relaxation

Participants are invited to create a "live picture" - a scene on any plot, then they freeze and wait for the presenter to guess the name of the picture.

"Automobile".

Target: stress relief, mindfulness

Participants are invited to imagine themselves as car parts (wheels, doors, hood, etc.), from which one participant will assemble the car. After that, whoever collected the car gets into it and makes several circles around the room.

"Alpinists".

Participants are asked to split into two teams. Team members take turns walking along the free wall, holding on to it with at least 3 limbs. Whoever tore off or moved two limbs at once, he “fell into the abyss” and must return to the start. The first team to reach the opposite corner wins. This game also promotes the integration of the group.

Exercises to relieve emotional stress

(rapid stress relief)

Exercise 1. Clench your fingers into a fist with your thumb curled inward. Exhaling calmly, slowly, clench your fist with force. Then, while loosening the clenching of the fist, inhale. Repeat 5 times. Now try this exercise with your eyes closed, which doubles the effect.

Exercise 2. Gently massage the tip of your little finger.

Exercise 3. "Smile"- Smile at yourself as wide as possible, show your teeth (helps relieve muscle tension).

Exercise 4 Try writing your name with your head in the air. (This task increases the efficiency of the brain).

Exercise 5 Acupressure» - Massage index fingers both hands (up to 10 times) points on the forehead between the eyebrows, on the temples and behind the ears.

Exercise 6. Left side breathing- Close the right nostril with your finger. We breathe through the left nostril calmly, shallowly.

Exercise 7. If the atmosphere around you is tense and you feel that

lose self-control, this complex can be performed right on the spot, at the table, almost imperceptibly to others.

· As hard as you can, tighten your toes. Then relax them.

· Tighten and relax your feet and ankles.

· Tighten and relax your calves.

· Tighten and relax your knees.

· Tighten and relax your hips.

· Tighten and relax the gluteal muscles.

· Tighten and relax your stomach.

Relax your back and shoulders.

Relax your hands.

Relax your forearms.

Relax your neck.

Relax your facial muscles.

· Sit quietly for a few minutes, enjoying complete peace. When it seems to you that you are slowly swimming, you are completely relaxed.

Exercise 8 "Smile of the Pharaoh"

In case of stress, stand up straight, lift your chin up a little, spread your shoulders and smile. Turn on your imagination to the fullest and imagine yourself as an Egyptian pharaoh, proud as a sphinx and cheerful as Evgeny Petrosyan. Maintain your smile and this posture for two minutes, and then relax and do some vigorous hand movements and torso tilts in different directions.

Results of this exercise:

Physiological: improved blood circulation in facial muscles and spine.

Psychological: the opportunity to look at the situation with humor, and as a result - increased resistance to the source of stress.

Exercise 9 "Flask"

Imagine that you are in a glass flask and all the negative words do not penetrate it, they hit the flask and crumble...

Literature:

1. Working book of a practical psychologist / . - Rostov n / a: Phoenix, 2013. - Ed. 10th. – 314, (1) p. – (Psychological workshop).

2. Workshop for a child psychologist /, . – Ed. 9th - Rostov n / a: Phoenix, 2012. - 314, (1) p. : ill. – (Psychological workshop).

3.http://fedoseevaln. *****/publ/dlja_roditelej/method_bystrogo_snjatija_silnogo_ehmocionalnogo_ili_fizicheskogo_naprjazhenija/

Reflect and honestly tell yourself how stressed you are and how well you cope with it? The identification of such symptoms as fatigue at the beginning of the working day, irritation, impatience, insomnia, anxiety over any trifles, anxiety in general will help clarify the answer. How often do you hear from friends and relatives the phrase: "It's time for you to relax and unwind", but do not react to such remarks in any way? If you easily recognize yourself in the previous sentences, it's time to learn how to relieve tension through relaxation exercises.

And if this topic seems interesting to you, and you want to develop even more in it, we recommend that you learn real practical techniques for self-motivation, stress management and social adaptation in order to always control your emotional and mental state.

When starting to practice different relaxation techniques, remember the following. Learning the basics of relaxation techniques is not difficult, but it takes time and effort. Most experts recommend exercising at least 10-20 minutes a day. Those attending special stress relief sessions take 30-60 minutes. Start small, and individual elements of the exercises can be performed right at your desk, in transport, at a bus stop.

Top 3 Ways to Relieve Stress:

Complex 1. Breathing exercises

Deep breathing allows you to relax, regardless of the thoughts that overcome a person. It is not for nothing that in the films, the policemen or doctors who arrived at the scene of the action advise the victims, first of all, to breathe deeply and evenly. In stressful situations, breathing quickens and the body lacks oxygen. Deep breathing promotes the supply of this vital gas to the brain and to all cells in the right volumes.

Exercises:

Inhale and exhale slowly and deeply through the nose, counting from 1 to 4 as you inhale and exhale. This exercise is very easy to do, and it is especially effective if you cannot sleep.
Try to relax your shoulders and upper muscles chest when you breathe. Do this consciously with each exhalation. The fact is that in stressful situations, when a person is tense, the muscles of the diaphragm are not used for breathing. Their purpose is to lower the lungs down, thereby expanding the airways. When we are excited, the muscles of the upper chest and shoulders are used more often, which do not contribute to the full work of breathing.
Nadi Shodhana. Yoga exercise that helps to activate and focus; acts, according to experts, like a cup of coffee. With the thumb of the right hand, close the right nostril and inhale deeply through the left (for women, on the contrary, close the left nostril with the left hand and inhale through the right). At the peak of inhalation, you need to close the left (right for women) nostril ring finger and exhale.
Sit up straight or lie on your back. Place one hand on your stomach, the other on your chest. Inhale the air deeply through the nose, while the hand on the stomach should rise, and on the chest move only slightly. Exhale through your mouth, while again the hand on the stomach falls, and on the chest practically does not move. In this case, breathing will occur with the help of the diaphragm.

Complex 2. Muscle relaxation

The technique of progressive muscle relaxation was developed by the American physician E. Jacobson in the 1920s. It is based on a simple physiological fact: after the tension of any muscle, a period of automatic relaxation begins. With this in mind, a technique was developed according to which, in order to achieve a deep relaxation of the body, you must first tense the muscles strongly for 10-15 seconds, and then concentrate on the feeling of relaxation that has arisen in them for 15-20 seconds.

Exercises:

Start by focusing on your breathing for a few minutes. Breathe slowly and calmly, think of something pleasant. After that, you can start muscle exercises, working on different muscle groups.
Arms. Squeeze your hand as tightly and strongly as possible. You should feel tension in your hand and forearm. Relax your hand as you exhale, concentrating on the emerging feeling of relief. Repeat the same for the other hand. If you are right-handed, you should start with the right hand, if you are left-handed - with the left.
Neck. Tilt your head back, slowly turn it from side to side, then relax. Pull shoulder joints high to the ears and in this position tilt the chin to the chest.
Face. Raise your eyebrows as high as possible, open your mouth wide (as if feigning a feeling of great surprise). Close your eyes tightly, frown and wrinkle your nose. Clench your jaw tightly and pull the corners of your mouth back.
Breast. Take a deep breath and hold your breath for a few seconds, then relax and return to normal breathing.
Back and belly. Tighten your abdominal muscles, pull your shoulder blades together, and arch your back.
Legs. Tighten the front and back muscles hips, keeping the knee in a tense half-bent position. Pull your foot as far as you can and straighten your toes. Stretch your ankle joint and squeeze your toes.

Do 3-4 repetitions of the complex. Every time you rest a muscle that has just been tense, notice how nice it is and how good it feels to be relaxed. For many people, it helps to cope with stress and anxiety.

Complex 3. Meditation

The most general definition of the concept of "meditation" in psychological dictionaries is as follows: "a method of mental training, in which there is an intense, penetrating reflection, immersion in an object, an idea, which is achieved by focusing on one object." The recommendations collected in this block relate to how to conduct a visual meditation session on your own. Visual meditation is a variation of traditional meditation, which is based on the use of not only visual meanings, but also the senses: taste, touch, smell and sound. When used as a relaxation technique, visualization involves imagining a scene in which you feel free from tension and anxiety.

A set of exercises:

Choose a quiet and secluded place, nothing should distract you. Take a comfortable position. It is not recommended to lie down, it is better to sit on the floor, in a chair or try to sit in the lotus position.
Choose a focus point. It can be internal - an imaginary scene, or external - a candle flame. Therefore, the eyes can be open or closed. At the beginning, it is very difficult to concentrate and avoid distracting thoughts, so the focus point must be strong, clear and precise, so that you can return to it at any time.
The focal point should definitely be something soothing to you. It could be a tropical beach at sunset, a forest clearing, or an orchard in the village next to your grandparents' house as a child. Visual meditation can be done in silence, or you can turn on relaxing music or an audio recording with meditation tips.
Try to use all your senses as much as possible. For example, your focal point is the forest. Imagine that you are walking through a clearing, and cold dew falls on your feet, you hear the singing of many birds, you smell the pine tree, you breathe clean air in full. The picture should be as lively as possible. Meditate for 15-20 minutes.

Remember, relaxation will not save you from problems, but it will help you relax and distract from irrelevant details, so that later you can take up the decision with renewed vigor.

Stress Relief Exercises

Psychologists know a lot of techniques to overcome stressful situations. Each of our readers can master these tricks and exercises to relieve stress.

It is desirable to engage in calming psychotechnics every day. Best immediately after waking up. Within a few days you will feel that you have become calmer, more confident, more invulnerable to stress.

If you monitor your mood and relieve tension in time with the help of these exercises, you yourself will not notice how quickly everything will improve in life, the stress will recede and the white streak will begin again.

waiting for you family life without quarrels, full benevolence of the team at work, even in in public places you will come across more polite and smiling people. And all because the world around you is a reflection of your inner state.

Let's change this state for the better, discard negative emotions and tune in a positive way.

Exercise "Problem"

Such an exercise will help if your stress is caused by a problem “hanging in the air”. The exercise is aimed at achieving inner peace and an adequate attitude to such a problem. As a result of the exercise, anxiety decreases and the panic state recedes.

Sit comfortably, close your eyes. try to see problem situation from the side, as if reflected in a mirror. Include your closest neighbors, acquaintances or relatives in this "mirror picture". Imagine the house you live in and the people who live with you.

When your picture expands and becomes clearer, think about the city you live in, then about the whole country and those who inhabit it. Continuing to expand the picture, imagine our entire Earth with its continents, oceans and billions of people living on it.

Expand the “mirror picture” even further: imagine solar system- a huge flaming Sun and the planets revolving around it. Feel the infinity of the Galaxy and its cold indifference to the fate of mankind. Continuing to keep in your imagination the picture of the vast Cosmos, return to your problem again and try to formulate it in two or three words.

During the exercise, the actual problem becomes less significant and loses its influence on your mood, the stressful state is removed. So, you are ready for a successful and constructive solution to the problem.

Exercise "Inner Beam"

The exercise is aimed at reducing internal tension on initial stage stress. It will help you if stress is caused by a state of loneliness, misunderstanding.

Runs within 3-5 minutes.

Relaxing and calming down, imagine such a picture. A light beam appears at the top of your head. It moves from top to bottom and slowly illuminates your face, neck, arms and shoulders with a warm, even and pleasant light.

As the beam moves, wrinkles are smoothed out, tension in the back of the head disappears, wrinkles on the forehead disappear, eyebrows “fall off”, eyes “cool”, clamps in the corners of the lips loosen, shoulders drop, neck and chest are released. A bright inner ray creates your new look - a successful and prosperous person, restrained, stable, self-controlled.

After completing the exercise, you will feel that you are well rested and your condition has improved. You become calmer, more confident, more balanced.

Exercise "Maria Ivanovna"

Exercise helps smooth out the unpleasant aftertaste after a conflict at work, relieve stress caused by a quarrel with a specific person.

It is performed within 10-15 minutes.

Coming home after work, you once again remember a tense conversation with an employee. Let's call her conditionally Maria Ivanovna.

A feeling of resentment and irritation covers you. This does not give you anything good: against the background of fatigue after a working day, mental stress develops. You are trying to forget about Maria Ivanovna, but this is not always possible. Then try another way.

Instead of erasing the employee from your memory, try, on the contrary, to bring her as close as possible. Try to play the role of "Maria Ivanovna" on the way home.

Imitate her walk, demeanor, try to imagine what she thinks about when she comes home from work, what her family situation is, what worries her at home, what she is concerned about. Finally, how she herself relates to your conflict with her.

A few minutes of such a “psychological game with the image” will ease your inner tension, and you will feel that you are calming down and your attitude towards the conflict and towards Maria Ivanovna herself is changing.

The beneficial consequences of such a game will reveal themselves the next day when you come to work. Your employee will be surprised at your calmness and goodwill, and she will probably try to resolve the conflict herself.

Exercise "Mood"

Exercise helps to relieve stress and eliminate the unpleasant aftertaste after a conflict or a trouble that has occurred, turmoil, quickly calm down and find inner peace.

It is performed within 15-20 minutes.

Take colored markers or pencils. With a relaxed left hand, draw an abstract pattern: lines, color spots, shapes. Completely immersed in your experiences, choose a color and draw lines the way you want, according to your mood. You sort of transfer your sad mood to paper, materializing it.

After you have painted the entire sheet of paper, turn it over and write 8-10 words on the back of it that reflect your mood. Do not think for a long time, write the words that immediately come to mind.

Look at the drawing again, as if re-experiencing your condition, and re-read the written words, and then tear the sheet vigorously, with pleasure. Crumple up the pieces of paper and throw them away.

Having finished with the drawing, you will get rid of a bad mood and calm down.

STRESS RELIEF EXERCISES

I. Exercises to relieve tension before a possible stressful situation:

1. If you are tense before a performance, try to concentrate on feeling the movement of the muscles in your legs as you walk up to the stage. Even a short concentration of this kind sometimes helps to completely get rid of stiffness by the time you get to the stage.

2. If you want to successfully interact with a person with whom you last had a conflict, or a conflict is brewing right now, or there is simply reason to believe that reaching an agreement is not easy. Think about the person with whom you now need to negotiate as follows: I give you (for example, cashier Ivanova) - and in this place you listen to your intuition. As a rule, she does not make you wait long, and within a second or two gives you an idea of \u200b\u200bwhat kind of gift it could be. For one person, a pair of sturdy boots will be presented, for another a racing car, for a third, a quiet lake on a starry night. To each his own. And further, your imaginary gift should be presented in as much detail and vividly as possible, endowed with all possible details, up to gift wrapping, and solemnly handed over (mentally, of course), with wishes of all the best, to its addressee.

And, having done something good for a person, we begin to treat him better (and sometimes, on the contrary, we do not love someone for the harm we have caused him). And since we treat better, then the person, again, answers us the same. One way or another, but gloomy, irritated, previously unfriendly people, after this simple technique, sometimes try to do for us everything that we came to them for, with an open heart.

3. When you are nervous, go somewhere where negotiations await you, or a speech, or a supposed spanking, in a word, you will need energy, do the following exercise. Plant your foot on the ground with a light kick, first on the heel and then rolling it onto the toe. Imagine and feel how, during contact with the ground, the energy begins to rise from the heel up the leg and back, then descends in front of the leg. At the moment when the energy rises from the back of one leg, it descends from the front to the other leg, and you find yourself inside two spinning energy wheels. As a result, you arrive at your destination rejuvenated and energized.

II. Exercise during times of stress:

1. Pay attention to how you breathe. Draw more air into the chest, hold your breath for a split second and exhale to the end. Do not rush to inhale again. Repeat the exercise several times until you are completely calm. To lengthen the exhalation phase for the purpose of calming, it is sometimes also recommended to fold the lips with a tube and let the air go up as far as possible.

2. Pay attention to how you breathe. When you inhale, you say the word inhale to yourself. Exhale while exhaling. At the 5-7th minute of this exercise, breathing will begin to slow down by itself, the pause between inhalation and exhalation will increase. It is very simple, it can be performed even while talking with someone, or while doing some work in parallel, if it is not possible to drop everything for a few minutes and retire. It must also be performed until complete calm.

Breathing is the link between body and mind. Every state of consciousness, every emotional experience, any inner reality is associated with a particular pattern or quality of breath.

3. Pay attention to which muscle groups you have tense. Having noticed tension in certain muscle groups, it is recommended to strengthen it, bring it to the point of absurdity, and, after this, there comes a moment when it becomes easier to relax, relieve tension.

If your fists are clenched with anger, then you can do this: while inhaling, clench your fists tighter and, as you exhale, sharply release them, unclench your fingers. You can repeat this several times if necessary. The tension is gone. And, if it is too large, it is not forbidden to vent all your emotions on a pillow, or a piece of upholstered furniture, hit it until your hands get tired. But all the tension will pour out, and will not remain in you. And, besides, it is still better to peel off a pillow than the person who brought you to such a state.

Tension patterns in the body can be seen as the frozen history of a person's life (Boadella).

4. If some unpleasant situation for you is happening right now, and you cannot physically avoid it, for example, they take blood from you for analysis, or you are at the dentist’s office, or your boss is yelling at you, or maybe, on the contrary, you are too nervous client, you can apply dissociation. Like this? Very simple. The associated state is you in yourself, you see, hear, pay attention to what is happening with you and around. And dissociation is like watching what is happening from the outside. Let's say you're looking through the viewfinder of a video camera in the far upper corner of the room: you're making a movie of your tooth being drilled. If you're still scared or feeling tense, take this shot in black and white. And no sound!

5. In a situation where someone is aggressive towards you, and you are forced to silently listen to claims addressed to you, imagine around you a protective bell taller than human height. And let it slowly rotate around, and its walls, transparent to you, will be impervious to everything that an unfriendly interlocutor sends you.

6. If you have some circumstances that cannot be got rid of (for example, it is not known whether the project will be approved at work, or someone from your family got sick and ended up in the hospital), and you are so worried that your constructive activity is suffering, then This is the way to get rid of anxiety. Build a bracelet from a wide elastic band. Put on your wrist. And every time an uninvited guest comes to your mind - an unpleasant, disturbing thought: what if everything will be bad ?! , you say to yourself: do not happen to this! , and pulling the elastic band, release it so that it slaps you painfully on the delicate inside of your wrist. Soon such thoughts will stop visiting your head :). But do not rush to take off the bracelet, let you have an incentive (in ancient India, a sharp stick was called an incentive, which was thrust into the sides of elephants, chasing them).

III. Exercises to relieve the effects of stress:

1. In a situation where it seems to you that you have suffered energy losses, you can perform this exercise. Sit on a chair, back straight, chin slightly raised, eyes closed. Place your hands on your stomach to the palm below your navel. Feel a red hot ball under your hands. Focus on color and temperature. Watch him for a while. Feel the heat spread around this area. If you regularly practice this exercise, then the image of a hot ball under your arms, and the feeling of warmth, relaxation and energy filling accompanying this image, will pop up in your memory very quickly, at your call. Then after a stressful situation, when you need to quickly calm down and replenish energy reserves, this skill will help a lot.

2. If you find yourself in some unfavorable situation for you, after which you feel bad, you need to work on three things: gait, posture and smile.

A person crushed by the situation looks sad: he trudges, clinging to his leg with his foot, he seems to have a multi-ton load on his shoulders, he looks either at the asphalt or with a defocused look in front of him, not noticing anything, on his face there is a grimace of sadness or discontent.

The task, instead of this miserable sight, is to create a picture of a successful person, a winner, i.e. change gait, posture and facial expressions. The gait should be fast, confident, clear, wide flying step. Posture - a straight spine, no hint of stoop, chest straightened, shoulder blades fastened. On the face of a smile. A proud and self-confident person looks just like that. You can't win without confidence. And the task before us is to be the winner in all the twists and turns provided to us by life.

3. If as a result of unpleasant communication you are in a somewhat disheveled feeling, eat something sweet. Your favorite fruits are preferred. Sweet generally activates the production of endorphins (pleasure hormones). For the same reason, bananas are called fruits of happiness, they contain a lot of starch, potential sugar, and some mysterious trace elements that increase tone and mood.

Also, buy yourself some flowers. Since childhood, flowers have been associated with celebration and anticipation of pleasure. Most of the year from spring to late autumn, they are quite affordable. In addition, flowers standing at home in a vase harmonize the atmosphere, create a special coziness and mood, which is facilitated by their appearance and aroma.

Relaxation to relieve stress.

The body's natural response to relaxation is a powerful antidote to stress. Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, visualization, progressive muscle relaxation, meditation and yoga trigger this response. Regular practice results in a reduction in your stress levels as well as an increase in feelings of joy and serenity. In addition, the practice of relaxation techniques makes you more calm and collected at the moment and during a stressful situation, allowing you to endure all adversity.

Relaxation effect.

You cannot avoid any stress that you face in your life, however, you can neutralize the negative effects of stress on your body by triggering the relaxation response - a state of deep relaxation, the exact opposite of the body's response to stress.

Whereas during times of stress your body mobilizes all of its forces for “fight or flight”, which can be useful in really dangerous situations, during deep relaxation, the body restores internal balance by neutralizing stress hormones. Signs that are opposite to stress appear - deepening of breathing, slowing of the heart rate and relaxation of the muscles.

In addition to its calming effect, relaxation increases your energy and focus, fights disease, relieves pain, increases your ability to solve problems, and raises your motivation and productivity to new levels. And most importantly, in order to apply relaxation techniques, you do not need training and long practice, you can start right now.

Beginning the practice of relaxation.

There are many relaxation techniques that can soothe your body. But the most popular methods are deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, visualization, yoga and tai chi. The practice of these methods is not very difficult, all you need is a little basic knowledge of the basics of these techniques and at least 10 - 20 minutes a day of free time. The recommended time for practice is 30 minutes.

How to get the most out of your relaxation practice?

Set aside time to practice relaxation in your daily schedule. It will be enough to give her about 30 minutes once or twice a day. A convenient time for many people is considered early in the morning, when you are not yet "pressed" by other tasks and responsibilities.

Do not practice deep relaxation when you are tired. These methods can relax you so much that you can just fall asleep. It is better to practice it after the final awakening.

Choose the method that suits you. As mentioned above, there are many relaxation techniques, and one of them may suit you better than others. When choosing a relaxation technique, consider your own abilities and needs. Tie this practice into your lifestyle.

Deep breathing to release stress.

Full, cleansing, deep breathing is a simple yet powerful relaxation technique. It's easy to learn and can be practiced almost anywhere, and the effects of deep breathing come on pretty quickly. Deep breathing can be combined with other relaxation techniques such as aromatherapy and listening to music. All you need is a few free minutes to practice.

How to practice deep breathing.

All you have to do is learn to completely, from the belly, fill your lungs with air. When you breathe from your belly, instead of the simple shallow upper chest breaths you normally take, more oxygen gets into your lungs. The more oxygen that gets into your lungs, the more it goes into your bloodstream and on to other organs in your body. As a result, your body is less stressed and you feel less anxious. So the next time you start feeling stressed, take a moment to breathe slowly and deeply:

Sit comfortably, straighten your back. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach.

Breathe in through your nose with your belly and feel your belly raise your hand. The movement of the hand on the chest should be slight.

Exhale through your mouth, pushing as much air out of your lungs as you can. The hand on the stomach should move as you exhale, the hand on the chest should move slightly.

Continue to inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Try to breathe in such a way that the lower abdomen rises and falls. As you exhale, count the seconds.

If you find it difficult to breathe with your belly while sitting, try lying on a sofa or any other flat surface. Place a small book on your stomach and try to breathe so that the book rises as you inhale and falls as you exhale.

Progressive muscle relaxation for stress relief.

Progressive muscle relaxation is another effective and widely used stress relief technique. This technique is a sequential tension and relaxation of various muscle groups in the body.

Regular practice of progressive muscle relaxation allows you to see the difference between tightness and complete relaxation in various parts of the body. This understanding will help you counteract the first signs of muscle tension that comes with stress. As your body relaxes, your mind usually relaxes. To increase the effectiveness of progressive muscle relaxation, you can combine it with deep breathing techniques.

Progressive muscle relaxation should begin with the legs, successively moving to the muscles of the face. Stick to the following sequence:

Muscles of the right and left feet.

Muscles of the right and left leg.

Muscles of the right and left hips.

Thighs and buttocks.

Abdominal muscles.

Muscles of the chest.

Back muscles.

Right and left hand.

Right and left forearm.

Neck and shoulders.

Muscles of the face.

Follow the tips below:

Loosen your clothes, take off your shoes and get into a comfortable position.

Take a couple of minutes to relax and take deep breaths.

Relaxed and ready, shift your attention to the part of the body that you will work on first, which is the legs. Focus on feelings.

Slowly tense your muscles, squeezing as hard as you can, count to ten.

Relax the limb. Focus on how the tension drains and your limb relaxes.

Stay in this relaxed state for a minute, breathing deeply and slowly.

Then switch to the other limb. Follow the sequence above.

As you can see, there is nothing particularly difficult in this technique, with a little practice, you will learn how to effectively contract and relax your muscles. Regular practice will accelerate the achievement of a positive result.

Mindfulness meditation for stress relief.

Meditation, which develops concentration, can be especially effective in reducing stress, anxiety, depression, and other negative emotions. The key point of this practice is mindfulness - concentration without enumeration of thoughts. Instead of worrying about the future or worrying about the past, mindfulness meditation shifts your attention to what is happening in the future. currently.

To relieve stress, you can try the following meditation techniques:

Body scan – body scan develops mindfulness. Here you have to focus your attention on different parts of your body. Start monitoring the state of your body from your feet, ending with your head. Here, unlike progressive muscle relaxation, you don't have to tense and relax your muscles, you just focus on each part of your body, noting the sensations as "good" or "bad."

Walking Meditation - You don't have to be stationary to meditate. In walking meditation, you are required to pay attention to each step, the sensations of your feet as they hit the ground, the rhythm of your breath, and the sensation of the wind blowing. You completely switch your attention to the events taking place at the moment, but do not go behind your thoughts, but simply follow your feelings.

Mindful Eating – If you tend to eat during times of stress, use this to your advantage. Just start eating mindfully. Sit down at the table and focus your attention completely on food. Forget TV, newspapers and other things. Eat slowly and fully enjoy every bite.

Mindfulness meditation is a very beneficial practice. During it, you need to make an effort to maintain concentration, and return your attention to the present moment in case your mind starts to rush after thoughts. The practice of mindfulness meditation actually works on the brain, and more on the parts of the brain that are associated with joy and relaxation, resulting in less stress.

Guided visualization for stress relief.

The guided visualization technique, like other methods, helps you release stress. When used as a relaxation technique, you imagine in your mind a scene where you feel calm, peaceful, where tension and anxiety cannot reach. Imagine a new or existing place that allows you to fully experience peace.

Close your eyes, let go of all your worries. Start imagining your quiet place. Visualize it as vividly and in detail as you can. Include in your imagination all your senses - sight, hearing, smell, and bodily sensations. Guided visualization is most effective when you visualize your peaceful space in great detail.

See this place, in detail, a calm expanse of water or a green cover of grass.

Hear the singing and chirping of birds, the quiet splash of water.

Smell the pine forest.

Feel small waves hit your feet, or feel the grass tickle your feet as the wind blows.

Feel the taste of the salty air of the sea.

Let your imagination run wild. But do not be upset if at first you do not manage to create the most vivid and clear pictures. Everything will come with practice.