Relaxation Technique

Sit on your own. In silence. No TV, phone, etc. Just you. Close your eyes. Get comfortable. Notice your breathing, don't control it, just notice it. Take as long as you like in each aspect. Notice your toes. Relax them. Feel them become lighter. Feel them loosen. Notice this feeling of lightness. Move up to the ankles and do the same. Feel any tension just drift away. Let them drop to a comfortable position. Notice how light they feel. Notice how much tension has left them. Do this working slowly up your body, bit by bit. The calf muscles, thigh muscles, hips etc. You want to remember how your body feels when it is fully relaxed. You may want to stop at some point, whole body relaxation may take a few sessions to learn.

You may have thoughts running through your mind. What chores you need to do, what time work is tomorrow. Don't chastise yourself for not having an empty mind. It's what the brain does. Notice the thought. See it. Let it pass by. A bit like being sat in a cafe, people watching. Let your thoughts come and go.

This relaxation technique will take some practise. I've been using it for years and now I can invoke the physical feeling without doing one body part at a time. When I'm anxious, my body tenses up, this technique helps me calm down. I still have thoughts pop in to my head. Most of the time I catch myself indulging them. This is when I bring myself back to centre, notice them, and let them pass me by.

Tip: Write down any thoughts before hand. This way, you don't have to worry you'll forget something. Also, I like to have some classical music quietly playing in the background. Music that's not a distraction may help.

You may feel lightheaded afterwards. Your blood pressure has probably dropped a bit. Take your time bringing yourself back to the real world.

Let me know in the comments if this was helpful, or if I could improve my explanation etc.