Breathing exercises for stress. If you're sitting, place your arms on the chair arms. Let your breath flow as deep down into your belly as is comfortable, without forcing it. Try breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth.

Breathe in gently and regularly. Some people find it helpful to count steadily from 1 to 5. You may not be able to reach 5 at first. This can prevent stress from getting out of control and lowering your quality of life. Remember that relaxation techniques are skills. As with any skill, your ability to relax improves with practice.

Be patient with yourself. Don't let your effort to try relaxation techniques become yet another stressor. If one relaxation technique doesn't work for you, try another one.

If none of your efforts at lessening your stress seems to work, talk to your healthcare professional about other options. Also, remember that some people, especially those with serious mental health issues and a history of abuse or trauma, may have feelings of emotional discomfort during some relaxation techniques.

Although this is rare, if you have emotional discomfort during relaxation techniques, stop what you're doing. Talk to your healthcare professional or a mental health professional. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health.

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Request Appointment. Healthy Lifestyle Stress management. Sections Basics Stress basics Stress relief Relaxation techniques In-Depth Expert Answers Multimedia Resources News From Mayo Clinic What's New. Products and services. Relaxation techniques: Try these steps to lower stress Relaxation techniques can lower stress symptoms and help you enjoy a better quality of life, especially if you have an illness.

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Show references Complementary, alternative, or integrative health: What's in a name? National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.

Accessed Dec. Relaxation techniques for health. Pizzorno JE, et al. Stress management. In: Textbook of Natural Medicine. Elsevier; Thomas Aquinas, "need leisure. Almost any type of exercise will help. Many people find that using large muscle groups in a rhythmic, repetitive fashion works best; call it "muscular meditation," and you'll begin to understand how it works.

Walking and jogging are prime examples. Even a simple minute stroll can clear the mind and reduce stress. But some people prefer vigorous workouts that burn stress along with calories.

That's one reason ellipticals are so popular. And the same stretching exercises that help relax your muscles after a hard workout will help relax your mind as well. Regular physical activity keeps you healthy as it reduces stress.

But another special sort of exercise known as autoregulation exercises can also reduce stress. Stress comes in many forms and produces many symptoms. Mental symptoms range from worry and irritability to restlessness and insomnia, anger and hostility, or sensations of dread, foreboding, and even panic.

Mental stress can also produce physical symptoms. Muscles are tense, resulting in fidgetiness, taut facial expressions, headaches, or neck and back pain. The mouth is dry, producing unquenchable thirst or perhaps the sensation of a lump in the throat that makes swallowing difficult.

Clenched jaw muscles can produce jaw pain and headaches. The skin can be pale, sweaty, and clammy. Intestinal symptoms range from "butterflies" to heartburn, cramps, or diarrhea. Frequent urination may be a bother.

A pounding pulse is common, as is chest tightness. Rapid breathing is also typical, and may be accompanied by sighing or repetitive coughing. In extreme cases, hyperventilation can lead to tingling of the face and fingers, muscle cramps, lightheadedness, and even fainting.

The physical symptoms of stress are themselves distressing. In fact, the body's response to stress can feel so bad that it produces additional mental stress.

During the stress response, then, mind and body can amplify each other's distress signals, creating a vicious cycle of tension and anxiety.

Because the root cause of stress is emotional, it is best controlled by gaining insight, reducing life problems that trigger stress, and modifying behavior. But stress control can — and should — also involve the body. Aerobic exercise is one approach; physical fitness will help promote mental fitness.

But there is another approach: you can learn to use your mind to relax your body. The relaxed body will, in turn, send signals of calm and control that help reduce mental tension. Autoregulation exercises are a group of techniques designed to replace the spiral of stress with a cycle of repose. Several approaches are available.

Even without formal meditation and controlled breathing, the gentle muscle stretching of yoga can reduce stress. But if that's not your thing, simple breathing exercises can help by themselves.

Rapid, shallow, erratic breathing is a common response to stress. Slow, deep, regular breathing is a sign of relaxation. You can learn to control your respirations so they mimic relaxation; the effect, in fact, will be relaxing.

Breathe in slowly and deeply, pushing your stomach out so that your diaphragm is put to maximal use. Repeat the entire sequence five to 10 times, concentrating on breathing deeply and slowly. Deep breathing is easy to learn. You can do it at any time, in any place.

You can use deep breathing to help dissipate stress as it occurs. Practice the routine in advance; then use it when you need it most. If you find it helpful, consider repeating the exercise four to six times a day — even on good days.

Bodily exercise can help relax the mind, and mental maneuvers can, too. Most often, that means talking out problems with a supportive listener, who can be a friend, a chaplain, or a trained counselor or psychotherapist. But you can also do it yourself, harnessing the power of your own mind to reduce stress.

Simply writing down your thoughts and feelings can be very beneficial, and formal meditation exercises have helped many people reduce stress and gain perspective. Meditation is a prime example of the unity of mind and body. Mental stress can speed the heart and raise the blood pressure; meditation can actually reverse the physiological signs of stress.

Scientific studies of Indian yoga masters demonstrate that meditation can, in fact, slow the heart rate , lower the blood pressure, reduce the breathing rate, diminish the body's oxygen consumption, reduce blood adrenaline levels, and change skin temperature. Although meditation is an ancient Eastern religious technique, you don't have to become a pilgrim or convert to put it to work for you.

In fact, your best guide to meditation is not an Indian spiritualist but a Harvard physician, Dr. Herbert Benson. Here's an outline of what Dr. Benson has termed as the relaxation response:.

Select a time and place that will be free of distractions and interruption. A semi-darkened room is often best; it should be quiet and private.

If possible, wait two hours after you eat before you meditate and empty your bladder before you get started. Get comfortable. Find a body position that will allow your body to relax so that physical signals of discomfort will not intrude on your mental processes.

Breathe slowly and deeply, allowing your mind to become aware of your rhythmic respirations. Achieve a relaxed, passive mental attitude. Close your eyes to block out visual stimuli. Try to let your mind go blank, blocking out thoughts and worries.