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It's time
to relax. |
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| Our
fourth method of relaxation isn't as easy to do while
sitting upright at a computer, but it can be done. |
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| Much
of the tension that we feel is carried in our muscles,
which often feel tight and tense. Make sure your
clothing is loose--no tight belts or ties or shirts.
Tightness adds to our stress and keeps us from relaxing. |
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| Start
either with your feet or your hands, and flex your
muscles. If you start with your feet, tighten your
toes--not as hard as you can, just with moderate
pressure--and hold it for ten seconds. If you start
with your hands, make a fist with moderate tension.
After ten seconds, let go and feel the release of the
tension. It helps if you time the release to happen
as you exhale slowly and calmly. |
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| Working
your way up your arms or your legs, continue to tighten
your muscles for ten seconds each, then release the
tension. If you have more time, you can do one leg
at a time and one arm at a time, but if not you can do
your legs and arms simultaneously. |
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| All
over your body, tense your muscles and then let them
go. Life your shoulders to your ears, tighten your
stomach muscles, flex your biceps. Find muscles that
you didn't know were there. Tense them, then let
them go. If you have less time, then work only on
the major muscles in your legs, arms, and torso, paying
special attention to those muscles that tend to
"carry" your stress for you (for me, it's been
my shoulders for the last few years). |
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| Continue
to pay attention to your breathing as you do this
exercise, and continue to think positive thoughts, keeping
the negative and stressful thoughts out of your mind. |
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next
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