List Of Stress Management Techniques |
In our busy lives, stress is the most common cause for sleep disorder such as insomnia. Learning how to relax physically and mentally before going to bed can help you to sleep more easily. The most common complaint of people who suffer from insomnia is the inability for the mind to quiet down. In this article, we are going to look into some ways to manage stress as well as easy relaxation techniques.
Quieting the mind and body is not something that can be done in an instant. Therefore you should try to wind down at least one hour before bedtime. Try doing some slow and quiet activities such as reading a book (avoid reading thrillers or novels), taking a warm bath, playing solitaire or working a crossword puzzle are great ways to slow down for the day.
In addition, you can try these relaxation activities:
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)
PMR is a set of exercises you can use to reduce anxiety and stress at bedtime. PMR is a two-step process where you first tense certain muscle groups and then relax them. As you go through the process, you should be focused on actively tensing and then relaxing, helping to relax your mind as well as your body. The procedure takes some time to learn, but after learning it, you can practice a shorter version of the exercises. When practicing PMR to help with sleep, you should plan to fall asleep before finishing all of the exercises.
Go to the article titled "Progressive Muscle Relaxation" for a quick course on PMR.
Diaphragmatic Breathing
Most of us do not notice our breathing patterns. In fact, learning how to breath is a very good way to relax. Most of the time we are breathing too shallow. Learn how to breath deeply from our stomach or diaphragm. To practice diaphragm breathing, put a hand on your stomach and take slow breaths, letting your stomach expand as you breathe in. As you breathe out, relax your chest and shoulders. Concentrate on your breathing as you do it to encourage your mind away from stressful or anxious thoughts.
Visual Imagery Relaxation
Because of the long list of things to do everyday, we tend to feel all tense up and difficult to relax. Practicing visual imagery means choosing peaceful, soothing thoughts to focus on which calm you and allow you to stop thinking of your to do list. Everyone’s peaceful situation is different, and you can choose to think about things that personally soothe you – a walk in the mountains, canoing on a lake, swimming, petting your dog, etc. As long as the image doesn’t excite your mind, it should work.
You might also choose to focus on something that is very repetitious as a way of relaxing. For example, if you are a skier, you might imagine going to the slopes, zipping up your jacket, putting on your gloves and hat, tightening your boots, riding the chairlift and then the smooth and rhythmic motion of sinking your poles in and turning side to side as you ski down the mountain. Slowly going over every detail of a repetitious activity can be soothing and relaxing.
Stress Management
Stress is the number cause of many health conditions. If we learn how to deal with stress more effectively, we can avoid many ailments such as heart disease as well as sleep disorder. Here are some hints on how to reduce stress to help you sleep easier:
*Change or resolve the things causing you stress when possible.
*Accept situations you can't change.
*Keep your mind and body as relaxed as much as possible throughout the day.
*Give yourself enough time to do the things you need to do such as eating.
*Don't take on too much and avoid unrealistic demands.
*Live in the present, rather than worrying about the past or fearing the future.
*Talk to your partner if there are problems in your relationship.
*Have some relaxing, non-competitive activities - something you do just for pleasure, for fun.
*Give yourself some 'quiet time' each day.
*Practice a relaxation technique or breathing exercises regularly.
Anger Management
Feelings of anger, anxiety and frustration is a common reaction to our daily encounters. These negative feelings can affect our ability to have a restful sleep. If you feel angry or resentful before you go to sleep, chances are you won't be able to fall asleep. If you are feeling angry and resentful, recognize the problem and learn how to deal with it. Here are some way which you may find useful:
Exercise daily – it will help you release excess anger and frustration.
Think about the cause of your anger. If there isn’t anything you can do to resolve it, move on. If you can resolve it, make steps to do so.
Develop a method of releasing the anger by the end of the day, before you try to relax or go to sleep. For example, you might choose to write it down in your journal or talk to a spouse or friend about it. After you have processed the anger and let it out, try to move on
Word And Imagination Games
For some, playing mental games at bedtime may not be helpful at all. But others find that engaging their mind in something unimportant can be a good way to unwind and shift attention away from actively trying to fall asleep. Try playing some mental games:
Spell long words and sentences backwards.
Think of a poem or song and then count how many a’s or b’s there are in it.
Work your way through the alphabet thinking of a four-letter word beginning with each letter
Repeat long pieces of poetry or prose.
Recall in great detail a favorite painting, a piece of music or place.
Self-help strategies are usually effective and aren’t addictive. Using these alternatives to over-the-counter or prescription medication are less expensive than pharmacological treatment, have fewer side effects, and can provide longer lasting relief particularly when behavioral treatments are used as well.
Natural Sleep Aid Quick Tip #1
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Natural Sleep Aid Quick Tip #2
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Natural Sleep Aid Quick Tip #3
Self Hypnosis for Insomnia
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