Strange to say, but it is the case that we can be so
habitually tense, almost without realising it, that we gradually become
accustomed to the sensations of living in a tense state and just think of it as
ÒnormalÓ.
So here are some clues that may help you to spot undue
levels of tension:
á tense
muscles
á heart
racing or pounding
á hyperventilating;
feeling light-headed or faint
á persistent
tiredness or exhaustion
á aches
and pains
á difficulty
with sleeping or gritting your teeth at night
á waking
up tired
á loss
of appetite or not eating well, perhaps with our stomach Òin knotsÓ
á developing
minor ailments such as headaches, migraines or stomach upsets
á mind
in a whirl; canÕt think straight, concentrate or work effectively
á sense
of rush and pressure, lack of time.
These symptoms can also be caused by other medical
problems, so if you are unsure, it is worth checking this out with your GP.
Whilst some tension can help in the short-term by making
us alert, or by motivating us to get on with something, in the longer-term it
can begin to cause problems with our health, and in time our work and
relationships are also likely to suffer. Generally, the more relaxed you are
the better your mind works and the more capable and adaptable you can be.
There are many approaches to learning to relax; none is ÒrightÓ
for everyone - it is more a matter of finding an approach that makes sense and
works for you. Learning to relax muscle groups physically, learning mental
relaxation, meditation, yoga, prayer, biofeedback - all are possible
approaches. As our body is not disconnected from our mind and our emotions, it
is possible to use any of these starting points to benefit our entire being.
Like exercising in order to get fit, doing relaxation
exercises once wonÕt make you ÒfitÓ: learning to relax takes time and practice
in order for you to become proficient.
Here is one simple physical method which is designed to be
useful in everyday situations: it doesnÕt aim at deep relaxation or require you
to lie down for half an hour! Rather, it aims to reduce unnecessary levels of
tension, so that you can continue with your current activity more effectively.
It can be used just about anywhere - sitting in a lecture or examination,
walking down the street, or going to sleep in bed.
In the early part of this century it was recognised that
when people first tense up and then relax muscle groups, they end up more
relaxed than when they began. In fact this is a natural process that we all
use, for example when we stretch, or yawn.
But the key to this particular method lies in two factors:
that we learn the difference in the sensations of being
tense and being relaxed, and
that it gives signals to the subconscious and ÒautomaticÓ
parts of our system (the autonomic nervous system) that Òall is wellÓ, Òthere
is no need to be tense any longerÓ, and it is your autonomic nervous system
which will do the real work by slowing down your heart rate, stopping the
release of adrenaline into your blood stream, etc. - things which we do not
normally have under our conscious control.
Hence the exercises themselves are deceptively simple. DonÕt
be fooled - they do work; but like all relaxation methods, it takes time and
practice for this to be useful in real-life stressful situations.
For each of the areas of the body described, it is
suggested that you tense up and then relax muscle groups. Do each exercise
three times. As you get better with time at relaxing these areas, try using
less tension before relaxing.
Hands are commonly one of the first parts of our body to
show tension. When they tense up, they tend to either clench up into a fist, or
to hold tight onto something, such as the arm of a chair, or to clasp each
other.
Instead, try stretching out your hands so that your
fingers are straight and spread out. Hold that position for a moment and feel
the tension across your palms and the back of your hands. Then let your hands
relax and flop beside you, or on your lap. Resist the urge to hold onto
something; just let them hang loosely beside you, or let them rest on your lap.
When hands are relaxed, the fingers are gently curved,
neither tightly curled nor straight, and are ÒfloppyÓ, not stiff.
When we are tense our shoulders are commonly raised i.e.
hunched. Instead, pull your shoulders down; feel the tension under your arms
and up your neck. Hold that position for a moment. Then let them relax and
return to a natural position (i.e. not hunched ).
The neck muscles can only relax when they donÕt have to
support the weight of your head - i.e. if you are lying comfortably with your
head supported in a straight line with your spine, or, if you are standing or
sitting, with your head balanced and looking straight ahead - neither angled to
one side, nor looking up or down.
Academics and people who work at desks or keyboards tend
to spend a lot of time looking down, either reading, typing or writing, or
looking through a microscope. So instead, try looking right up, and feel the
tension in your neck; then allow your head to return to the straight ahead,
balanced position.
There are many muscles in our face - used, of course, for
speaking, eating, facial expression... This is one of the areas most likely to
show tension. As with other muscle groups, it is possible to tense up and then
relax these muscles. However, do not do this if you wear either contact lenses
or dentures as they could be damaged. So here is an alternative method, which
has the additional advantage of being less obtrusive in company.
Let all expression go from your face: let your forehead
become smooth, your jaw sag with your teeth just apart (though your lips may
still be closed), your eyes looking straight ahead and into the distance, and
not squinting.
It may help you to do this if you think of a word which
describes this particular expression - ÒvacantÓ; ÒemptyÓ; ÒrelaxedÓ; ÒgormlessÓ
are some possibilities! Put this particular expression on your face.
When you are tense, your breathing tends to become faster
and shallower. So, allow your breathing to come from lower down in your abdomen
(this doesnÕt mean inhaling a lot of air - rather, just a little air, but from
low down) and this will help you to slow your breathing down a little (but donÕt
actually hold your breath). Let it become gentle, easy and regular. Once it is
comfortable, you may be able to slow your breathing a little more.
[Some people find that thinking about their breathing is
counterproductive as it increases anxiety. If you find this applies to you,
just omit this section.]
Although the physical relaxation method described above
doesnÕt aim for deep relaxation, it should nonetheless help you to relax
mentally too. It isnÕt possible to be really relaxed physically while being
tense mentally, or vice versa. However, here are some suggestions which may
help further with mental relaxation.
One approach is to turn your mind away from stressful
thoughts and situations, and instead think about something pleasant. This is a
form of Òday-dreamingÓ which you can turn to your advantage.
Imagine somewhere, real or imaginary, that you would like
to be and where you can relax and put aside the cares of the world for a little
while; gradually begin to imagine the details of this place, the sights,
sounds, smells. Imagine yourself ÒunwindingÓ and Òrecharging your batteriesÓ.
Then gradually return to your current world, but bring the new found feelings
of life and energy back with you, so that you can use them in your current
circumstances.
It is the last part of this technique - bringing your
re-found energy back to apply in the present - which is the important bit.
[Merely imagining pleasant places may give some respite from current
difficulties, but can too easily become an avoidance of the present circumstances.]
Taking the above approach further: once you are physically
relaxed, try imagining yourself in a situation that you feel tense about, and
then focus again on relaxing. Alternate your attention between the tense
situation and relaxation, until you can remain relaxed while thinking about
this situation. In this way you can mentally ÒrehearseÓ for a coming stressful
event, something you are feeling anxious about such as an exam, an interview, a
presentation, before you have to face it in reality.
For example, in order to prepare for a coming examination,
first relax physically, then imagine yourself revising for the examination.
When you can do this and still remain relaxed, begin to introduce thoughts
about the day before the exam whilst practising remaining relaxed. Then think
about going to the examination, and eventually imagine yourself doing the
examination, all whilst remaining relaxed enough to work well.
Nonetheless, this is a proven approach to improving oneÕs
performance: it is similar to the visualisation techniques that sports
psychologists teach athletes to use as an aid to improving their performance.
Relaxing is not the same as sleeping. Many people sleep
without being very relaxed, and although relaxing can lead one to yawn or feel
sleepy, it need not lead to sleep.
Learning to relax can certainly help you to get to sleep
more easily, and then to sleep more restfully. Use the physical relaxation
exercises described earlier when you are ready for sleep. Some other
suggestions that may help with sleeping are:
donÕt use your bed as a place to work during the day
stop working some while before you want to sleep
put your work books etc. out of sight of your bed
develop a routine prior to going to bed
once in bed, get as comfortable as possible
yawn! ÒArtificialÓ yawns are just as good as the real
thing in helping you to slow down your breathing, and at releasing the fluid
between your eyelids which will enable them to stay closed all night. Having
yawned, keep your eyes gently closed.
To quieten all thoughts and leave an empty mind is very
difficult, but if thoughts are going round and round in your mind as you
attempt to sleep, try these ideas:
first, use the physical relaxation techniques described
above
with your eyes gently closed, look straight ahead and Òstare
into spaceÓ as if looking at a distant, unmoving spot. Just keep looking at
this distant black spot
if your thoughts still wonÕt stop, try focusing on your
breathing and gently slowing it down
or imagine your thoughts as images on a black screen,
which you can Òwipe outÓ with a board rubber.
For these techniques to be of real use, you will need to
build them into your everyday life, so that when something very stressful comes
along, you are already thoroughly practised in the skills of relaxation and can
put them to good use in the midst of difficulty. The day of an examination,
interview or presentation is not the day to begin practising.
As time goes by, you will probably find that you are more
readily aware of any signs of tension in your body. As you become more alert to
the early warning signs in your body, you can begin to relax before tension
becomes a major problem.
You may become so proficient that you do not need to tense
up muscle groups prior to relaxing them - the tensing stage is not actually
necessary, but was introduced as an easier method for beginners. You may find
in time that you can simply relax at will.
You cannot overdose on these exercises; nor are they in
any way harmful or addictive. They simply make good use of a natural process.
Practice when life is going well, and then gradually build
it into more stressful events. Incorporate it into all aspects of your life and
then you will be well able to keep disabling tension at bay when stressful
events arise.
If you want further help with learning to relax, or to
apply this in stressful circumstances, you could do one of the following:
á join
a relaxation training class
á speak
to your College or Practice Nurse
á consider
spiritual approaches such as prayer or meditation; your College Chaplain,
Church or other faith centre should be able to point you in a helpful direction
á look
at other leaflets in this series, which may also be relevant
á arrange
an appointment at the University Counselling Service.
å© University of Cambridge Counselling Service 1998
(revised Aug 2005)