Visualisation and Relaxation for Anger, Anxiety and Stress

What is "visualisation" and how can it help my anger, anxiety or stress ?

Visualisation is a technique that is especially useful for anger, anxiety and stress. It helps you to teach your mind and body to react positively to situations, emotions or thoughts.

Research suggests that your mind does not know the difference between real events and visualised events - so imaging positive outcomes or going to a positive place will help you your mind and body to adapt to a new conditioning.

So how can it help your anger, anxiety or stress? It can help your body feel calmer, happier, peaceful and relaxed - its an added bonus that it will also help your mind to think more positively!

So how do I do this?

Visualisation does that some time and practise, however once you have been doing it for a while you should start to see some positive results. Please note that the advice found here should never be used to replace your doctors advice. If you think you are suffering from anger, anxiety or stress, please seek medical advice.

1. Find your safe place - your safeplace (or "happy place") is whether you feel the most comfortable. This could be a beach, forest, your home, bath, school, anywhere. It is your own unique safe space and there is no right or wrong answer as to what is best. My safe place is a fores with a stream running down to a river and then a lake.
2. Immersion - now you have in mind briefly where your safe place is going to be. Now you need to start to travel there in your mind. Close your eyes and take nice deep even breaths. Make sure your surroundings are relaxing like a nice chair, cushions or bed. The only noise we would advice is classical, new age or tranquil music that will help you to relax. 
3. Relax your body - start to think about your feet, and them relaxing and going to slow. Work up your body, focusing on relaxation and sleep. Think about how it feels to be relaxed, listen to your heartbeat and your nice even breaths.
4. Visualisation - Now you should be starting to feel more relaxed, but don't worry if your not. It is also okay to still hold onto anything that is worrying you, this is normal, so don't beat yourself up over it. Now start to imagine how your safe place feels under your feet. You imagine stepping into your safe place and smelling the air, what does it smell like? You imagine opening your eyes and taking in the beautiful site, what does your safe place look like? You imagine eating or tasting the air, what does it taste like? You ear the water running or a bird, what does it sound like? You brush past something, what does it feel like? Imagine everything with all your senses, this will help your mind to think it is really there.
5. Coming around - It is up to you when you want to return from your safeplace. A good way to come around is imaging leaving your safe place. Refocus on your breathing and heartbeat once more. Then slowly imagine waking your body up, but starting from your head and working your way down. Then slowly open your eyes
6. Practise - The best way to see good results is to keep practising. I make sure I do this at least 20mins everyday and find it really helps to shake off any feelings of anxiety.

If you aren't sure on where your safe place would be, you can also purchase relaxation cds. They will help to talk you through various safe places and take you on visualisation journeys. I started off with these myself until I felt more comfortable with how to visualise.

If you have any questions about visualisation, relaxation, anger, anxiety or stress please email us at team@nurturingnatalsupport.co.uk

Breathing Techniques - for Anger, Anxiety, and Stress

In all of our lives, we are go through anger, anxiety or stress. For some this is fleeting and easily managed, for others it can feel like control is lost. Either way these breathing techniques will help you to take control of your emotions and situation.

 

First things first, if you are experiencing anger, anxiety or stress this does not make you a bad person - we all go through periods where things can get a little out of control. 1 in 3 of us will suffer from a mental health issue each year, and anger, anxiety and stress can be part of that.

The advice offered here is drawn from our own personal experiences and should not replace medical advice. If you feel you are suffering from anger, anxiety, stress or other mental health issue, please contact your doctor as soon as possible. It is not a weakness to admitt you need help, we all need help now and again

Why do we loose control?

Control of emotions is often lost because the rational part of our brain is not working as it normally would. Breathing techniques help the rational part of your mind to function better and give you time to take control of the situation. Whatever the reason for your anger, anxiety or stress being triggered, you can almost always regain control (or leaviate the symptoms) with breathing techniques.

Equal Breathing

Image from:  www.buzzle.com

7 11 Technique

Image from: www.in8.uk.com

 

Abdominal Breathing

With one hand on the chest and the other on the belly, take a deep breath in through the nose, ensuring the diaphragm (not the chest) inflates with enough air to create a stretch in the lungs. The goal: Six to 10 deep, slow breaths per minute for 10 minutes each day to experience immediate reductions to heart rate and blood pressure, McConnell says. Keep at it for six to eight weeks, and those benefits might stick around even longer. (instructions from: http://greatist.com/happiness/breathing-exercises-relax)

 

Alternate Nastal Breathing

A yogi’s best friend, this breath is said to bring calm and balance, and unite the right and left sides of the brain. Starting in a comfortable meditative pose, hold the right thumb over the right nostril and inhale deeply through the left nostril. At the peak of inhalation, close off the left nostril with the ring finger, then exhale through the right nostril. Continue the pattern, inhaling through the right nostril, closing it off with the right thumb, and exhaling through the left nostril. (instructions from: http://greatist.com/happiness/breathing-exercises-relax)

Skull Shining Breath

Ready to brighten up your day from the inside out? This one begins with a long, slow inhale, followed by a quick, powerful exhale generated from the lower belly. Once comfortable with the contraction, up the pace to one inhale-exhale (all through the nose) every one to two seconds, for a total of 10 breaths. (instructions from: http://greatist.com/happiness/breathing-exercises-relax)

Also helpful to use alongside breathing techniques - progressive relaxation and visualisation, we will be writing a post all about this next week