Relaxation
Stress and distress are associated with physiological arousal and activation of the sympathetic nervous system. This is the ‘fight or flight’ branch of the nervous system and its operation is designed to activate the individual to prepare for or to take action. In some clinical conditions normal physiological arousal leads to distress because it is misappraised. For example, in patients who panic, normal body sensations are misappraised in a manner indicating that catastrophe is imminent. In patients who struggle with affect regulation, physical arousal may be experienced as particularly aversive and associated with beliefs that its continuation is intolerable. Many people find that relaxation training is a helpful clinical intervention. Relaxation by breathing retraining or progressive muscle relaxation activates the parasympathetic nervous system—sometimes known as the ‘rest and digest’ system. Within compassion-focused therapy (CFT) it is quite reasonably proposed that ‘the mind sits in the body’ giving coherent rationale for soothing techniques to be used in order to help patients to access different social mentalities (‘mindsets’). Read more
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Grounding Techniques Menu
Dissociation can be described as a shift of a person’s attention away from the present moment. When working with traumatized clients, this shift oft ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/grounding-techniques-menu/
Fight Or Flight Response
The fight or flight response is an automatic physiological reaction to an event that is perceived as stressful or frightening. The perception of threa ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/fight-or-flight-response/
Grounding Techniques
Individuals who have experienced trama often find it difficult to stay within the 'window of tolerance'. Grounding techniques (which can be sensory/pe ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/grounding-techniques/
Mastery Of Your Anxiety And Worry (Second Edition): Workbook
Mastery Of Your Anxiety And Worry comes in two volumes. This page is for the Workbook. Click on the following link to access the accompanying Therapis ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/mastery-of-your-anxiety-and-worry-workbook/
Audio Collection: Psychology Tools For Relaxation
The Psychology Tools For Relaxation Audio Collection is designed to help anyone experiencing stress or heightened physiological arousal. The audio col ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/psychology-tools-for-relaxation-audio-collection/
Guidelines For Better Sleep
Some sleep experts recommend that sleep hygiene issues be attended to as one component of treatment for poor sleep. This sleep hygiene information wor ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/guidelines-for-better-sleep/
Relaxed Breathing
Practising Relaxed Breathing serves to reduce physiological arousal and can be an excellent grounding technique. This client information handout descr ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/relaxed-breathing/
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Progressive relaxation training originated in the 1930’s as a treatment for tension and anxiety. Edmund Jacobsen developed a systematic and lengthy ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/progressive-muscle-relaxation/
How Breathing Affects Feelings
Normal, anxious, and exercise breathing have significant effects upon our physiology and our emotions. This information handout explains the physiolog ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/how-breathing-affects-feelings/
Mastery Of Your Anxiety And Worry (Second Edition): Therapist Guide
Mastery Of Your Anxiety And Worry comes in two volumes. This page is for the Therapist Guide. Click on the following link to access the accompanying W ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/mastery-of-your-anxiety-and-worry-therapist-guide/
Autonomic Nervous System
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) automatically regulates the function of body systems outside of voluntary control. The Autonomic Nervous System han ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/autonomic-nervous-system/
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (Audio)
Progressive Muscle Relaxation is an audio exercise from the Psychology Tools For Overcoming PTSD Audio Collection. It is designed to help anyone exper ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/progressive-muscle-relaxation-audio/
Fight or Flight (CYP)
The Fight Or Flight (CYP) information handout has been specifically designed for younger children and includes carefully simplified language. The prof ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/fight-or-flight-cyp/
Learning To Relax (CYP)
Stress and tension are prevalent complaints amongst children and young people. Teaching relaxation exercises can engender a beneficial sense of contro ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/learning-to-relax-cyp/
Combined Relaxation Exercise (Audio)
The Combined Relaxation Exercise is an audio track from the Psychology Tools For Relaxation Audio Collection. It is designed to help anyone experienci ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/combined-relaxation-exercise-audio/
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (Archived)
NOTE: An improved version of this resource is available here: Progressive Muscle Relaxation. Older versions of a resource may be archived in the event ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/progressive-muscle-relaxation-edition-1/
Relaxed Breathing Exercise 1 (Audio)
Relaxed Breathing Exercise 1 is an audio track from the Psychology Tools For Overcoming PTSD Audio Collection. The aim of this breathing exercise is t ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/relaxed-breathing-exercise-1-audio/
Peaceful Place (Audio)
The Peaceful Place exercise guides the listener through a short imagery exercise designed to facilitate the visualization of soothing imagery and noti ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/peaceful-place-audio/
Breathing To Calm The Body Sensations Of Panic (Psychology Tools For Overcoming Panic)
Psychology Tools for Overcoming Panic takes a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) approach to this common anxiety problem. This chapter discusses the ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/breathing-to-calm-the-body-sensations-of-panic-psychology-tools-for-overcoming-panic/
Relaxed Breathing Exercise 2 (Audio)
Relaxed Breathing Exercise 2 is an audio track taken from the Psychology Tools For Overcoming PTSD Audio Collection. The aim of this breathing exercis ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/relaxed-breathing-exercise-2-audio/
Relaxed Breathing Exercise 4 (Audio)
Relaxed Breathing Exercise 4 is an audio track from the Psychology Tools For Overcoming PTSD Audio Collection. Slow, relaxed, diaphragmatic breathing ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/relaxed-breathing-exercise-4-audio/
Relaxed Breathing Record Form
Practicing relaxed breathing serves to reduce physiological arousal and can be an excellent grounding technique. This record form helps clients to mon ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/relaxed-breathing-record-form/
Relaxed Breathing Exercise 3 (Audio)
Breathing Exercise 3 uses the imagery of breathing air of different colours to help the listener make their breathing slower, deeper, and more regular ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/relaxed-breathing-exercise-3-audio/
Links to external resources
Psychology Tools makes every effort to check external links and review their content. However, we are not responsible for the quality or content of external links and cannot guarantee that these links will work all of the time.
Exercises
- How to do progressive muscle relaxation | Anxiety Canada
- Controlled Abdominal Breathing
Information Handouts
- Progressive muscle relaxation | Centre For Clinical Interventions
- Progressive muscle relaxation instructions | Bourne | 1995
- Relaxation handout | Holdsworth, Paxton | 1999
Information (Professional)
- Relaxation Scripts (OCTC Practical Guides) | Helen Kennerley | 2016
Protocols
- Relaxation script (progressive muscle relaxation)
- Relaxation script deep muscle relaxation
References
- Bernstein, D. A., & Borkovec, T. D. (1973). Progressive relaxation training: A manual for the helping professions. Champaign, IL: Research Press.
- Jacobson, E. (1938). Progressive relaxation. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
- Suess, W. M., Alexander, A. B., Smith, D. D., Sweeney, H. W., & Marion, R. J. (1980). The effects of psychological stress on respiration: A preliminary study of anxiety and hyperventilation. Psychophysiology, 17(6), 535–540.
- Wolpe, J. (1958). Psychotherapy by reciprocal inhibition. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.