Relaxation (Chapter 5) - McKay et al. - 2021 - Article

Relaxation trainings involve the practice of one or more specific relaxation techniques. Relaxation techniques are effective in reducing general, interpersonal, and performance anxiety. In this chapter, the authors explain a few highly effective techniques.

Relaxation trainings involve the practice of one or more specific relaxation techniques. Relaxation techniques are effective in reducing general, interpersonal, and performance anxiety. In this chapter, the authors explain a few highly effective techniques.

What is abdominal breathing?

Abdominal breathing is the process of reversing a high and shallow breath by relaxing the muscles that press against your diaphragm. They suggest this exercise to practice for three minutes:

1. Lie down and close your eyes. Identify where your breath is centred and what is going on in your chest.
2. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen, below your waist. As you breath in, imagine that you are sending your breath as far down into your body as it will go.
3. Continue to gently breathe in and out. Let your breath find its own pace.
4. After several deep breaths, begin to count each time you exhale. After ten exhalations, start the count over with one. When thoughts intrude and you lose track, return your attention to the exercise and start counting again from number one. Continue counting your breaths for ten minutes, and make certain that the hand on your abdomen continues to rise with each breath.

What is Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)?

PMR is a relaxation technique which involves relaxing all the various muscle groups in your body in a specific order. The authors give instructions for how to practice PMR.

The PMR is effective to relax, but it takes too long because of all the different muscle groups. There is also a shorthand version: tense and hold each group for seven seconds, and then allow your muscles to relax for twenty seconds. Seven to fourteen practice sessions should make you effective: then you would not need to deliberately contract each muscle before you relax it. This is called the relaxation-without-tension method.

What is Cue-Controlled Relaxation?

In cue-controlled relaxation, one learns to relax their muscles whenever they want by combining a verbal suggestion with abdominal breathing. This means that one first has to take a comfortable position, and then release as much muscle tension as they can using the relaxation-without-tension method. Focus on your belly and let yourself become relaxed. Then, with every inhalation say: “breathe in”, and with every exhalation say: “relax”. This teaches the body to create an association with the word ‘relax’ and the feeling of relaxation.

Visualizing a peaceful scene

One can also relax by mentally constructing a peaceful scene. This should be a setting that you find interesting and appealing. Examples of peaceful scenes are the beach, the forest, and the train.