Techniques to Help Destress and Relax
The following techniques are designed to help you relax more, simple ways to manage stress better and therefore help maintain a healthy blood pressure level.
There are many stress management techniques to use, the ones listed are the ones that I have found over the years to be the most effective. But you can use others that you may already use.
A few minutes each day doing something to destress is ideal, it can be as simple as spending a few minutes daydreaming, or going for a walk, or even tapping a few acupressure points.
But getting into the habit of doing a daily activity is best, you can even put reminders in your phone to make sure you do them.
Here are a few videos outlining some simple stress management techniques to use.
Restorative Yoga
Restorative yoga is a gentle, calming practice that focuses on deep relaxation through passive stretching, often supported by props like blankets and bolsters. It helps reduce stress by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, which lowers heart rate and blood pressure, promoting mental clarity, better sleep, and overall health.
There are three very simple poses to do hold them for 5-10 minutes is ideal while breathing with eyes closed in a relaxed calm manner (you can even do the 36 Breathing technique while in these poses, just without holding the Jin Shin Jyutsu points) and very relaxing.
Supported Child’s Pose: In this pose, the body is folded forward over a bolster or stack of blankets, allowing the chest to rest while the forehead touches the ground or a cushion. This gentle forward bend calms the mind, slows the heart rate, and encourages deep diaphragmatic breathing, stimulating the parasympathetic response. If you find resting your forehead on a cushion or found uncomfortable, you can turn your head to the side, hold there for a few minutes and then turn the opposite way.
Supported Bridge Pose: Lying on your back with the soles of your feet together and knees falling outward (or with legs straight), supported by blocks or blankets, your shoulders drape over the blanket/cushion with your hand relaxed on the ground. Breathe deeply and relaxed for 2-5 minutes. This restorative posture encourages relaxation of the nervous system, reduces anxiety, and aids in recovery from stress, it is one of the best poses to help reduce blood pressure with its effects on the baro-receptors in the neck..
Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose: In this pose, you lie on your back with your legs extended up a wall, forming a 90-degree angle (or as close to 90 as comfortable). This gentle inversion helps to calm the mind, reduce fatigue, and enhance circulation, activating the parasympathetic nervous system to promote relaxation and stress relief.
Visualisation
Visualisation is a very powerful way to reduce stress but also helps to attain goals, whether they are health goals, business goals or life goals. The video explains a simple way to visualise which you can do at work or home. Use it often…
Simple Stress Management
These are the simplest Stress Management techniques to use, you don’t have to use them all. Always use the ones you find easiest and enjoy the most, after all reducing stress should be fun.
Tapping
Tapping is a simple way to embed positive thoughts and energy into the body and mind. It is used by many techniques from Yoga to EFT. The video below shows a very simple way you can use tapping at any time in the day to ease stress quickly, use it often also to build resistance to stress too.
Meditation
Meditation is a great technique to help reduce stress and calm the mind. However, many people find it difficult, which it doesn’t need to be. The following video outlines a very simple meditation technique you can use that is very effective.