Five-minute mind & body relaxation
In today’s hectic world, many of us are guilty of not taking enough time to look after our own emotional wellbeing as well as we perhaps could. Allowing just five minutes a day for soothing relaxation can help to calm your mind and relax your body, which can greatly benefit your mental health.
Treat yourself and allow a five-minute break to follow this simple relaxation exercise. This can be used at any time of the day to either de-stress and energise, help you relax before drifting off to sleep and can even be used during the night if you awake and find yourself unable to return to sleep.
- Begin by finding somewhere comfortable to relax. This could be your favourite sofa/chair, your bed, a soft mat or rug on your floor or even in your office chair/car between meetings!
- Relax your body and close your eyes. Take a deep breath in…pausing for a moment…and then breathe out. Repeat this five times and each time you breathe out, feel your body sinking into your chair or bed as it becomes heavy and more relaxed.
- Starting with your head, tense all the muscles in your face (pull a funny face!), hold for a moment and then relax them.
- Move down to your neck now. Tense – or imagine yourself tensing – all the muscles that run from your head down to your shoulders.
- Move down to your shoulder now. Shrug and tense, hold for a moment and then release.
- Now, move down through your chest, tensing and relaxing the muscles just as before.
- It’s now time to move through your arms. Starting at the top of your left arm, tense and release, and then repeat the same with your lower arm and then your hand. Repeat this with your right arm.
- Begin to work through and relax the muscles in your tummy, and then your hips and bottom. Remember to tense, hold and then release each time. Be mindful of how rested and heavy your body is beginning to feel.
- Let’s move onto your legs now. Beginning with your left leg, tense and release the muscles at the top of your leg, your lower leg and finally your foot. Repeat with your right foot.
- Allow yourself a further five to ten deep breaths in….pause…and out.
- If you need to continue with your day, slowly open your eyes feeling refreshed and energised! If you are wishing to sleep, simply stay where you are comfortably resting and allow sleepiness to wash over your soothed and tranquil body and mind.