Stress Relief On-The-Go!

Mini-Relaxation #1
One suggestion to help alleviate stress as well as pain is to lie on your back with a moist heat pack on your stomach; we recommend The Walkabout or a "hot-water bottle style" such as the All-Purpose Square or a Toasty Teddy^TM Comfort Pack. Do some deep breathing (that’s "belly breathing" where you can feel your belly rising, not your chest, when you inhale.)

Sit or, preferably, lie down in a comfortable position. Take a slow, deep breath. Place a hand on your abdomen, just on top of your belly button. Allow your abdomen to rise as you inhale. As you exhale, notice that your abdomen falls. Notice, too, that your chest rises slightly as your abdomen rises.

Become aware of your diaphragm moving down as you inhale, back up as you exhale. Remember: It’s impossible to breathe abdominally if your diaphragm does not move down. And your diaphragm won’t move down if you keep your stomach tight. So soften your stomach muscles.

If you find this difficult, try breathing in through your nose, out of your mouth. Attend to the sensations of abdominal breathing for several breaths, or as long as you desire.

Mini-Relaxation #2
Make the shift from chest breathing to deep abdominal breathing. Count down from ten to zero, taking one complete breath-one inhalation, one exhalation-with each number. Thus, with your first abdominal breath, you say "ten" to yourself, with the next breath you say "nine," and so on. If you start to feel light-headed or dizzy, slow down your counting. When you get to zero, see how you are feeling. If you’re feeling more relaxed, great. If not, try it again.

If you have a favorite self-help tip or two to share, send us an email and perhaps we can share it here.

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