A selection of tips from David Allen's How to Get Things in Order - these tips will help you get your head and work in order, get rid of anxiety and find time for creativity and other pleasant things in your life.

1. Completion of what has been started - start of a new one
The end is the beginning. Every time you master something, you open the way for something new. Whatever you "deal with", it gives freedom: whether you close the project or take apart a box of junk - it releases energy. Often we are at a loss: there are so many things to do that we don’t know what to grab onto. There is a sure way to get out of this state.

Just “clean up” what you started, finish something obvious and long overdue. Soon you will gain energy and clarity, understand which direction to move and what to do, and the brain will again be ready to more effectively respond to any events.

Sort through your inbox, e-mail, or finally tidy up your desk drawer. Sooner or later it will still have to be done.

2. Don't Worry About Things That Haven't Been Done
Many people have a habit of making deals with themselves: making promises to themselves - and getting stressed when they cannot be kept. There are two ways here: either to fulfill the agreements, or to cancel them and hold new "negotiations".

Once "recorded" in our "memory card" things will constantly put pressure on you, hanging somewhere in the back of your mind. To ease this pressure, you need to learn mindfulness.

3. Assess Your Opportunities Based on Your To-Do List
You do not know how many tasks and cases you have - for today, tomorrow and the week ahead? In this case, you will not be able to calculate the time and understand what you have time for and what not. And not to mention the fact that new things will rain down from the sky. It won't stop. Never. Therefore, you need to develop a strategy for dealing with cases.

When you learn to track your tasks, you will be able to plan your time correctly and adequately assess your own capabilities. Another plus: you will say “no” more often because you will understand how to prioritize correctly and how important it is to protect your time.

4. To get to the intended place, you need to understand where you are
- Tell me, please, where should I go from here?
- Where do you want to go? - answered the Cat.
- I don't care ... - said Alice.
“Then it doesn’t matter where you go,” said the Cat.
Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

The Cheshire Cat is a thousand times right. How can you understand that you are already at the goal if you do not know where you were going? That's it. And a map is useless until you know where you are. First you need to decide where to go and how much to go.

A correct assessment of the situation reduces confusion and facilitates orientation in the “space-time-task continuum”. To move forward, you need to decide what is important to you at the moment - in a company, a project, or life in general.

5. Unlimited possibilities are realized by limited means.
Faster, higher, stronger - this approach does not always work. "More" and "better" will always loom before you, no matter how you rush forward. Especially if you are a perfectionist. In order to ride the waves, and not drown in them, the endless "whatever you want" should be driven into a physically feasible framework.

Even if you are going to do the impossible, reach your "ten", it will still require a resource that can be calculated.

6. More than one commitment in the head is the cause of stress and failure.
Even if it seems to you that unfinished business does not hang over you like a sword of Damocles, this is far from the case. The subconscious will not let you relax: you will still remember all the things - important and not very important, personal and work. All this is stored in memory until you consciously complete them and decide what to do with them.

There is an important point in the book “Hormones of Happiness”: our brain likes to control everything. This is an evolutionary acquisition, it is impossible to remove or ignore it. When it is impossible to influence the situation, the brain "feels" uncomfortable - and so do we. That's why piling up cases cause feelings of unease and anxiety.

To deal with them, it is worth making yourself feel safe more often, even when everything goes wrong. Gradually, you will create a new neural pathway that will relieve you of discomfort.

7. Priorities only work on a conscious level.
"What is in our power to do, it is in our power not to do." Aristotle

The ability to prioritize is one of the most important things. Whether you try to deal with everything at once or take the path of essentialism is not so important. The main thing is to decide what really matters to you.

If something is "stored" in your head, it will still use your mental resources (that is, energy). Therefore, it is worth consciously arranging things according to the degree of urgency-importance and abandoning unnecessary ones altogether.

So you will avoid a situation of underestimation or overestimation of your capabilities. And, of course, you will not forget about important matters, being distracted by trifles. Inventory of unfinished business should be carried out regularly. This is a good habit.

8. Completing Unfinished Things Releases Energy
All unfulfilled deeds, promises and obligations empty your mental fuel tank, taking it away from other, more important things. We are not even aware and do not track the moments when this happens. But when you deal with "hanging" things (or refuse them - after all, this is also a way out), then a new, previously inaccessible energy is released.

9. If the thought does not leave the head, something must be done
To relax, you need to figure out what to do with unfinished tasks. Because they will “sting” you like a jellyfish that you pick up and do not let go until you understand: a) what result you need, b) what steps to take.

Once you've mapped out your action plan, put reminders on your calendar, or record it in any other way. So you will be sure that all your affairs are in order. And in general, decide what is "things in order" for you. This contributes to the successful implementation of these very cases.

10. Creativity shines when there is room for it.
Nature does not tolerate emptiness and the current does not run through a damaged wire. When your mind is cluttered with too many unfinished tasks, achieving the state of flow that is so necessary for creativity is extremely difficult.

Free your life from the mountain of affairs, and you will be able to awaken new, productive thoughts - they will appear as if by themselves (but in fact - from your efforts).

11. The deeper the channel, the more powerful the stream
"Millions of people crave immortality, but they themselves do not know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon."
Susan Ertz

Most people exist in a semi-stressful state so often and for so long that they have already forgotten that it can be different, that you can interact with the world in a positive mode. The best way to expand your horizon is to take control of your current affairs and the flow of incoming information and put into your practice those methods of work that will help you maintain this control on an ongoing basis. As a result, you will have a flow of creative energy that will help you focus on new perspectives. And you will be able to cope with truly grandiose projects.

When you clear the blockages of affairs and optimize the system for working with them (both in your personal life and at work), you will feel harmony and a surge of energy that can be directed in the right direction.

12. Worry is a waste of energy.
"True generosity towards the future is to dedicate everything to the present."
Albert Camus

Remember this morning: you woke up, opened your eyes and ... immediately thoughts began to flicker. “Need to do it”, “Don’t forget to write eight letters!”, “I must have time to complete the task before 12, and then two more” - a real mess. Remember: if you think about what you need to do (but haven't done it yet), more than once, you need to actively act. But how do you stop worrying?

Thinking about what you are not doing here and now is an empty, not at all rational waste of time and energy. You only multiply your anxiety by squared anxiety.

Scientists have proven that our brain cannot help but control unfinished actions. Moreover, he not only keeps records, but also turns on the inner critic, slipping you thoughts about his own unproductiveness (or even worthlessness - for everyone). This only worsens your mood and, instead of acting, you sink into apathy. Therefore, it is worth learning to turn off the internal dialogue and not think about those problems that right now - at this second - you cannot solve.

Unrecorded, unexplained and, as a result, neglected cases take possession of you and do not allow you to rest. It's time to turn the tide and gain power over them. The best and most productive way to do a job is to be its master, not its slave. You will succeed!

The insane speed of everyday life is extremely overloading our brain. Our own thoughts can also have a negative influence, which is sometimes not at all easy to get rid of. This state of affairs ultimately leads to the accumulation of feelings of anxiety and guilt or a sense of worthlessness and can end up very unpleasantly. Psychologists call a large amount of thoughts and tasks from which the brain boils almost in the truest sense of the word - "mental intoxication caused by an excess of information and negative thoughts", by analogy with physical intoxication, which can be caused by drug abuse or poor-quality products that have entered the body . From constant fatigue, sooner or later, our brain ceases to perceive not only unnecessary, but important information, but simply stops working in its usual rhythm. In fact, your brain, just like your body, needs a real rest, because along with unnecessary thoughts accumulated over the week, the feeling of stress will also disappear.

Write letters!

"In any incomprehensible situation - write letters." In the end, it doesn’t matter at all to whom it will be addressed, because the key to success is to throw out on paper all the negativity that has gathered in your head for a week. In addition, putting problems into writing is an exercise that the world's psychologists have been practicing for many years. For example, writing is actively used in the techniques of personal growth and development. This is a great way to come to terms with the past, build on the present, and prepare for the future. You will be surprised, but in this way, you can get rid of unnecessary thoughts in just a few minutes. Prepare a sheet of paper and begin to describe everything that has worried you so much for a whole week, without thinking about the meaning of what was written, and most importantly, without trying to evaluate it. Forget about style and literature, do not concentrate on your task - putting things in order in your thoughts. Do not interfere with the flow of words to splash out on paper. When you have completed the page, move the letter away from you and close your eyes, normalize your breathing, which you probably lost your mind about unpleasant memories. Then open your eyes and, without rereading what you have written, throw the sheet into the trash can (you can out the window) to rid yourself of unnecessary bad feelings, and you will feel how it becomes easier for you, literally before your eyes.

Meditation

If stress keeps you from relaxing even on weekends, this is a great reason to try meditation. Meditation, when performed correctly, not only helps to abstract from problems and clear your head of thoughts, but also to put a kind of blog on subsequent stressful situations that cannot be avoided on weekdays, be it office or public transport. It just becomes easier for you to endure the influence of stress factors, and those things that once brought you into great excitement, created tension, as you practice, will become mere trifles for you. Minor troubles will no longer seem like a universal catastrophe to you. By the way, just one session of meditation already has an effect on the nervous system: you experience strong relaxation and forget about problems, the main thing is to concentrate and not let thoughts about what happened to you today enter your head.

Cold and hot shower

Have you ever wondered what could be attractive about hardening with ice water? The answer is simple: those very thrills are given to a person by endorphins. We call endorphins happy hormones, but that's not really their main function. Among other things, they contribute to pain relief - the body begins to secrete in an extreme situation. A similar mechanism is triggered by the cooling of the body, as it is also stressful for the body. A contrast shower is a much softer and more affordable means of hardening the body than jumping into an ice hole in winter, each of us can do it. This procedure not only relieves stress and improves mood, but also protects against colds and venous diseases. By the way, not only a contrast shower, but also any water treatments can help relieve stress, such as a warm bath or swimming in the pool.

Music

You can listen to any music that gives you moral pleasure. The positive emotions that we get from listening to our favorite tracks are directly related to relieving stress and freeing the brain from unnecessary thoughts. Favorite musical sounds always, without exception, cause a feeling of happiness and euphoria. Even sad and gloomy music can cheer you up, provided that you like it, no matter how paradoxical it may sound. By the way, silence can also be called music. If you are tired of numerous sounds, stay in silence for a while and the tension will recede.

walks

“I can no longer think about anything” - this expression would delight any teacher of Buddhism, who in response would definitely say: “So it's time to indulge in the wonderful state of“ thinking nothing. Unfortunately, in our everyday life, this phrase takes on a negative meaning and usually sounds in the following context: “My head is overloaded,” “Thoughts are confused in my head,” or “My brain is about to explode.” There is no other way to call it a complaint.

A modern person really has too many sources of information, so he constantly has to deal with contradictions, rumors, refutation and confirmation of previously received data. Every day we find ourselves under the crossfire of various information sources. A particularly fierce struggle is being waged between classical media resources and the Internet - hence the contradictions in the information received.

The rhythm of life is constantly accelerating and every day you have to solve many different issues and tasks. The crazy speeds of our world create a serious load on the brain. Our thoughts can also have a negative impact: every day we ask ourselves dozens of questions about ourselves and about the people around us - this leads to the accumulation of feelings of anxiety, to a sense of guilt or our own worthlessness.

Psychologists call this overload "mental intoxication caused by an excess of information and negative thoughts", by analogy with physical intoxication, which can be caused by drug abuse, an excess of artificial food additives, pesticides ... In our turbulent time with its stresses and shocks, it is vital for us to learn how to get rid of from unnecessary thoughts and free your brain from all that is superfluous. First of all, in order to find inner balance.

Here are three exercises to get you started on your mental detox process.

1. Get everything you think about on paper.

One of the available ways to gain clarity and get rid of what "clutters up" the head is writing. “Writing practices are like good habits that make up a healthy lifestyle,” says narrative psychotherapist Daria Kutuzova. - Like hygiene, proper nutrition and sports, they will not cure the disease by themselves, but will strengthen the body and help it cope with “viruses”. And those who are healthy will be allowed to stay healthy for a long time.” So, unload the head in writing. Or printed, whichever you prefer. Try different options (pen, pencil, keyboard) and see what works best for you.

An exercise

Below are several options for brain unloading, each of which will take no more than 5 minutes. Choose an option, set a timer and get started!

1. Make a list of all the “shoulds” and “shoulds/shoulds” that are spinning around in your head.
2. Write at the top of the page: "Now I'm most worried about ..." and then write whatever comes to mind.
3. Draw an associative map of everything that is currently on your mind.

Reread what you have written. What did you take away from this exercise?

2. Go for a walk... with your eyes

While walking, our gaze is turned to trees, the sky, flowers, buildings… Monotonous eye movements allow us to synchronize the work of the right and left hemispheres of the brain and eliminate neural blocks that occur due to emotional shock, negative thoughts, obsessions… As a result, the functioning of the nervous system improves.

This discovery belongs to the American psychologist Francine Shapiro, the author of the psychotherapeutic method of desensitization and trauma processing using eye movement (EMDR therapy). She developed her method about 20 years ago, just after a walk. In fact, walking through the forest is like having an EMDR session in natural conditions.

An exercise

Take 20 minutes and go for a walk. Walk at a calm pace - neither too slow nor too fast. Concentrate on your breath for 2 minutes - breathe deeply and calmly, completely relaxing your diaphragm. Let nothing occupy your thoughts except inhalation and exhalation. This elementary physical exercise will allow you to get rid of internal tension. Then, continuing to walk and without turning your head, but only moving your eyes, examine the details of the landscape around you, as if you were seeing it all for the first time. After a while, you will feel how extraneous thoughts leave your mind.

3. Write down all the bad things... and push them out.

Returning to negative thoughts fixes them not only in the mind, but also in the body. Unpleasant thoughts are caused by difficult situations, unresolved conflicts. Usually they are accompanied by unpleasant sensations in the body, but we prefer to forget about them. And if we do not get rid of these thoughts and accompanying sensations in time, then over time they can disrupt our mental and physical state. The exercise below will help you get rid of them.

An exercise

Write a list of everything that makes you feel bad. Think of unexpressed anger, unresolved conflicts, unflattering remarks from a colleague, an unpleasant argument with a friend or a quarrel with a loved one ... Write down point by point all the unpleasant events of the last three months - large and small - that seem to be stuck in your mind and body.

When you've finished the list, go back to each item and describe as accurately as you can how you felt in each of the listed embarrassing situations. Now close your eyes and focus on your breath. Breathe calmly. Imagine the described situations one by one, trying to recreate the emotions experienced in each case. Name them: "Then I felt (a) ...". Now take a deep breath and as you exhale forcefully push each of these emotions out successively, helping yourself with your hands.

How to calm your mind before bed. Expert advice.

Is trying to fall asleep a nightmare for you? As soon as it's time for sleep, the brain for many of us begins to buzz. We are disturbed by different thoughts or reflections, or both. Then they can turn into worry that the next day we will be tired and unable to work properly due to inadequate sleep. And this can become a vicious circle.

"While there is no 'magic button' to turn off our thoughts, we can certainly help ourselves by making the right associations," says Harvard University medicine professor, MD, Lawrence Epstein.

Below, Dr. Epstein and sleep specialist Stephanie Zilberman, PhD, offer their vision for solving this problem.

1. Understand that sleep is essential.
For many of us, sleep is the last thing that comes to mind when it comes to a healthy lifestyle. And he is the first thing we will sacrifice if we do not have enough time.

"But sleep deprivation can lead to a whole host of issues, including anxiety. It also interferes with full-time work and its best manifestations," says Dr. Epstein. "In addition, sleep deprivation can increase the risk of health problems such as hypertension (high blood pressure), stroke, diabetes," he says.

"Once you realize that sleep is vital, you can sleep well," he says.

2. You need a regular sleep schedule.
"Waking up and going to bed at a certain time is the key to healthy sleep. Harmony with your internal clock or your daily rhythms greatly contributes to it," says Dr. Epshtey.

3. Get ready for bed in advance.
Before going to bed, drop all your affairs, this is one of the best ways to direct your sleep in the right direction. "It's hard to turn off your brain or calm anxieties or disturbing thoughts when you're on the move before bed," Silberman says. "You need to separate your day from your night," she says.

"Besides, our body tends to have a routine and likes to know ahead of time what's going to happen," says Dr. Epstein. By creating a bedtime ritual, you establish a clear connection between it and a particular activity.

For example, if you read before going to bed, then your body knows that reading in the evening signals that it is time for sleep. If you take a warm bath before bed, your body knows it's time to slow down and relax.

Zilberman advises listening to soothing music, stretching, or doing relaxation exercises. "If you watch TV before bed, make sure it's a relaxing program and not something like the news," she adds.

"The purpose of this regimen is to relax the body and prepare it for sleep," says Dr. Epstein. "If you go to bed at 10 or 11 pm, set aside 30 minutes or an hour for this preparation," he says.

4. Write down your worries - at the beginning of the day.
"Set aside 10-15 minutes a day at an earlier time to write down the thoughts that come to your mind when you lie in bed at night," Zilberman says.

"When a disturbing thought comes to you right before bed, you can mentally check it out and say to yourself, 'I've dealt with this' or 'I've dealt with this,'" she says. This usually helps to create a "feeling of relief".

"Avoid making such a list before bed, because you should be away enough from your nightly thoughts," Silberman says.

5. Use your bed only for sleep and sex.
"Create a clear connection between your bed and sleep," advises Dr. Epstein. If you suffer from insomnia, he doesn't even recommend reading in bed. This can be done in the bedroom, but avoiding the bed.

Also, both experts do not advise watching TV in bed, using a computer, writing on paper or on the phone. Such activities excite the brain, not relax you.

6. Create the right conditions.
"Create proper conditions for sleep: the room should be unlit, quiet, with a moderate temperature," says Dr. Epshtey. "Again, it helps people relax."

7. Keep your brain busy with mental exercises.
"The ability to distract yourself from your worries will help you fall asleep," Silberman says. "Mental exercise helps your brain take your mind off your worries," she says. "For example, think of fruits and vegetables that begin with a particular letter."

As another option, Zilberman suggests focusing on the details of a particular object, such as color, shape, size, and what it is used for. You can also mentally reproduce the lyrics of your favorite song.

8. Focus on the positive.
"When something bothers you in bed, set yourself up for something positive," Zilberman says. Focus on pleasant memories or joyful events.

9. Practice relaxation exercises.
"Relaxation exercises are very beneficial, they calm the brain," Zilberman says. Such exercises should include progressive muscle relaxation (tension and relaxation of each muscle group) and deep breathing.

10. Exercise.
"Exercise is good for sleep," says Dr. Epstein. It is, so to speak, the main "anxiety reducer". "But exercise a few hours before bedtime, as physical activity, on the contrary, will turn into a stimulant for the brain," he notes.

11. Think about what is stealing your sleep and haunting you.
Pay attention to your habits, they may be preventing you from sleeping or causing you anxiety. According to Dr. Epstein, the biggest sleep disruptors are caffeine and alcohol, which also excite the brain.
He says people just don't know that caffeine can last 4 to 7 hours. Also, be aware that tea and chocolate also contain caffeine.

"Alcohol can help you fall asleep faster, but it makes your sleep less restful," he says. "In addition, certain medications can break it. In this case, consult with your doctor about the time of taking your medications or taking other medications in general," he says.

12. See a doctor.
"If the above recommendations don't work for you, then see a specialist who can perform cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), the most recommended procedure," Zilberman says. "You may be surprised to learn that issues such as sleep disturbances and insomnia can be resolved in just a few sessions and do not require treatment," Silberman says.

The treatment of sleep disorders is very specific, so it is important that you are examined by a qualified specialist.

So, remember that sleep plays a very important role in your life, it helps to express your best and be healthy, says Dr. Epstein. Think about what habits can increase your anxiety and use the methods above to relax and get ready for bed.

So, in the previous article, we talked about what gives the correct relaxation, and for what it is generally needed.

In this article, we will continue the conversation and look at ways and effective relaxation techniques.

Ways and techniques of relaxation

There are many ways to relax. If not considered technology and use the most simple and affordable methods, we can distinguish:

• peace and sleep
• alternation of tension and relaxation
• physical activity and sports
• alcohol and cigarettes

Let's consider them in more detail.

1. Peace and sleep.

There is nothing better and more effective than sound healthy sleep. During the REM phase, our muscles relax as much as possible, which cannot be achieved without special techniques in wakefulness. At the same time, our thought processes are also slowed down, therefore, the brain rests from powerful information loads.

In such a natural way, a person restores all physical and mental resources. Therefore, during the night, a rested person begins to think better and pushes past problems into the background, experiencing much less.

Note

To achieve acceptable relaxation, peace, it is not necessary to go to bed. Despite the effectiveness of sleep, it is not possible to sleep everywhere. However, almost anywhere you can sit down and relax. Therefore, if the tension is great - sit in peace and silence, trying not to think about anything, and directing your focus of attention to your body, gradually relaxing it.

2. Alternation of relaxation and tension.

This alternation relaxes even more than usual. relaxation, due to the structure of our muscles.

The main task is rest, and it is not necessary relaxation should be accompanied by calmness. Dancing, swimming, laughter are options for relaxation, the so-called motor.

Useful feature

If the internal tension is serious enough, the art of kiai can help you. This strange oriental word in this context means nothing more than ... to shout. Shout, shout, destroying the energy of negative emotions. Only not on people, but in the chosen space :)

3. Physical activity and sports.

from physiology to sociology and motivation theory.

Who remembers Maslow's pyramid?

Primary Needs are the physical needs of man. Let's say if your boss yelled at you, but at the same time you have nothing to eat - will you take offense? Of course not! Because we are not interested in resentment when physical, primary needs are not satisfied.

On a good example: agree, when you get very sick - you don't care about problems. Everything goes by the wayside, just to get well soon!

It's the same with relaxation. When you do your best in training, on the mat or in the gym, you become relaxed and calm, free from mental tension and muscle clamps.

Personal psychotechnics

I knew a man who used to say something like this all the time:

Doubt? Beat makiwara!

Stopped believing in yourself? Beat makiwara!

Can't relax and find harmony?... Beat makiwara!

Psychotherapy is simple and effective. Of course, this technique is more suitable for developing an inner core and will, but believe me, it also relaxes not badly.

That is why, in my opinion, one of the most effective ways to relieve tension is to properly beat the pear to the brutal cries of your own “kiai”.

4. Alcohol and cigarettes, drugs.

It is better not to talk about this at all, but this method cannot be ignored.

• Alcohol relaxes the body, but at the same time gives vent to mental subpersonalities from your subcortex, destroys internal organs and STRONGLY destroys the brain and neural connections, leading to personality degradation. By the way, the moment of “intoxication” is nothing but the reaction of your body to the death of neurons, due to the sharp impact of toxins on the brain.

As a way to relax and unwind do not recommend! In any quantities!

• Cigarettes - relax due to deep, rhythmic breathing. In view of the substitution of concepts, first your focus of attention, and then the subconscious, is tied to the subject of relaxation - cigarettes. At the same time, it should be understood that cigarettes themselves (as well as ventilation of the lungs with fumes) do not relax. Relaxes the calm, deep rhythm of breathing. By the way, over time, smokers have the opposite effect, when a cigarette becomes a psycho-technique - a habit of the brain: you can relax only by "activating" a special technique, i.e. smoking a cigarette. Just breathing at the same time gives a weak effect. Why - I do not explain.

As a way to relax and unwind - I do not recommend!

• Narcotic and psychotropic drugs- relax due to the direct impact on the psyche. I think it is not necessary to explain what this effect leads to.

Note

Regarding the tablets.

The world economic system, our world as we know it, rests on three pillars - pharmacology, chemical and food industries. Moreover, the property of the latter depended and still depends on the penultimate one. Look at the composition of food products for the presence of preservatives, dyes, carcinogens and other offal. Their diversity is impressive. And any of them does not pass without a trace for your body. We are high-precision mechanisms, not "steel machines", which means that damage to any "module" disables the entire mechanism as a whole.

What we eat for the most part is terribly unhealthy, and often completely harmful. But in case of any failures, problems are solved with the appropriate tablet. This is business.

It is beneficial for the world and the smart people who created it that we remain stupid. It is advantageous to impose "majority choice". Realizing this, dictate your own rules of the game.

I do not recommend using drugs, psychotropics, or relaxation pills. They relieve symptoms and have a temporary effect, BUT they destroy your brain, nervous system, and the body as a whole.

Relaxation Techniques

So, at present there are a large number of negative factors affecting the body, leading to stress, weakening it, affecting the internal organs, affecting the nervous system, resulting in diseases.

In order to protect yourself from the negative influence of the information age, combine vigorous activity with relaxation. For example, using the above methods or those suggested below relaxation techniques.

Relaxation technique #1. Aquarium.

The simplest and most well-known technique is to “stick” to aquarium fish. Helps a lot right off the bat. I do not describe.

Relaxation technique #2. "Here and now".

Meditation technique, zen style.

Sit comfortably.

Breathe deeply and calmly.

Focus your attention on the place where you are now: only on the space in which your body occupies and only on the object standing nearby.

Stay focused on "space" and "thing" until your mind is free of tension and thoughts.

Relaxation technique #3. Music (Psychoacoustics).

By itself, music is capable of accelerating or inhibiting our mental activity, which is a sin not to use.

Calm rhythms are suitable for relaxation (inhibition of activity): meditation music or the harmonious forces of classics and sonatas, various types of “chillout” and simply liquid step. I recommend using music along with the correct breathing rhythm for more effective relaxation.

Note

Correct Rhythm:

...inhale-exhale-breath-hold-inhale-exhale-breath-hold...

Those. hold your breath for a short while before inhaling.

But after you have inhaled, exhale immediately.

Note: breathe "belly"

Relaxation Technique #4. Hiking in the sauna, bath, visiting hot springs

Under the influence of steam and high temperatures – blood vessels dilate, which means that blood supply to the muscles improves. This, in turn, relaxes them.

At the same time, some stagnant processes in the blood supply system are eliminated, and blood flows from the center to the periphery, which is also beneficial for the body - blood drains from the brain and our nervous activity begins to slow down - a state of relaxation sets in.

• you can not go to the sauna after eating;
• you can not visit the sauna with colds;
• do not enter the sauna wet;
• do not stay in the sauna for a long time, this can lead to collapse;
• in the sauna, the air humidity should not be more than 10%;
• do not abruptly plunge into a pool of cold water;
• you can’t go to the sauna very often;
• drink more regular water.

Relaxation Technique #5. Jacobson's progressive muscle relaxation.

Psychotherapeutic way of relaxation, way of getting rid of stress. Or in another way, a psychotherapeutic technique for finding harmony and peace :). This method protects the psyche and body from the negative effects of stressful everyday life.

Its essence is as follows.

All muscles are divided into 16 groups. The patient, with the help of concentration on a certain group, begins to strain the muscles for 5-8 seconds. After - relaxes the muscles of the group. In this case, the patient focuses attention on sensations in order to remember the “feeling of relaxation”.

Bottom line: during training, for six months, a stable “feeling of relaxation” of the body is developed, which a person remembers with reflex thinking. Subsequently, relaxation occurs when attention is focused on any muscle group without their preliminary tension, thus relieving mental stress.

This technique is very efficient and effective.

Technique number 6. Tai chi is quan.

Our movements are controlled by our consciousness.

In the West, this art is called "shadow boxing". And this force is controlled by a calm, quiet flow of energy.

I do not describe. Educational film to help you.

Relaxation Technique #7. Autotraining.

Use direct relaxation techniques:

• Aquarium

• meditation

• music

• Relaxation

• tai chi chuan

And finally, an additional easy “focus of attention” technique

User psychotechnics

For an ordinary adult, a busy person, you can safely train relaxation for 5 minutes 5 times a day.

Everything is pretty simple.

During this time, you should focus your attention on your body, releasing all tension from your face and shoulders, calming your breathing, relaxing the muscles of your forehead, eyes, releasing your stomach and diaphragm.

In 2 months, fairly stable relaxation abilities are developed in a variety of regular and emergency situations :)

To solve rather complex problems and difficult decisions, it is necessary to master or Erickson's trance homing. One of them we will consider in the following article:

Learn to control your body and you will learn to control your thoughts!

Sincerely, Vadim Berlin

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