Sometimes the 'most wonderful time of the year' also feels like the most anxiety-inducing time of the year. From dealing with feisty in-laws to paying the credit card bills after taking care of everyone's wish lists, there's no arguing the fact that the holiday season is mighty stressful. Today I'm going to share some stress-reduction techniques that have worked for me during some tough times.
The first technique I'm going to discuss is one of the most basic types of meditation, the body scan. The purpose of the body scan is to forge a stronger connection between the mind and the body, as well as to identify any areas of particular stress or strain in the body. It only takes a few minutes to complete, and can really be quite fun with the right visual! Begin by finding a distraction-free environment and a comfortable position, either seated or lying down, and relaxing your body with a few mindful breaths. Next, close your eyes and imagine turning your vision inward and bringing your awareness to one specific area of your body at a time, starting at the bottom and working up. It helps to create a visual to accompany your thoughts- it could be a certain color, shocks of electricity, a tiny submarine, or even your own eyes moving throughout your body, whatever visual that helps you stay engaged in the meditation is perfectly fine! I personally picture my thoughts as an orb of energy, and send that orb through my body, all the way down to the toes of one foot.
Without moving, simply scan the foot for tension, soreness, tightness- survey everything from the skin down to the bones, and clear any tension that you find with a series of deep breaths. Slowly work your way up the body, paying equal attention to each part as you encounter it- Are there areas of cold? Warmth? Tingling? Pain? Tightness? Stiffness? Soreness? Tension? Again, if you encounter any area of pain or tension, focus your thoughts on the area and actually picture yourself erasing the negative energy with your mind. There are many different patterns to follow for a body scan, but I like to start with one foot and work all the way up the body to the head and scalp, then proceed back down the body, finally ending with other foot.
If you have a few extra minutes of mindfulness to spare, you can take the body scan meditation a step further by employing a technique known as progressive muscle relaxation. After a body scan, or even on its own, progressive muscle relaxation is a fantastic way to center yourself, stop fidgeting, and clear your mind. When I'm feeling particularly stressed or even too anxious to sleep, this technique has really helped me chill out! You'll definitely want to be lying down comfortably on your back for this one, without any distractions to interfere.
Start by tensing all of the muscles in your face, really scrunching them up like you've just eaten something way too sour (you'd look ridiculous if anyone were watching, but lucky for us you're alone in the dark, so no worries!) then relaxing your face completely, letting everything go completely lax, and melting all of the tension away. Proceed down your body tensing and relaxing as you go. After you've relaxed something, that part is effectively asleep and cannot move, it's not just relaxed, it's completely turned off, unable to move, like a marionette cut off the string. I even like to picture the relaxed parts of my body melting or sinking into the bed or floor, like they're heavier than usual. If you still feel like you're carrying tension anywhere in your body after one round of progressive muscle relaxation, just make like shampoo- rinse and repeat! You can even follow progressive muscle relaxation with a final body scan to make sure that you've managed to disintegrate all of the tension from your body.
Go ahead and try these meditation techniques anytime you need a little help relaxing, they truly will help establish a mind-body connection and minimize stress, during the holiday season and beyond.
Have a Wonderful Weekend,
Sarah
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