Relaxation Techniques

This entry is another departure from my story-telling posts. As such, it is a little longer and probably a little less entertaining, but hopefully…useful.

We live in a fast-paced, high-pressure society and we need to be effective in that environment. I’ve chosen to look at that from a military perspective because of the 24/7 nature of military operations and the potential for sleep-deprivation.

In addition to a proper knowledge base from which to draw, two things combat leaders must possess are the strength to keep up with the physical demands placed on them and the mental acuity to meet the intellectual challenges of developing plans, marshalling resources, directing subordinates, and disrupting the enemy’s decision cycle. While neither is easy, the first is somewhat straightforward – exercise and physical training will help prepare a leader for the potential rigors to be faced. The problem with the second is its direct correlation to the physicality of the battlefield. That battlefield may be literally in a field employing weapons, in a ship’s compartment, a room on the opposite side of the world controlling drones, or any number of other variations to include spaces like the surgical area of a field hospital. Wherever it is, maintaining mental sharpness is critical.

Today’s world is a pressure cooker not unlike a battlefield – albeit not usually as intense nor with as great a risk of terrible consequences in the event of failure! People still need ways to de-stress – whether in combat or not.

A number of years ago, as young combat arms officers, physical fitness was stressed, but we were also shown several techniques to relax and quickly reset our mental agility. There are other – maybe even better – techniques, but here are three that I’ve personally found to be effective:

1.     Very simple and part of all the other techniques…just breathe!

This works in numerous situations. For me, even though I’ve done it many times, addressing a large audience is a stressor, so I do this…

a.  Take a deep breath and let it out s-l-o-w-l-y.

b.  Repeat.

c.  Then…start the presentation.

d.  As an aside, I’ve since learned that this is also immediately effective in either, or both, reducing my heart rate and lowering my blood pressure.

A variation I’ve also used is to start with a joke. Just be sure it is a good one with a well-rehearsed delivery or it will increase the stress!

2.     This is a technique that can be done sitting in a vehicle or at a desk and takes as long as the time made available, but it is amazing what five minutes will do…

a.  I sit back comfortably, put my hands in my lap, relax (drop) my shoulders, and close my eyes.

b.  Then I’ll take just a moment and concentrate on breathing slowly and deeply.

c.  Starting at my feet, I’ll concentrate on relaxing each muscle group, one at a time. Thinking about my feet and ankles, without moving, I feel/sense the muscles and will them to relax. Then I move to my calves. Again, thinking about those muscles until I can feel them and will them to relax. I’ll then move to my thighs and repeat the process…working my way up to the top of my head for each muscle group.

d.  When I’ve done that – if still awake – I’ll clear any remaining thoughts and just sit in that relaxed state for the rest of the time allocated. Not a bad idea to set an alarm clock or timer…

If I have trouble concentrating on a particular muscle group, I’ll tense those muscles (and only those) and then relax them. It helps me identify the muscles in question. My facial and neck muscles are the easiest for me to identify, but the hardest to relax, so I try to start in a position with my head leaned back against something.

3.     If there is an opportunity to lie down, this method is particularly effective for quick, restful sleep:

a.  I’ll lay on my back, legs outstretched, hands by my sides. My head is usually slightly elevated, but not always. (I have also done this while lying on my side to limit snoring, but for me, it’s not as effective – my wife disagrees…)

b.  Without moving, I’ll start at the top of my head and work down to my feet using the muscle-group relaxation process described in #2 above.

c.  When all muscle-groups are mostly relaxed, I’ll clear my mind by imagining a heavy weight pushing me deeply into the surface of the bed, or whatever I’m lying on, but not restricting my breathing – I am still able to take slow, deep breaths…

d.  I am generally asleep, or very nearly so, within a minute, but certainly less than two.

The more time available, the better, but even the simplest of these for just a few seconds or minutes, will clear my mind and get my head back in the game!

These techniques will work for nearly everybody, but practice may be necessary. If reading this post puts you to sleep, then you’ve found another, obviously effective, relaxation technique…