Some days are so hectic, emergency measures are called for to create some calm. Progressive relaxation requires no special equipment — just a floor.
Note: Your body temperature will drop, so have a light rug handy.
Lie down, and close your eyes. Breathe in deeply through your nose, and out through your mouth. Focus on your abdomen as the breath fills it, then as it falls when you exhale. Visualise tension leaving your body with each exhalation, bit by bit.
Shift your attention to different parts of your body, beginning with your feet. Imagine them becoming so heavy that you couldn’t possibly move them. Now shift your focus up your body, to your stomach, arms, and head: see them as becoming heavy and soft, and continue to imagine tension flowing away with each out-breath.
Stay where you are for as long as you can. Being in a deeply relaxed state can alter your sense of time: you may feel as though half an hour has passed, but it’s only been a few minutes.
