Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Relieve Emotional Tension
• Method 2 of 3: Physical Relaxation Techniques
• Method 3 of 3: Taking Care of Yourself
• Warnings

Living with depression is very hard. If you are feeling depressed, anxious, or desperate, relaxation techniques can help you relieve yourself. Try breathing exercises, meditation, and positive thinking. Exercise, such as stretching, yoga, or aerobics, can also help relieve symptoms of depression. Remember, too, that taking good care of yourself is essential to reduce stress and overcome depression. Eat a healthy diet, try to get enough sleep, and regularly do activities that help you relax your mind and body.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Relieve Emotional Tension

1. 1 Try to do breathing exercises. Sit back, inhale deeply through your nose, and fill your belly with air. Slowly count to five as you inhale, then also count to five as you exhale through your mouth.
   • Practice breathing for 3-5 minutes until you feel tired or other symptoms.
   • Instead of counting to five, you can say something soothing to yourself, such as "I am calm."
2. 2 Meditate 20-30 minutes a day. Set aside a time when nothing and no one will distract you, and wear comfortable, loose clothing. Sit up straight and straighten your shoulders and chest. Place your feet flat on the floor if you are sitting in a chair, or cross them if you are sitting on the floor. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and imagine air entering you as you inhale and freely leaving you as you exhale.
   • Concentrate on your breathing: inhale air through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Imagine that with each breath your body is filled with light, think only of your breath and drive away random distracting thoughts from you.
   • If you notice that extraneous thoughts distract you, drive them away and focus on your breathing again. Do not blame or condemn yourself, just concentrate once more on your breathing.
   • Meditation tutorials can be found on YouTube and other sites.
3. 3 Talk to yourself in a positive way. If a negative thought occurs to you, don't just brush it off. Say it out loud or write it down, and then tell yourself, "This negative thought exaggerates and distorts the reality." Consider this thought realistically to invalidate it.
   • For example, if you start thinking about yourself: "I am not good for anything," - realize this thought and say to yourself: "No, this is an exaggerated black and white perception - my family needs me, my friends and work colleagues appreciate me." ...
   • Do your best to drain the power of negative thoughts before they come back to you again and again. Try not to see the world in black and white and do not perceive everything as absolute and unchanging.
4. 4 Rejoice at any, even the smallest, success. Celebrate your small victories throughout the day. With depression, it can be difficult even to get out of bed, so you can enjoy even little things like getting dressed successfully.
   • Try making your bed first. Even such a trifle will help you start each day with a certain achievement.
   • Praise yourself for daily activities such as cleaning the house, going out for a walk, preparing healthy meals, or exercising.
5. 5 Imagine a calming environment. Sit back so that nothing distracts you, close your eyes and calm your breathing. Imagine soothing images. Think of a relaxing place, such as a refuge you hid in as a child, a secluded mountain landscape, or an exotic beach.
   • Let your imagination run wild and try to sense the corresponding sounds, smells, colors, images and air temperature. Try to provide as much detail as possible. Spend 10-15 minutes in this peaceful place before opening your eyes.
   • This imaging technique can help you relax, reduce stress, and improve your sleep quality.
6. 6 Provide a solution to the conflict that has arisen. You can also visualize a positive solution to the conflict situation that has caused you stress. Imagine the conflict in the form of some kind of image. If you feel very small compared to him, take a deep breath and imagine yourself getting taller and taller. Imagine that from the height of your new growth, you can see new ways to solve the problem.
   • For example, if disagreement with a loved one makes you feel helpless, depressed, and hopeless, imagine growing up out of the conflict. Tell yourself, "I can handle this conflict."Then try to break the situation down into separate facts and imagine a conversation with a loved one, through which you could resolve differences.
7. 7 Listen to soothing music. Music can help reduce stress, depression, and anxiety. Play your favorite calming music when you are at home, walking or driving. Instead of watching TV, try turning on your audio player.
   • The kind of relaxing music depends on your personal tastes and preferences.
   • Singing is also a great way to relax and release tension.

Method 2 of 3: Physical Relaxation Techniques

1. 1 Stretch your musclesto cheer up. Do stretching exercises for 10-15 minutes after waking up and before going to bed. Get into this habit and stretch your legs, back, and arms. Regular stretching exercises can recharge your body with energy, improve blood flow to your muscles, and ease symptoms of anxiety and depression.
   • It can be difficult to motivate yourself to exercise at times, so light stretching exercises are great if you're feeling depressed.
2. 2 Try to do progressive muscle relaxation. Find 15 minutes of free time when nothing distracts you. Sit in a comfortable place, close your eyes, and take a few slow, deep breaths. As you inhale, tense a specific muscle group, such as your toes, and hold them tense for about five seconds.
   • Exhale slowly while relaxing your muscles. Feel the tension leave the muscles and relax. Continue to alternately tense and relax the muscles in your legs, torso, arms, shoulders, neck, and head.
3. 3 Try aerobic exercise daily. Anything from walking your dog to doing judo will do - any aerobic exercise isn't just good for your heart. They help lower stress hormones and stimulate the production of mood-enhancing substances. In addition, movement helps to distract from depression and current problems.
   • Get a workout buddy to boost your motivation on days when you don't feel like leaving your bed. Try to enlist the help of a friend!
4. 4 Get started To do yoga. Yoga includes meditation, exercise and breath control, so it helps to relax both the mind and the body. If you are a beginner, sign up for training courses. In addition, a large number of educational videos can be found on YouTube and various sports and health websites.

Method 3 of 3: Taking Care of Yourself

1. 1 Aim to get 7-9 hours of sleep every night. Depression and sleep problems often go hand in hand. If you are experiencing any sleep problems and do not get enough sleep, try to develop healthy sleep habits:
   • go to bed and get up at the same time every day;
   • after waking up, immediately open the curtains or turn on a bright light;
   • do not eat heavy food 2-3 hours before bedtime;
   • refrain from caffeine and alcohol, especially in the evening.
2. 2 Eat a balanced diet. Foods high in sugar, fat, and salt can impair the brain's reward system, which will only worsen depression. Try to avoid foods that can worsen depression and eat a healthy, balanced diet.
   • You should eat the recommended amounts of protein, fruits, vegetables, and grains daily. Recommendations for daily intake of nutrients, healthy meals, and the like can be found at https://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/myplate (in English).
3. 3 Refrain from drinking alcohol, caffeine and other drugs. Like junk food, alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, and other drugs can affect the brain's reward system and worsen depression.Try to keep your intake of these substances to a minimum, or rather skip them altogether.
   • Among other things, drugs and alcohol can interact with drugs. Hide nothing from your doctor and talk to him about possible problems.
4. 4 Do what you love every day. A key rule of self-care is to indulge in simple pleasures. Think about the things you enjoy doing and spend a little time each day on your favorite activities.
   • For example, you can enjoy a cup of coffee on your veranda, get a massage, take a hot bath, paint, or lie down on the couch and read an interesting book.
5. 5 Don't take too much on yourself. Making too many commitments increases the risk that you will not be able to fulfill them. Excessive stress can lead to depression and stress, so try not to overwhelm your work schedule. Break big tasks into smaller chunks, each of which can be completed in a few days, and don't be afraid to say no if you're unable to do something.
   • Do not put off work until the last day, otherwise there will be too much of it.
   • Remember to take short breaks and rest. All of us need rest from time to time to recuperate and recharge.
6. 6 Try it keep a diary. A diary can help you relieve tension, sort out your feelings, track progress, and increase motivation for the challenges ahead. Take 15–20 minutes a day to write down what happened that day, conflict situations, feelings and concerns. Once every 2-3 weeks, re-read the last notes and remember what problems you managed to overcome.
7. 7 Try to lead an active social life. Depression often leads to loneliness, which in turn exacerbates it, and the result is a vicious circle. If you feel that you are withdrawn, try in every way to motivate yourself to communicate with others. Call a friend or relative and offer to take a walk or just chat on the phone.
   • You can also attend a local support group, church, hobby club, or workout together.

Warnings

• If you have a desire to harm yourself or others, call the emergency psychological hotline of the Ministry of Emergency Situations at 8 (495) 989-50-50, 8 (499) 216-50-50 or 051 (for residents of Moscow), if you live in Russia. If you live in another country, call your local psychological emergency hotline.
• If you experience symptoms of clinical depression for two weeks or more, seek medical attention.