How do you relax?

(18 replies)

by sydney78

almost 2 years ago

Viewed 3104 times

Whenever I try to meditate I can’t stop thinking or I get soo sleepy...Am I not doing it right? Is there a better way to relax (and stay awake!)?

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Art Markman, Ph.D. replied almost 2 years ago
Matthew D. Della Porta, Ph.D. replied almost 2 years ago

Art Markman, Ph.D. YouBeauty Psychology Advisor replied almost 2 years ago:

If you get sleepy when meditating, then chances are you are sleep deprived. Sleep deprivation is one of the most important public health problems in the modern world. Sleep deprivation makes it harder for you to think, and it also makes you irritable and can increase anxiety. One reason that people meditate is to remove stress from their lives. If you are finding that you fall asleep when meditating, then perhaps some of that stress is being caused by sleep deprivation. Get to know how much sleep your body needs. Most people need at least 7 hours of sleep a night. Meditation is a practice. It is not something you can learn to do instantly. As you develop a practice of medication, you will learn more about your patterns of thinking. Don't assume that you will turn out the lights, put on a tape and suddenly be an expert in meditation. If you are worried about your own practice of meditation, though, there is probably a local yoga studio that offers some classes that teach meditation practice. Look for one near you.

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StarryEyed23 replied almost 2 years ago:

Looking down makes you sleepier so try looking up a bit instead. It's okay if you can't stop thinking--the whole point is just noticing that you are! Meditation has made me way less stressed, couldn't live without it.

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editorLaura replied almost 2 years ago:

Am I the only weirdo who thinks meditating makes me more stressed? I worry that I'm not doing it right and start thinking too much. Can some people just NOT meditate?

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JennyJen replied almost 2 years ago:

I love doing a great pilates class to feel great and stay awake. Most may not say this is relaxing, but the coffee I reward myself with after while relaxing is wonderful.

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Matthew D. Della Porta, Ph.D. YouBeauty Happiness Expert replied almost 2 years ago:

As Dr. Markman mentioned above, meditation is a practice. At the beginning of this practice, it can be easy to get discouraged because thoughts keep racing through the mind (this is very common). If this is the case, mindfulness meditation can be very helpful because this technique directly addresses persistent thoughts. As you may know, mindfulness meditation cultivates intentional, nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment. The beauty of this technique is that you can be aware of the present moment regardless of whether your mind is relatively clear or completely jumbled with thought. In the latter case, it takes a lot of practice to calmly acknowledge thoughts as they arise (compare, "Ah! Interesting. I'm thinking about my to-do list right now" vs. "Argh! I can't believe I keep thinking about my to-do list! I am just no good at meditation"). Remember that no matter how many times thought arises, we can mindfully acknowledge it. This is not a failure or delay in mindfulness practice; it IS the practice. With diligent, long-term practice, it's likely that thoughts won't arise as often, but it's practically impossible to extinguish all unwanted thought; we are only in control of how we perceive this unwanted thought. Hope that helps! :)

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HardAtLurk replied almost 2 years ago:

Matthew - I know someone who meditates and he stares at a candle flame to help him focus. Do you think that's an effective way to clear the clutter in your mind?

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Jenny replied almost 2 years ago:

It sounds like you're asking a broader relaxation question. When I get stressed out, I put on some Jann Arden (a CD) and take a warm bath. I think it's time for a new relaxation routine (for me). Any suggestions?

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ab10298 replied almost 2 years ago:

Simply clear your mind. Dnt think about the irrevelant things focus on you. On the way you feel. If not then try aromas, getting comfy in different ways, and maybe doing a facial mask.

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amh1949 replied almost 2 years ago:

Sleeping while meditating. It could be your body is stating that it wants to sleep or it could be you need to change either when you meditate or change the length of time (make it shorter) that you take to meditate.

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kaitlin07 replied almost 2 years ago:

Listen to music. It works better than meditating.

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kalimera replied almost 2 years ago:

Take awarm bath and put some of essentials oils in your bath as, jasmine oil, lavender oil, rose oil.....etc, and you will be relax.

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sambam44 replied over 1 year ago:

I would recommend relaxing music. Or a really helpful task, which always works for me, is to gather everything that you are thinking about when you try to meditate, and write/type it down. It helps clear the mind. Good luck! :)

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loveyoursmile replied over 1 year ago:

get good amount of sleep based on your age. do normal exercise when you get up in the morning like stretch, push-up, sit-up, and etc.....,but make sure you spent at least 20 -30 min on stretch and 15 min on other regular exercise. Then relax yourself about 10-20 min. sit down either in criss-cross or lotus position which could be found here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlVpirusD0M. make sure your posterior is straight. then start your meditation and see the effect. make sure you spent at least 15 min on meditation if you are new. if you are still sleepy after doing all those exercises then i would say you should get good amount of sleep at least to 6-8 hours depends on your age. if all these stuff dont work then listen to music, play games or do some activity to wake yourself

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dasneezequeen replied over 1 year ago:

I relax by doing what I enjoy, draw, play games. Having fun usually relaxes someone.

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aquamarine1960 replied about 1 year ago:

Have you tried beading, or making jewelry? It's fun and is quite relaxing...and you can make nice things to wear, or make gifts for friends and family.

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Ally100 replied 5 months ago:

I have been diagnosed with PTSD, it's just horrible. I have gotten so anxious my entire body broke out in quarter size bloody sores. They were biopsied at MD Anderson Hospital and it came back as Simplex Chronicus ?. I can't remember the last word. In any event, it is caused by over the top extreme anxiety.

If I start to get anxious I start to shake and my speech becomes distorted. I develop aphasia, it's very scary. I use breathing techniques and it does help. My Doctor also prescribed a tranquilizer which does not help.

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Pinay220 replied about 1 month ago:

Try RUNNING

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