Suppose you had a friend who wanted to become a weightlifter. If your friend said that he/she would train only for one day and expect to lift 100kg weight the next day, is it possible? Most likely not. The same applies to relaxation techniques. You have to treat relaxation as a skill. It has to be practised repeatedly.

Then it becomes your second nature. Eventually you start being calm in the midst of stress.
Today I will discuss a technique that helps calm the mind. It is a simple breathing exercise. It is called Slow Diaphragmatic Breathing. It can be done while lying on the bed or in a sitting position. I will discuss the sitting position as you can apply this relaxation technique in your office during lunch breaks too. Remember, the idea behind this technique is that you must only use the abdomen for breathing. You should not move the chest as you breathe.
First, find a calm and comfortable location. Close your eyes. Place one hand over your chest and the other hand over your abdomen. Take a deep breath. As you breathe in, your hand over the chest should be stationary. The air should fill your lungs and cause your abdomen to rise. The hand over your abdomen will now move as you inhale. Then start exhaling through your mouth. Purse your lips as you exhale. It is not important to take deep breaths. But it is important that you maintain a slow and rhythmic breathing pattern. Repeat this cycle for 5 minutes. Notice how you feel relaxed.
Did you know that as kids we used to breathe this way? We tend to breathe using chest muscles as we grow.
I think it is time we start breathing the way we did as kids. Let us make it a daily habit to relax our minds. If you wish, you can try a 2 minute relaxation session now after reading this article.