With practice, mindfulness meditation teaches you to become acutely aware of your fluctuating emotions without reacting to them or letting negativity take over. For stress relief, try the following mindfulness techniques:

* Body scan – Body scanning cultivates mindfulness by focusing your attention on various parts of your body. Like progressive muscle relaxation, you start with your feet and work your way up. However, instead of tensing and relaxing your muscles, you simply focus on the way each part of your body feels without labeling the sensations as either “good” or “bad”.
* Walking meditation - You don’t have to be seated or still to meditate. In walking meditation, mindfulness involves being focused on the physicality of each step — the sensation of your feet touching the ground, the rhythm of your breath while moving, and feeling the wind against your face.
* Mindful eating – If you reach for food when you’re under stress or gulp your meals down in a rush, try eating mindfully. Sit down at the table and focus your full attention on the meal (no TV, newspapers, or eating on the run). Eat slowly, taking the time to fully enjoy and concentrate on each bite.

Guided imagery

A variation of traditional meditation involves guided imagery or visualization. When used as a relaxation technique, guided imagery involves imagining a scene in which you feel at peace, free to let go of all tension and anxiety. Choose whatever setting is most calming to you, whether a tropical beach, a favorite childhood spot, or a quiet wooded glen. You can do this visualization exercise on your own, with a therapist’s help, or using an audio recording.

Close your eyes and let your worries drift away. Imagine your restful place. Picture all the details as vividly as you can—everything you can see, hear, smell, and feel. If your chosen spot is a dock on a quiet lake, visualize what it looks like as the sun sets over the water, the smell of the pine trees, the sound of the geese flying overhead, the taste of the clear country air, and the feel of the cool water on your bare feet.
Repetitive prayer

Monks are often the first thing that come to mind when we think of meditation, but any repetitive prayer—saying the rosary, repeating the Lord’s prayer, chanting a mantra—can clear the mind and elicit the relaxation response. Furthermore, you’ll be more motivated to maintain a meditation practice if you focus on a word or phrase that is deeply meaningful to you. If you’re religious, choose something rooted in that tradition (such as peace, om, The Lord is my shepherd, or shalom).

If you’re trying to reduce or relieve stress in your life, incorporate exercise into your routine. You can start with as little as 15 minutes, three times a week. But for optimal stress relief, try to build up to 30 minutes on most days.

Exercise relieves stress in several ways:

* It allows the body to release tension and pent-up frustration.
* It raises the output of endorphins, “feel-good” brain chemicals that ward off depression.
* It decreases the output of stress hormones.
* It helps you get better sleep.
* It relaxes muscles and lowers your resting pulse rate.
* It makes you feel better about yourself.

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