Learning to relax is the single most important (untaught) skill we can learn. The huge number of improvements that can be created by this simple change include:

• Reduced Stress
  • Stress is the mental activation of the Fight-or-Flight response to danger
  • The Fight-or-Flight response increases our physical abilities but reduces our mental agility
  • Stress causes the release of cortisol in the brain
• Improved Learning
  • Increased learning ability from reduced cortisol levels
• Improved Memory recall
  • Relaxation actively quiets the thoughts in our head that constantly demand our attention
  • This allows us to access our memories more easily
• Increased Healing
  • When stressed we are ready for action, it is only when relaxed that we let ourselves heal
  • Increased proper relaxation increases the release of Human Growth Hormone (HGH)
  • HGH is the single most important factor in our healing process, more HGH creates fast healing

Please note: Music is great but when we are trying to work properly, eg: read or revise, it actually distracts us from the task at hand, the best background for learning is silence. If you put on music to learn, you are trying to distract yourself.

How to Relax

Any active relaxation technique that you use regularly will bring profound changes. There are a large number of courses taught that can achieve this, yoga, transcendental meditation etc. These are all worth while.

However, I would like to suggest that the best thing we can do is something simple. If you take 3 minutes to yourself during your day, sit down and let yourself relax knowing that for 3 minutes you are going to ignore the world around, you will automatically start to relax. Follow these simple steps for instant relaxation.

• Find somewhere quiet for 3 minutes, no distracting noise, this is important!
• Make sure you are sitting comfortably
• Close your eyes
• Start to breath deeply, in and out, for a minute or two
• Listen to the way your breathing sounds and how it feels
• Imagine yourself somewhere you know you feel relaxed, eg: a beach or garden, create the image in your head
  • The more detail you can create in your picture, the stronger the result will be
• Next, picture all your thoughts and worries in balloons floating above your head
  • Now cut the strings to all your worry balloons and left them float away
• Relax and enjoy the sunshine, breeze and peace in your mind
• Return to the life around you after a few minutes knowing you can come back whenever you like.

Repeating this technique before starting to read, revise or going into a meeting will reduce your stress and prepare you to use your mind to the best of your abilities. It will also increase your ability for creative thought.