As I write this I’m ending a frantic week trying to get everything together before we go on holiday (vacation) to Gozo. As you read this (if its around 27th July) I should be totally chilled (but also very hot!) as I relax on holiday. So with that in mind I thought I’d write a quick checklist of things you can do if to keep stress at bay and feel more relaxed.

Stress is a bit of a fashionable buzz word. There are similarities and links between stress and anxiety - both can lead to unpleasant, disabling symptoms. When we feel stressed we often feel out of control of the situation - which undermines our self confidence.

So try these ten easy relaxation tips to feel more relaxed and in control.

1. Take a short break and leave a stressful situation. If you are at work, offer to run an errand or go for a short walk. A few minutes away can help you think clearly and the walk will get rid of some of the tension in your body.

2. Take a break from the activity you are working on and do something different. Sometimes it helps to come back to a stressful task later when you feel more relaxed instead of persevering. If you are at home with small children it is often better to stop when they, and you, become frustrated and take some time out to do something else so everyone can calm down.

3. Listen to relaxing music while you work. Listening to classical or nature music has been shown to lower heart rate and slow breathing. People often report feeling calmer after listening to calming music. Develop the habit of playing music in the background while you work for easy relaxation.

4. Take regular breaks during the day. Spend 5-10 minutes to read something uplifting or humorous, or chat with a friend. Small breaks help to prevent your mind and body from becoming fatigued, a major source of stress.

5. Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is the ability to be fully aware of the present moment. It is a skill that helps to reduce stress and depression. Learning relaxation techniques is a good way to start learning mindfulness. As you gradually become more aware of your body and subtle changes that occur with relaxation your ability to notice small changes will improve. Start by spending 5 minutes a day just sitting in the quite noticing the sights, sounds and bodily sensations you are having. You can also learn mindfulness through meditation techniques.

6. Change your focus. As people feel more stressed their attention becomes focused on what they believe to be the cause of their stress and they ignore other information. Write down the things that were good about the day. Keep a gratitude journal.

7. Have a hot bath or shower. This will help to get rid of the tension in your muscles which is a normal result of stress.

8. Write down the things that are worrying you. If you are worried it is very difficult to relax easily. Once you have written them down then see how much control you have over them. Can you take any action to solve the problem or are you worrying about things that are out of your control. Worry is a habit that can be helped by learning effective relaxation techniques.

9. Keep things in perspective. Ask yourself ‘how important is it?’ ‘How important will it be in a year’s time?’ Many of the things that cause stress are not important when we look at the big picture.

10. Slow your breathing and purposefully relax your body for quick results. This will be easier if you have learned easy relaxation methods that you can use when you need them. I’ll add more relaxation techniques in a future post.

我写这篇文章，以此在去Gozo度假之际，结束之前试图收拾好一切的疯狂一周。读这篇文章时（如果时间是在7月27日左右），我应该完全处于休假地的寒冻之中（但其实也很热）。所以想来想去我觉得该写一个快速一览表，教你如何远离压力，体验轻松。

压力是个挺流行的术语。它和焦虑既有相同点又有某些联系--它们都会导致令人不快的能力丧失综合症。当我们倍感压力时通常也会感到自己对场面失去了控制--这会打击我们的自信心。

所以试试以下十条简单的放松小贴士吧，放松一下自己，控制好自己的情绪。

1. 休息一会儿放松下紧张的神经。倘若你正在工作，让自己也当回跑腿，或者去散会儿步吧。只要离开几分钟就能促使你思维清晰，而散步还能让你摆脱身体的疲劳。

2. 放下你手头的工作去做些别的。有时松弛的状态比起死命的蛮干更有助于你稍后再回到紧张的工作中。倘若你正和孩子们呆在家里，最好在你们都感到情绪低落时，出去做些其他的，让每个人都平静下来。

3 .工作时听听轻音乐。听古典乐或自然音乐已被证实能够降低心率和减缓呼吸频率。人们总是觉得在听过舒缓的音乐后感到自己心平气和。记得在你工作时听听音乐以获得放松，把它培养成习惯吧。

4. 白天工作时进行有规律的休息。花5到10分钟时间读些振作精神的或幽默搞笑的东西，抑或和朋友聊聊天。短时间的休息能防止你身心俱疲，这也是压力的重要来源。

5. 要多关注身边的一切。关注你周围是一种认清现状的能力，是一种有益于减轻压力和抑郁的技能。学习放松技巧是开始学习关注的好方法。随着你越来越注意自己的身体以及自己放松时的细微变化时，你观察细小变化的能力也增强了。开始时每天花5分钟仅仅静坐着注意自己的视觉、听觉和身体的感觉，你也可以通过一些冥想的技巧来学习关注。

6. 转移注意力。人们愈加感到压力巨大，却把注意力集中在他们所认为的压力根源上，而忽视了其他信息。写下一天中感到还不错的事，拥有自己的感谢杂志吧。

7. 洗个热水澡吧。它会帮你摆脱通常由于压力而造成的肌肉痉挛。

8. 写下你认为正在困扰你的事。如果你真的很担忧，想要立刻放松下来就很难了。一旦写下后看看自己对它们有多少控制力。你能够采取一些措施来解决问题 呢还是担心事态的发展会超出你的控制范围呢。担忧是一种习惯，通过学习有效的放松技巧对其有一定的帮助。

9. 以正确的眼光看待事物。问问你自己‘它到底有多重要？’‘一年后它又有多重要？’从大局来看许多导致我们压力的事并不很重要。

10. 调整你的呼吸，有意放松身体以获得速效。如果你学习了简单的可以随需随用的放松小方法，这就会简单很多。在以后的信件中我会提供更多的放松技巧。