How to Relax: A Practical Guide for Different Situations

“Just relax” is easy advice to give and hard advice to follow, mostly because relaxing is not one thing. What helps when your body is tight is different from what helps when your mind is racing, and neither is much use if you have ninety seconds between meetings. This guide is organised by situation. Find the one you are in, try the suggestion, and ignore the rest. For a closer look at the techniques themselves, see our practical guide to relaxation techniques.

What counts as a relaxation technique

The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health describes several established approaches. Progressive relaxation involves tensing different muscles and then releasing the tension. Guided imagery means picturing objects, scenes or events associated with calm and trying to produce a similar feeling in your body. Biofeedback-assisted relaxation uses an electronic device to help you recognise and manage how your body responds. Slow breathing exercises sit alongside these. You do not need to master all of them. One that you will actually use is enough.

If you have two minutes

Reduce the number of things competing for your attention. Put both feet flat on the floor, rest your hands, and look at one neutral object. Let your breathing slow down without forcing it. The NHS breathing exercise suggests letting the breath flow as deep into your belly as is comfortable, and some people find it helpful to count steadily from one to five on the way in and again on the way out. Our list of quick relaxation techniques has more options of this length.

If your body feels tense

Try a short tension-and-release sequence. Gently tense your hands for about five seconds, then let go completely. Repeat with your shoulders and then your legs, without holding your breath or forcing a joint. The contrast makes it easier to notice where you are bracing. Our step-by-step guide to progressive muscle relaxation covers the full version.

If sitting still is frustrating, move instead. A slow walk or some gentle stretching may suit you better than stillness. The aim is comfortable movement, not a workout.

If your mind feels busy

Write down the unfinished tasks before you try to relax. You are not solving them. You are giving each thought somewhere to go. Choose one next action for tomorrow, close the list, and switch to something that asks little of you: a familiar book, quiet music, or making a warm caffeine-free drink.

When thoughts are spiralling, an outward-facing exercise can work better than an inward one. The 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique directs your attention to what you can see, touch and hear around you.

If you are at work

Change your physical and visual focus. The Health and Safety Executive advises people who work at screens to take short breaks often, giving the example that five to ten minutes every hour is better than twenty minutes every two hours, and says breaks should allow you to get up, move around, or at least stretch and change posture. A one-minute shoulder release or a walk to refill a glass of water is more realistic than a long meditation. See relaxation techniques you can practise at work.

If you are preparing for sleep

Lower the lights and move stimulating tasks out of the last part of the evening. The NHS suggests trying not to use phones, tablets or computers for an hour before bed, and making a list of things you need to do the next day if you tend to worry in bed. A repeatable sequence usually works better than waiting to feel sleepy and then trying several techniques at once. Our timed evening wind-down routines give you a 15, 30 or 60-minute version.

If nothing seems to work

That is useful information, not a failure. Techniques that focus inwards do not suit everyone. Our guide to relaxation for people who dislike meditation covers alternatives built around movement, nature, music and absorbing activities.

Build a routine that survives real life

• Choose a minimum version that takes two minutes, and a longer one for quieter days.
• Attach it to something you already do, such as finishing work or plugging in your phone.
• After a week, keep the part you actually used and drop the rest.

The NHS notes that its breathing exercise gives the most benefit when it is done regularly, as part of a daily routine.

Safety and when to get help

Relaxation techniques are generally considered safe for healthy people. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health notes that occasionally people report negative experiences such as increased anxiety, intrusive thoughts or fear of losing control, and that there have been rare reports of certain techniques causing or worsening symptoms in people with epilepsy, certain psychiatric conditions, or a history of abuse or trauma.

If an exercise makes you feel worse, stop. Relaxation exercises are not right for everyone and do not replace mental-health care. If focusing on your breath or body leaves you more anxious or unsettled, switch to something outward-facing, such as noticing objects around you or taking a gentle walk, or simply stop. The NHS advises seeing a GP if you are struggling to cope with stress or the things you are trying yourself are not helping, and calling NHS 111 or asking for an urgent GP appointment if you need help urgently.

The bottom line

Match the method to the moment. Two minutes of slower breathing, a tension-and-release sequence for a tight body, a list for a busy mind, a short break at work, and a fixed routine before bed. A useful session does not have to produce perfect calm. Leaving you a little less tense, or making the next sensible action easier, is enough.

Sources

• National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, “Relaxation Techniques: What You Need To Know”
• NHS, “Breathing exercises for stress”
• Health and Safety Executive, “Working safely with display screen equipment: Work routine and breaks”
• NHS Every Mind Matters, “Fall asleep faster and sleep better”
• NHS, “Get help with stress”

Last reviewed: 19 September 2026. This article is general information about everyday relaxation and is not medical advice.