I have to come to realise - we are a nation of people who are over-stressed and tense. We are constantly on the alert for the latest news, and most of the time that is not good news. I find that, because of this, we seem to be looking for all the bad that is going on. I am not sure if this is to justify why we achieve the results we do. I know, sometimes, the results we do achieve are not worth too much.
Athletes are constantly under pressure to perform better and this will put a lot of tension on them - especially now that the 2012 London Olympics approaches.
People are taking more and more tablets for headaches and for tension. I know a lot of people are trying to take the more natural remedies, but we are still taking them. This is because of the pressure we are putting on ourselves with the need to achieve and succeed. The fear of money shortage, the fear of criticism and ill health are all fighting each other for the top place in our lives.
There is a way to overcome all of this and to put it into perspective, with a simple technique - Relaxation. Most people do not know how to relax. They will say they relax watching TV or walking the dog. Now of these are rrelaxation. Relaxation means putting your body in a state of total relaxation and giving your mind a holiday at the same time.
You need to find a quite spot to sit and close your eyes. While breathing slowly and deeply start at the top of your head and tell yourself to relax. Feel it happen. Move slowly down throughout your whole body. You should, by the time you reach your toes, feel like a limp warm face cloth. It must be an absolute effort to lift an arm. This should take around 5 minutes. Then give your mind it's holiday. Picture a tranquil spot like a deserted beach or a walk in a rain forest or sitting by a lake. Picture everything you can see and make sure you include all the natural sounds. If you hear real noises, try to make them blend into the natural sound so your mind does not move to current things. Do this for about 5 minutes and you will find both your body and mind will have had a well earned rest. Before you get up, repeat to yourself, with as much feeling as possible about 5 times, “Relaxed body, Relaxed mind” If you can, do this at least twice day for 10 days.
You will feel a different person and ready for the day's challenges. If you feel you are getting stressed, then repeat to yourself breathing slowly and deeply “Relaxed mind, Relaxed body”. You will find you can handle things a lot better.
I know that with my training with weights, the more I relax the better I train. I am sure this will do the same for the athletes that will be taking part in the 2012 London Olympics.
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