RELAXATION EXERCISE TO DECREASE FIDGETTING COURTESY OF THE INNER HEALTH STUDIO WEBSITE - BETTER WAY THAN TAKING PRESCRIBED DRUGS

 

Relaxation to Decrease Fidgeting

This relaxation script will help you to decrease fidgeting with your hands. This exercise will allow you to reduce anxiety to create a feeling of calm and be still, even when faced with stress.

Find a comfortable position that will allow you to relax for the next few minutes. Adjust your position as needed to get comfortable. You may want to sit or lie down. 

Close your eyes, or focus your gaze on one spot in the room.
Get ready to relax, getting comfortable...taking a few deep breaths to relax and center yourself. Allow your breathing to begin to calm you.

Let's take 20 seconds for fidgeting. Fidget and move all you need to for the next 20 seconds.

(Pause)

Now it's time to stop fidgeting. You can use progressive muscle relaxation to start to relax your muscles, and the movement of each exercise will help to decrease the anxious energy that leads to fidgeting.

Begin with your shoulders. Raise your shoulders toward your ears. Hold this tension, holding the muscles of your shoulders very tight. Now, let your shoulders relax...dropping into a comfortable, loose position. Feel your shoulders lowering as the muscles relax.

Squeeze your jaws shut, holding the muscles of your mouth and jaws very tight. Squeeze your eyes closed as well, holding the tension throughout your face. Hold...and now relax. Allow your jaw to drop slightly, letting the muscles of your face and jaw become loose and relaxed. Let the muscles relax completely, and feel a calm, smooth feeling in the muscles of your face.

Point your toes, tensing the muscles in the back of your legs, all the way from your feet...to your knees...to your hips. Hold your legs very rigid, keeping the muscles tight and tense. Feel the muscles becoming tired, wanting to give up the tension...but hold the tension a little longer. Squeeze tighter...and now relax. Release the muscles, feeling the back of your legs relax.

Now bring your feet up toward your knees, tightening the front of your legs, all the way from your feet...to your knees...to your hips. Feel the muscles in your lower legs, very tight and tense, and in your upper legs, holding onto tension. Hold...squeeze tighter...and relax. Wiggle your toes once or twice and feel your feet and legs relaxing completely.

Your legs feel so limp and loose...it is a pleasant, comfortable feeling of relaxation.

Take a deep breath in, feeling the tension in your chest and stomach as you hold that breath...and allow your chest and stomach to relax as the breath escapes slowly.

Allow the muscles of your back to relax...from your neck...to your upper back...middle back...lower back...feeling your whole body relaxing.

Notice any areas of tension in your body, and relax those areas now.

Your body will continue to relax...deeper and deeper...loose...heavy...relaxed.

Now that you are starting to feel more relaxed, focus on your hands.

Let's do some calm, slow, non-fidgeting movements that will help your hands relax. Open your hands wide, stretching...reaching to stretch your arms too...stretching your hands open...and release.

Now close your hands into fists and squeeze them tightly shut...hold...tighter...and release.

Open your hands again...stretching...and then close your hands tightly, squeezing...

Now relax, allowing your hands to go limp. Feel how relaxed your hands are now that you have released the fists you were holding. Your hands may even feel warm and tingly.

Rest your hands at your sides or on your lap. Feel them go completely slack...let the muscles relax entirely...holding no tension in your hands.

Allow a feeling of relaxation to fill your hands. It is such a feeling of calm and steadiness. Feel the stillness in your hands.
Your hands are feeling very heavy...very relaxed. A tingly feeling of relaxation fills your hands. You are feeling so calm.
Each time you get the urge to move your hands, find that they are so heavy...so relaxed...that your hands simply remain still. Relaxing into a feeling of warmth and heaviness.

Imagine that your arms are growing...getting bigger...heavier...
Now imagine that your hands and arms are shrinking back to normal size, but remaining just as heavy.

The heavy feeling is so calm and pleasant.

Now create a picture in your mind. Imagine the colour blue. See the most calm, relaxing shade of blue you can imagine. See this colour fill your entire mind's eye. Allow this beautiful shade of blue to represent the feeling of relaxation you are experiencing right now.

Every time you start fidgeting, imagine the colour blue, and feel a complete stillness descend over your body. Feel your hands rest gently at your sides, and feel your hands and arms becoming warm...feeling very heavy.

Whenever you picture the colour blue, you can feel completely calm...serene...and still.

When you see the colour blue it can remind you to relax. When you find yourself fidgeting, you can picture the colour blue, focus on your breathing, and the fidgeting will stop as you become completely relaxed and calm.

Experience right now a feeling of complete stillness. Imagine being surrounded completely by the colour blue...surrounded in a comforting blanket of blue...so calm...so serene...peaceful and relaxed.

For the next few moments, simply focus on your breathing, concentrating on each breath you take. Whenever your thoughts wander or you start fidgeting, imagine the colour blue and feel your hands relaxing and becoming heavy.

Concentrate now on your breathing...observing each breath as it moves gently in and out of your body.

If you find yourself fidgeting, just imagine the colour blue, and direct your focus again to your breathing as you feel yourself completely relax.

Keep focusing on your breathing, feeling completely relaxed...very calm and still.

If you start fidgeting, it's okay. Just picture the colour blue, and feel your body relaxing instantly...becoming so heavy, warm, and still that the fidgeting stops, replaced with calm stillness.

Keep focusing on your breathing...feeling totally relaxed and at ease.

(Pause)

Just relax now...not needing to focus on anything at all.
Relaxed...calm...serene...

A pleasant feeling of stillness...

Whenever you find yourself fidgeting, you can stop this fidgeting quickly with relaxation. When you begin fidgeting in the future, you can squeeze your hands tightly shut, and then release the tension as you picture the colour blue. When you imagine blue, you can remember the feeling of relaxation you are experiencing right now, and relax instantly.

When you need to relax in the future to stop fidgeting, imagine the colour blue, focus on your breathing, and feel your mind and body become relaxed and still.

Picture the colour blue right now, feeling completely and totally relaxed.

(Pause)

Now it is time to finish this relaxation exercise.
Give yourself the time you need to reawaken your body and mind.

Wiggle your fingers, feeling your arms waking up. Wake up your legs by wiggling your toes. Feel the awareness returning to your body and mind as you become more awake and alert.
Stretch if you want to, becoming gradually more aware of your surroundings. Sit quietly for a few moments with your eyes open, reorienting yourself.

When you are completely awake and alert you can return to your usual activities, keeping with you a feeling of calm and stillness.