Virtual Quiet Room

Relaxation is a process that reduces the impact of stress on the mind and body.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation: muscle tension is used to recognize  calmness in your body.

Mindful Breathing: Progressive Muscle Relaxation  (short video):    Join the   American Lung Association Director of Health Promotions, Candace Alexander, MEd, CHES, as she guides viewers through a 6-minute progressive muscle relaxation exercise to help them stay calm during times of stress.

Integrative Medicine: Progressive Muscle Relaxation  ( audio only):   Join Robert B. Saper, MD, in an 18-minute   Progressive Muscle Relaxation audio guide.

Breathe Work  : the practice of deep breathing to release calming chemicals in the brain. 

Deep breathing   (handout)  : "Deep breathing is a popular relaxation technique that helps control stress, anxiety, and anger symptoms. The skill is easy to learn, and provides near-immediate relief from uncomfortable symptoms." -  Therapist Aid.

How to do Deep Breathing    (short video)  : This video briefly describes deep breathing followed by guided practice. -  Therapist Aid

Relaxation Apps: Access self-help tools to help you decompress.

Calm: Available for download on  Android  and  iOS

CBT I Coach: Available for download on  Android  and  iOS

Insight Timer: Available for download on  iOS

Liberate Meditation: Available for download on  Android

Relax Now: Available for download on  iOS

Smiling Mind: Available for download on  Android and  iOS

Stop, Breath, Think: Available for download on  iOS

The Mindfulness App: Available for download on  Android  and  iOS

Virtual Hope Box: Available for download on  iOS  

Coping skills are activities you can engage in when you are experiencing distress, so you can use these to help you manage the problems even more effectively. 

Quick Distractions:   Use to help reduce solid physiological reactions at the moment to regain a sense of control. 

Grounding Techniques: Use to refocus your attention on the present moment. Grounding techniques help manage flashbacks, anxiety, and other uncomfortable symptoms by turning attention away from thoughts, memories, or worries and refocusing on the present moment.

Grounding Techniques   (handout): 5, 4, 3, 2, 1; Categories; Body Awareness; and Mental Exercises. -  Therapist Aid

30 Grounding Techniques to Quiet Distressing Thoughts: this guide includes physical, mental, and soothing techniques. -  Healthline

Finger Fan: Extend your arms straight before you with your palms up. Spread your fingers as far as possible. Hold for five seconds. Repeat at least three times.

Upper Back Stretch: Sit straight with your fingers laced behind your head. Keep your shoulders down, lift your chest, and bring your elbows as far back as possible. Hold for 10 seconds.

Sensory Stimulation:  Tap into your senses to reduce over-arousal effects on the nervous system.

Mindfulness Exercises - Body Scan (audio)  :  A typical Body Scan runs through each part of the body, paying particular attention to how each area feels. The scan usually moves systematically through the body, e.g., starting at the feet and moving upwards through the body. Try this 30-minute guided narrative by expert and founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction   Jon Kabat Zinn.

Mindfulness Eating Exercise:   This mindful eating experience with Linda Smith from  Duke Integrative Medicine. You can prepare for this exercise by choosing a particular food to experience it with. Many choose a raisin, a piece of chocolate, or something delightful. 

Online Games:  Decompress with a fun game to lift or shift your mood! 

Jigsaw Puzzles: Available for download on  Android  and  iOS

Antistress and Relaxation Toys: Available for download on  Android  and  iOS

The Word Search: A vast collection of word search puzzles online, with new ones regularly added. They are fun to play but also educational. Many teachers make use of them. -  TheWordSearch.com

Communication: Remember,   effective communication can support our personal development and interpersonal relationships with others.

Self-Management: Self-awareness is critical when it comes to unlocking our fullest potential with others.

What Are Your Emotions Telling You?: "Emotions are complicated and can be extremely confusing. There is no easy way around this." Use this resource to help identify your emotions and gain insight into what they are trying to tell you.   Click here to access a helpful worksheet created by   Growlery Counseling & Therapy.

Healthy thinking     (handout): "We all find ourselves coping with troubling thoughts from time to time—especially when we're going through changes in our lives or when we feel depressed, anxious, sad, angry or stressed out." -  Trails to Wellness.

Unhealthy Thinking Styles     (handout): Sometimes, you may want to guess second what your brain tells you. It's not that your brain is purposely lying to you. It's just that it may have developed some faulty or non-helpful connections over time. Unhealthy thinking convinces us of inaccurate and often harmful things. The mind persuades us of something that isn't true. These wrong thoughts usually reinforce negative thinking or emotions, making us feel bad about ourselves. -Psychology   Tools

Communication Tips:  Some forms of communication are ineffective and counterproductive. If you find yourself stumbling into a communication trap, consider an alternative. 

Active Listening Skills   (handout): Treating listening as a dynamic rather than a passive process. This means participating in conversation rather than acting as an audience. Active listeners listen, encourage sharing, and strive to understand the speaker. -  TherapistAid.com.

Assertive communication     (handout): A communication style in which a person stands up for their own needs and wants while also taking into consideration the needs and wants of others without behaving passively or aggressively. -  TherapistAid.com.

Reflections     (handout): This technique can help you become a better listener. When reflecting, you will repeat what someone has just said to you, but in your own words. This shows that you didn't just hear the other person but are trying to understand them. -  TherapistAid.com.

Self-care is any healthy proactive activity we "do deliberately to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health. Good self-care is key to improved mood and reduced anxiety. It's also key to a good relationship with oneself and others." -  PsychCentral.

Creative Expression: Creative expression can support a healthy release of emotions and allow us to process our thoughts more deeply.

Silk Interactive Generative Art:    Silk Interactive Generative Art 

Happy Color:   Google Play –  Apple Store

Just Color:    Coloring Pages for Adults; discover  1,500+ Free Adult Coloring pages to download in PDF or print.

Guided Meditations:   Self-Compassion Guided Meditation with Dr. Kristin Neff.

Self-Compassion Break: 5 minutes (audio only)

Soften, Soothe, Allow: Working with emotions in the body: 15 minutes (audio only)

Noting Your Emotions: 18 minutes (audio only)

Calming Sounds:   Relaxing sounds help ease our Fight or Flight response by helping our brains connect with non-threatening stimuli. Lift or shift your mood with the selections below!

Calm Sounds:    Click here    to start nature sounds 

Chill Sounds:    Click here to begin  instrumental music sounds