“Take a mini-vacation as you are guided through the sights, sounds, smells, and sensations of a pleasant walk along the beach.”

Is it what you want to do when you are going to vacation? I know you probably want to do this to relax yourself. But you don’t have to wait for your holiday to come to get relaxed. Georgia Southern Counseling and Career Development Center has a bunch of online relaxation exercises you can download and listen to it. For instance, there are audios on Diaphragmatic Breathing, Deep Breathing, Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Guided Imagery: The Beach, Guided Imagery: The Forest, Relaxing Phrases, and Mindfulness Meditations.

Here is their description on relaxation:

The ability to relax is important in effectively managing stress and anxiety. When we feel stressed, our bodies react with what is called the “fight or flight” response. Our muscles become tense, our heart and respiration rates increase, and other physiological systems become taxed. Without the ability to relax, chronic stress or anxiety can lead to burnout, anger, irritability, depression, medical problems, and more.

Allowing yourself to deeply relax is the exact opposite of the “fight or flight” response. In 1975, Herbert Benson described what he referred to as the “relaxation response.” This is the body’s ability to experience a decrease in heart rate, respiration rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, and oxygen consumption.

And of course, it is free.

Online Relaxation Exercises – [Georgia Southern Counseling and Career Development Center]