Techniques from various meditation methods are often adopted in targeted stress management and antianxiety programs. Such stress reduction techniques, including diaphragmatic breathing and muscle relaxation, can be life-saving elements of natural, drug-free anxiety management. One of the hardest techniques for many people to master is the creation of a scene or mental image, sometimes called a "happy place" or other terms, to help with relaxation. Meditation for Stress Management The most common stress management methods instruct stress sufferers to engage in brief, meditative practices on a regular basis. Some programs involve following set steps for a few minutes to an hour, one or more times per week. Such structures often include audio recordings, in which a soothing voice leads the individual through a meditation, describing a pattern of relaxation, controlled breathing, and other techniques. However, these recordings are not always available, and it can be useful to learn how to engage in stress management practices without direction, especially if you only have a few minutes here and there to relax. Clear Your Mind The idea behind creating a favorite mental image to use when meditating is to help release the mind from distracting thoughts. Guided recordings can have this effect, but without them meditating individuals can easily become distracted, especially if they are experiencing a great deal of stress. This type of distraction defeats the purpose of meditative stress management. That's why, strange as it may seem to some people, having a mental image at the ready is an important part of the anxiety reduction process. Use the Same Relaxation Scene Again and Again It's crucial to create a detailed mental image, or relaxation scene, and to continue to use the same imagine in all your meditative stress management sessions. The reason for this is that trying to invent a new, relaxing scene each time you meditate can be time-consuming and can even be a source of stress if you perceive the activity is something you have to do before a calmer state can be achieved. The following tips will help you create a scene that you can imagine readily any time you need to. A Real Place or a Fictional Scene? First, decide whether you want your relaxation scene to be based on reality or to be a fiction. If there is a place that is special to you from your past, such as a childhood home, a favorite beach, or a regular family picnic spot, you might choose to use that place as the foundation of your relaxation scene. Be careful when choosing scenes from real life, however. If there is a negative memory associated with the place, or if you still visit the place and it could become associated with a negative event, you risk interrupting your meditation with stressful thoughts. If you don't have a perfectly relaxing, happy scene in your memory of the past, it is best to choose a fictional place. Where Should your Relaxation Scene Be? In deciding what type of fictional place to create for your relaxing scene, you have complete freedom. If you particularly like being in the mountains, you might opt to create a mountain scene. People who are comfort-seeking, indoors types could imagine a warm room with comfortable furniture filled with activities that they enjoy or atmospheric elements that they associate with positive, calming emotions. Detail, Detail, Detail The most important aspect of the relaxation scene is the detail. In order to create a mental image that will be effective at relaxing you during meditative stress management sessions, you must take care to fill in the scene with even minute details. A scene that's only vaguely sketched out, that you can only picture from one angle, or that is always changing will not work as well. The reason is that you are aiming to develop a very strong connection between this mental image and a state of balance and calm. Without details, this is unlikely to happen. When you're creating your scene, consider these questions in order to help you with detail: Is anyone else there with you? What are you doing? What colors can you see? If you are outside, how far can you see? What sounds can you hear, and where are they coming from? What is the temperature, and what time of day is it? If you are indoors, what decorations are on the walls and furniture? Are the doors locked or unlocked? Can you see anything through the windows? Allow Yourself to Escape Considering the above questions will help you develop a relaxation scene that works for you. When you engage in meditative relaxation, close your eyes, breathe deeply, and focus on relaxing your muscles. Allow yourself to enter this scene and forget about everything around you. Take an interest in the scene you have brought before your mind's eye, and allow yourself to take a moment completely unaffected by the stressors in your daily life. This should help relieve stress so you can get on with your day happier and more productive.