This question is incomplete, here´s the complete question
Please complete this activity with the directions below. After you complete the activity, write 10-15 sentences describing what you did during the exercise, how you felt after the activity, any difficulties experienced, and what you enjoyed about the exercise. Did you feel the exercise helped you with any aspect of your stress? Why or why not.
ACTIVITY:
When you are feeling stressed, it is common to carry the stress in the physical body: tense shoulders, knots in your stomach, headaches, etc. Using a body scan with deep breathing is an extremely helpful method for reducing physical stress and muscular tension in the body.
Sit in a comfortable place and fully relax your body. Let your breathing slow down, and allow your breath to develop naturally for a few moments. Be aware of each inhale and exhale and let your breath stem from your belly instead of from your chest.
Starting from the top of your body with your head: notice any tension you're feeling or where you are experiencing an ache. What do you feel? Tightness? Pain? A feeling of concentrated 'energy' around a certain area? Focus on this area for a minute (or longer if this is where you carry your stress).
Focus your breath into the area (of your head) where you are experiencing discomfort, tension, or energy. If you notice any uncomfortable sensations, focus on them. Breathe into them, and notice what happens. The feeling may become more intense at first. Keep your focus on the area and the breath and the feeling will become less intense. Stay aware on that feeling for a few moments and just staying present. You can physically rub or massage the area that is feeling the most affected by this exercise.
Continue this same exercise on the rest of your body: the neck, upper back, shoulders, lower back, stomach, arms and legs, hands and feet: spend the most time of the area that you physically carry the most tension or symptoms of physical stress."
Answer:
For this exercise, I decided to sit down on the couch. I allowed my breathing to slow down, trying to become aware of each inhalation and exhalation. Practicing belly breathing instead of chest breathing was a surprising challenge, but I think I manage to do it right. Then, I scanned each area of my body, focusing on any discomfort. As I noticed a lot of tension on my shoulders, I decided to focus on that area the most.
Explanation:
After the activity, I felt very relaxed. Furthermore, the shoulder pain had been reduced. I also felt a little sleepy.
Probably the biggest challenge was staying present. It´s difficult to avoid disturbing thoughts and interruptions. However, I did enjoy giving my self a moment to work on stress relief. Not only it helped me to be a little bit more relaxed, but it also made me aware of the importance of actively working on my mental health.
