This script is for decreasing the stress caused by work commitments. Listening to this relaxation audio right before bed can be effective to help you put thoughts of work aside so you can get to sleep, or you can listen in the moment when experiencing stress.
Start by making yourself comfortable, adjusting your position as needed so that you can relax. You may want to lie on your back, with your hands at your sides.
Take a few moments to focus on your breathing. Take a deep breath in…and exhale fully.
Breathe in…and out.
Slowly in…and completely out.
Keep breathing, noticing that with each breath, you can feel your body relax just a little.
Notice how your body feels right now. Scanning your body from head to feet, notice where you feel the most tense.
These tense areas are your body’s way of storing worries and stress as physical tension. Concentrate on just one of these areas right now. What does the tension feel like?
Imagine that you can direct your breath to this spot. When you breathe in, imagine the breath delivering relaxation to the tense area you are focusing on. See the tension being carried away with your breath out.
Imagine each breath bringing in a bit more relaxation, and taking away a bit more tension.
Bit by bit, this area is relaxing…softening…giving up tension.
When the area you are concentrating on becomes more comfortable, move your attention to another area where your body feels tense.
Direct your breath to this area, breathing in relaxation…and breathing out tension.
Keep breathing in relaxation…and exhaling tension…for all of the most tense areas in your body.
(Pause)
Notice your body as a whole…feel your body becoming more relaxed…feeling heavy…sinking into the surface where you lie.
Where is your body the most relaxed? Notice the feeling of relaxation, and allow it to grow…gradually filling your whole body with a heavy, warm, pleasant feeling of relaxation.
Feel the relaxation fill your body completely.
(Pause)
Now that you are beginning to relax, think about the work commitments that have been stressful for you. There is always work to do…always work commitments demanding your time and attention. It can feel like you are never done…one project is completed, and another comes up. You answer an email…and more emails come in. Tasks upon tasks…it seems never-ending. Work commitments upon work commitments…
Notice how you are feeling while you think about the work commitments that have been causing you stress. You may even feel some of the tension in your body coming back as you think about work commitments.
Now let’s try to put some of this stress into perspective, to deal with stress caused by work commitments and cope effectively. Recall the relaxed feeling you had a few moments ago. Notice that your body is relaxing, just by thinking about it. You can feel the tension draining away…becoming more relaxed with your calm, deep breathing.
The work commitments you have can be overwhelming, but think of all the things you have completed already. You have already done many tasks, that if you tackled them all at once would be impossible. You can only do one thing at a time, and by working at tasks bit by bit, you completed them.
The work commitments you have right now are the same…you will get the work done, even it it’s not right now. In fact, you cannot do all of the tasks right now…but you can choose what to work on to finish one project at a time.
Right now, your only job is to relax. You have nothing else you need to do in this moment. Devote all of your effort and concentration to the relaxation exercise you are completing right now.
Later, when you do go to work, you can focus on one task at a time, knowing that each step you take will help you to get a project done.
You do not need to do everything at once.
You do not need to get all of your projects done right now. You will get done.
When you finish one task, you know that another will be waiting, and this is okay because you can do one thing at a time, project after project…
As a whole, your work is ongoing, but individually, projects can be completed.
Notice again how you are feeling. See that you can maintain a feeling of relaxation, and this relaxation can increase, even while you are thinking about work.
(Pause)
Now let’s focus on some affirmations to shape positive attitudes for coping with work commitments and to increase your resistance to stress. Repeat each affirmation in your mind after I say it, believing each affirmation to be true for you right now.
I will get my work done.
I do not need do everything right now.
Some projects can wait, and I prioritize, choosing one at a time to work on.
I feel a sense of accomplishment when I complete a project at work.
I feel success getting one thing done at a time.
Overall my work will never be done, but I can get individual projects finished, and this feels good.
I know that there will always be more tasks waiting, and more projects to do, but I concentrate on the one task I am doing in the moment.
It is normal to feel stressed sometimes, but I can relieve this stress with relaxation.
I can let go of the things I have not yet completed. It is fine to get to them when I can.
My own expectations make me stressed. I can set reasonable expectations to be less stressed and more productive.
I decide what is most important, and do the most important task first.
I work on one thing at a time, and put aside the rest.
My time after work is time for me.
At the end of the day, my job is finished. My work commitments wait until I arrive at work the next day.
Whatever I can get finished during my regular work hours is enough.
I do not have to finish everything at once.
Now just relax for a few moments…feeling calm and relaxed.
Imagine that the work you have is like eating a cake. You cannot eat the whole cake at once, and if you try, you feel overwhelmed and sick. You take one piece of cake, and eat it bite by bite until the piece is gone. Later, you eat another piece. Eventually, you have eaten the whole cake.
Before one cake is eaten, another is already waiting. It would be impossible to eat all the cakes at once…even to eat one of the cakes at one time would be difficult and would make you sick.
Work is like a long line of cakes. It is not possible to do all of the projects all at once, or to get every project done right now. By dividing your work into projects, like pieces of cake, and taking care of them bite by bite, you complete the tasks.
Taking on project after project is like eating piece after piece of cake. You cannot keep going from one thing to the next…to the next…to the next without stopping. When you eat cake, you have a piece, and then later eat another. At work, you can complete your work hours…and then leave work for the day. The next day you will be refreshed and ready to do more work. This cannot happen if you do work in between, or think about work excessively during your time off.
You can work on projects bite by bite until completion…and at the end of the day, you no longer need to think about work. When worried thoughts come up, acknowledge them and remind yourself of the following affirmations:
There is nothing I can do right now. The work will wait until tomorrow.
When I become stressed, I can do relaxation techniques to feel calm.
My time off is time for me, not for work.
When I am not at work, there is nothing I can do about my work commitments and I do not need to worry about them.
I will get done the work I need to do.
I work on projects piece by piece, bit by bit, to get finished.
My time off helps me relax and then be more productive when I am at work.
I will get done. I don’t need to get it all done right now.
Relax and allow these affirmations to be true for you right now, in this moment. Allow yourself to be free of unrealistic expectations. Relax in the certainty that you will get done the things you need to do, and that you do not need to do everything right now. You can handle the work commitments one task at a time.
Any time you find yourself thinking about work, you can repeat the affirmations, and notice your body relaxing and your mind becoming calm.
Relaxation is productive, healing time…by taking the time to relax, you will be even more productive when you are working.
Feel a pleasant feeling of relaxation and calm…assured that you are doing what is best by relaxing right now…feeling calm and peaceful.
(Pause)
When you are ready to return to your usual activities you can choose whether to reawaken or drift off to sleep. Continue to relax for a few more moments.
In a moment, if you choose to reawaken you can open your eyes, move your muscles, and reorient yourself to your surroundings. You will become completely awake and fully alert.
In a moment, if you choose to drift off to sleep, you can gradually drift deeper into relaxation, become more and more relaxed, and fall asleep.
I’ll count from 10 to 1. If you decide to reawaken, become more alert with each number and fully awake at 1. If you choose to sleep, become sleepier and less aware with each number, drifting off to sleep at 1.
10
9
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2
1
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