Sophrology exercises to do at home, step by step

At the end of almost every session, I give one or two sophrology exercises to do at home. Not as homework, but because it is between appointments that things really take root. One session a week is one hour. That leaves all the others.

I am a sophrologist, hypnotherapist and wellbeing coach in Bordeaux. I first practised these exercises for myself, coming out of a burnout after years in start-ups. I had neither the time nor the energy for long meditations. I needed short techniques I could do in a kitchen or between two meetings.

Here are eight sophrology exercises to do at home, described the way I guide them at my practice, with tips on when to do them and what to expect.

Before you start: how to practise on your own

A few pointers apply to every exercise.

• Choose a place where you will not be disturbed for five minutes, and turn off your phone notifications.
• You can practise sitting, standing or lying down. Sitting with your back straight and your feet flat is the easiest position to start with.
• Your eyes can be closed or half-open, resting on a point in front of you.
• Nothing should hurt. If a movement pulls or you feel dizzy, adapt it or stop.
• After each exercise, take a few seconds to notice what has changed. That moment of observation is what turns a relaxation exercise into a sophrology exercise.

The WHO points out on its page about stress that a few minutes a day are enough to practise self-help techniques. There is no need to block out an hour.

Three breathing exercises

Breathing is the easiest way in. It is always there, and it responds quickly.

1. Belly breathing

Place one hand on your belly and the other on your chest. Breathe in through your nose and let your belly rise under your hand, while your chest barely moves. Breathe out slowly and let your belly fall. Take ten breaths at your own pace.

A study by Ma and colleagues followed 40 adults: those who practised diaphragmatic breathing for eight weeks had fewer negative emotions, better attention and lower cortisol than at the start, which was not the case in the control group.

2. The long out-breath

Breathe in for a count of three or four, then breathe out for a count of six to eight, as if you were blowing gently through a straw. Keep going for two minutes. Lengthening the out-breath naturally slows your breathing, and a review of 15 studies by Zaccaro and colleagues links breathing at fewer than ten breaths a minute with more relaxation and alertness. It is my go-to exercise before a situation that makes me tense.

3. Three mindful breaths

This is the shortest of all. Three breaths, bringing your attention in turn to the air coming in through your nose, to your belly rising, then to your shoulders dropping as you breathe out. Thirty seconds in all. I recommend it before opening your inbox, before a call, when you get home. If you would like to go further, I have written a whole article on heart coherence breathing and the 365 method.

Two dynamic relaxation exercises

Dynamic relaxation combines simple movements with the breath. You do it standing up, and it suits people who "can't sit still" particularly well.

4. Shoulder shrugs

Stand with your arms by your sides. Breathe in through your nose and hold the air for a few seconds while shrugging your shoulders up towards your ears several times. Then blow out through your mouth and let your shoulders drop all at once, arms loose. Do this three times, then stay still for a few seconds to feel your shoulders and neck. If you have blood pressure or heart problems, do not hold your breath: do the movement on a normal breath.

5. Head and upper body rotation

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Gently turn your head from right to left, without forcing, three times. Then let your arms hang loose and swivel your upper body from side to side, with your arms following like scarves. One minute is enough. Then stop and notice the warmth, the tingling, your breathing. At work, a seated version works very well.

Relaxing the body and settling the mind

These last three exercises take a little longer, between five and ten minutes. They are best done sitting or lying down.

6. Tense and release

Sitting or lying down, clench your fists hard for five seconds, then let go all at once as you breathe out. Do the same with your arms, shoulders, face, belly, legs and feet. The contrast between tension and release helps you recognise what a relaxed muscle feels like. In a trial by Toussaint and colleagues, 60 students were randomly assigned: twenty minutes of progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing or guided imagery all increased how relaxed they felt compared with the control group.

7. Your safe place

Close your eyes, breathe calmly a few times, then picture a place where you feel good, real or imagined. Take the time to fill in the details with all your senses: the colours, the sounds, the temperature, the smells. Stay there for two or three minutes, then come back gently by moving your fingers before opening your eyes. In my sessions, this is often the exercise the people I work with like best, because it becomes a refuge they can return to in a few seconds.

8. Grounding through your feet

Sit with both feet flat on the floor. Bring all your attention to the soles of your feet: the contact with the ground, the warmth, the pressure. Press down lightly, then release. Feel the weight of your body on the chair. One minute is enough to bring you back to the present when your thoughts are going round in circles. I often suggest it before speaking in public.

How long, and when?

Five minutes every day is better than an hour now and then. I usually suggest picking two exercises, not eight, and linking them to a fixed moment: your morning coffee, getting home from work, going to bed.

In the morning, the dynamic exercises (4 and 5) wake you up. During the day, the breathing exercises (1 to 3) and grounding (8) fit in anywhere. In the evening, body relaxation (6) and the safe place (7) help you switch off. If you practise just before driving or going back to work, always finish with a few movements and some livelier breaths.

Two traps come up often with the people I work with. The first is wanting to "succeed" at the exercise and getting annoyed when your mind wanders. That is normal, it wanders for everyone: you bring it back without judging yourself, and that return is precisely what trains your attention. The second is waiting until you are about to explode before starting. You learn these exercises when things are more or less fine, so that they are there when things heat up.

Write one line each evening for two weeks: which exercise, how long, what you felt. This little notebook often shows progress you cannot see from one day to the next.

What these exercises can offer, and their limits

Practised regularly, these exercises help bring tension down, spot your stress signals earlier and find a little calm during the day. That is already a lot. If emotions are your main concern, I have gathered other ideas in my article on managing stress and emotions, and the role of the parasympathetic nervous system explains why breathing works so quickly.

They will not sort everything out, though. They do not change an impossible workload or a situation that is wearing you down. And sophrology does not replace medical advice. If you have been sleeping badly for weeks, if you feel at the end of your tether or very low, or if you have unexplained pain, talk to your doctor first. The WHO advises seeing a health professional when you can no longer cope with stress.

Going further with support

These exercises are a foundation. In a session, we go further: I choose with you the ones that fit your situation, adapt them to your body and your schedule, and guide you with my voice, which helps a lot with letting go at the start. If you would like to know what that looks like in practice, I have described what happens in a sophrology session.

I see people at my practice as a sophrologist in Bordeaux, on rue Ducau, and I also offer online sophrology. My background is on the about page.

In the meantime, pick one exercise from this page and do it tonight. Then again tomorrow. And if you would like some support, you can book a sophrology session for adults.