Restful relaxation is part of being human -- essential to body maintenance and disease immunity. Healthy people relax when needed. Abundant long-term evidence shows that good coping skills for stress help prevent heart attacks, cancer, diabetes and other diseases.

The skills include awareness of body tension and self-communication of calming messages. If we have over-learned constant activity, we may have to learn how to take breaks. We may have to coach ourselves into relaxing our bodies and serenely focusing our minds.

 One way of guiding ourselves into relaxation are positive words or affirmations.
More powerful than words, are vivid images of any peaceful scenes using memories of sounds, sights and feelings as internal cues. Focusing on relaxed breathing and calming music are helpful and very familiar, yet often forgotten. 

These methods, as well as additional ways of relaxing, are in the menu above -- to select and combine as personally useful. The point is that at every moment, there is a possibility to tune into calming cues:  wherever we are, whenever. For serenity to last, we have to carry the paths to serene places within us.

As with all skills, the learning may be easier, quicker and/or fuller with a helping specialist. For medical conditions, a professional should be consulted for advice. An example of a person customizing methods.