Resource Discovery: Chill Drills to Practice Mindfulness and Relieve Stress

By: Jason Jowers

This blog post focuses on a resource we recently discovered that helps with stress and anxiety relief as well as being a great way to practice mindfulness. Developed by the Department of Defense within Military OneSource comes Chill Drills, a collection of relaxation and mindfulness exercises for those within the military community. The stress-relieving techniques shared in these exercises help to slow heart rate, lower blood pressure, reduce the levels of stress hormones in the body, encourage muscle relaxation, and improve sleep quality and the ability to fall asleep.

Narrated by Heidi J. Bauer, MSW, LCSW, Heidi is a therapist who works with service members and their families. She helps service members from all branches of the military who have symptoms of stress, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. In her work with military service members and their families, Heidi designed these simple drills to be useful at any time, specifically regarding having to deal with the stress of deployment cycles.

Each drill focuses on a specific theme. Heidi begins with an introduction to the app, the exercises, as well as what is to be expected in each of the five drills. First is Tuning In, which focuses on muscle relaxation and instilling calmness. Next is Releasing Stress and helps by focusing on different parts of the body and ridding the mind of negative thoughts. The third exercise is a focus on Easing Back Pain, targeted at relieving stress in your neck, shoulder, and back. Next is Getting to Sleep, which provides exercises designed to help you fall asleep so that you can be more alert and mentally stronger throughout the day. And finally, the fifth drill is Music to Chill By, a music mix designed to help improve the quality of your sleep.

These simple audio drills and exercises are available as an app on Google Play and the App Store. By installing this app on your mobile device, you can access these exercises at the touch of a button and the app can be utilized offline as well. Chill Drills are also available on the Military OneSource website here. Tune in and get on the path to practicing mindfulness and getting rid of stress with this phenomenal resource.