Practice once or twice daily

Elicit the response on a regular schedule so calm becomes a trainable default, not a rescue tool.

Why it works

Like any skill, the relaxation response gets faster and more reliable with repetition. Regular practice lowers your day-to-day baseline arousal and makes the state easier to summon under stress, because you have rehearsed the pathway when calm rather than only reaching for it in crisis.

How to do it

1. Schedule ten to twenty minutes once or, ideally, twice a day.
2. Anchor it to an existing routine (after waking, before lunch) so it is cued reliably.
3. Judge the practice by consistency over weeks, not by how calm any single session felt.

Evidence

Benson advocated regular elicitation, and the broader literature on relaxation and meditation training is consistent with cumulative benefit from sustained practice rather than one-off use. (observational)

General observational support exists for sustained relaxation practice; for severe or persistent anxiety, regular practice should complement professional care, not substitute for it.

Common mistake

Only practicing when already stressed, then concluding it "doesn’t work." The skill is built in calm and drawn on under load.