Relaxation and stress in midlife: techniques that help and the evidence

Name: Relaxation and stress in midlife: techniques that help and the evidence
Creator: MenoWoman

Relaxation techniques can ease anxiety and stress, but there is too little good evidence that they reduce hot flashes. For hot flashes and mood, CBT and clinical hypnosis have much stronger support.

Researched by the MenoWoman team. Edited by Marcela Sat. Updated 7 November 2026. We may earn from links.

Woman relaxing in a warm bath with a book

See a doctor if stress, worry or low mood is affecting your sleep, work or relationships, or lasts more than a few weeks. Get urgent help if you feel unsafe or have thoughts of self-harm.

Why midlife can feel so stressful

The 40s and 50s often bring caring for children and aging parents, work pressures and health changes all at once. Menopause symptoms such as poor sleep and hot flashes can add to the load.

Sleep problems, anxiety and low mood are closely linked in midlife women. Each can make the others worse.⁸ Finding ways to relax will not fix everything, but it can make a real difference to how you feel day to day.

Stress is not a sign of weakness or of not coping. It is a normal response to real pressures, and learning to calm your body is a skill anyone can build.

Common relaxation techniques

The NIH describes several methods:¹

Progressive muscle relaxation: tensing then releasing muscle groups in turn.
Guided imagery: picturing a calm scene.
Autogenic training: repeating calming phrases about warmth and heaviness in the body.
Slow, deep breathing from the belly.
Self-hypnosis and biofeedback.

Applied relaxation, used in some menopause trials, teaches you to tense and release muscles and to use your breathing to relax quickly.³ Women practiced it at home every day.³

What the research shows

Anxiety and stress. In people with anxiety disorders, a review of 16 studies found relaxation therapy reduced anxiety.¹ A review of breathwork trials found small-to-medium drops in stress and anxiety.⁷

Hot flashes. A Swedish trial gave 60 women either ten group sessions of applied relaxation or no treatment.³ Daily hot flashes fell from about 9 to 4 with relaxation, and from about 10 to 8 without it.³ The control group got no attention at all, so expectation may explain part of the effect. However, a Cochrane review of four trials with 281 women judged the overall evidence very low quality.² It could not show whether relaxation works better than no treatment.² The Menopause Society does not recommend relaxation for hot flashes.⁴

Better-proven mind-based options. The Menopause Society does recommend CBT and clinical hypnosis for hot flashes.^5,4 In one study, five weekly sessions of clinical hypnosis with a therapist reduced hot flashes in postmenopausal women.¹ In menopausal women, CBT also reduces anxiety and low mood, with moderate certainty.⁶

Sleep. Relaxation alone has not been shown to treat chronic insomnia, but it is often part of CBT for insomnia.¹

How to start

Pick one technique and practice for 10 to 15 minutes a day, ideally at the same time.
Free audio guides for muscle relaxation and guided imagery are widely available.
Use short versions during the day, such as a few slow breaths before a meeting or when a hot flash starts.
Regular movement, time outdoors and contact with friends also help many women manage stress.
Notice your early signs of stress, such as tight shoulders or a racing mind, and use them as a cue to pause.
Do not judge a technique after one try. Most need a few weeks of practice.

Relaxation is safe for most people. Occasionally it can bring up anxiety or unwanted thoughts. People with epilepsy, some mental health conditions or a history of trauma should take advice first.¹

For more structured help, see CBT for menopause, meditation and mindfulness and breathing exercises.

What it is used for: evidence rated

Option	Evidence	What the research shows
CBT for mood and hot flashes	Strong evidence	Recommended by The Menopause Society for hot flashes; a review found moderate-certainty benefits for anxiety and low mood in menopause.^5,6
Clinical hypnosis for hot flashes	Strong evidence	Recommended by The Menopause Society with good, consistent evidence; it is given by a trained therapist.⁴
Anxiety	Some evidence	Relaxation therapy reduced anxiety in people with anxiety disorders, but this research is not menopause-specific.¹
Stress	Some evidence	Breathing-based relaxation lowered self-reported stress in a review of adult trials, though studies were small.⁷
Hot flashes (relaxation alone)	Weak evidence	One small trial was positive, but a Cochrane review rated the evidence very low quality.^3,2
Sleep	Weak evidence	Relaxation on its own has not been shown to treat chronic insomnia; it works best as part of CBT for insomnia.¹

Ratings explained: how we rate. Always talk to a doctor or pharmacist before starting a medicine or supplement.