Deep breathing exercises can help calm the nervous system by activating the parasympathetic response, which reduces stress hormones. Cosmic Breathing is a technique that uses a series of
4-counts. (This is also used by Navy SEALS, and is known as Box Breathing).

Here's How:

1. Sit comfortably and close your eyes.

2. Inhale deeply through your nose for a slow count of four, imagining you're drawing in stardust.

3. Hold your breath for a slow count of four, letting the stardust settle.

4. Exhale slowly through your mouth for a slow count of four, releasing any tension.

5. Sit quietly to a slow count of four, enjoying the inner calmness.

5. Repeat for one minute.

We renamed it as Gravity Release; however, NASA calls it Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR), and includes it in astronaut training protocols as well as recommending it for use in space. It's especially useful before sleep or to reduce physical manifestations of stress. This is Included in psychological support kits (PSKs) for long-duration missions.

Here's How:

1. Imagine tension melting off your body like gravity loosening its grip. 

2. Start from your toes and move upward.

3. Tense each muscle group for 5 seconds, then relax. 

4. Release your muscles, reclaim your lightness.

You'll recognize this technique by its more well-known name, Visualization/Mental Imagery. 

NASA uses visualization techniques to help astronauts rehearse tasks and mentally prepare for challenges. This is especially useful in cognitive rehearsal and emotional self-regulation. It’s also embedded in their “Self-Guided Stress Management Training” modules.

Here's How:

1. Sit comfortably and close your eyes.

2. Picture a peaceful place or a successful outcome of something you are planning.

3. Engage your senses—what do you see, hear, feel? 

4. Enjoy the visualization completely; then slowly breathe back into an awareness of the present moment.

This strategy is commonly known as Mindfulness! NASA doesn’t specifically promote "mindful object observation" per se, but they do support mindfulness practices and focused attention training to increase awareness, decrease rumination, and enhance task performance. NASA collaborates with psychological experts on incorporating mindfulness in mission-prep.

Here's How:

1. Sit comfortably with eyes open.

2. Choose an object nearby, and spend 45 seconds observing it carefully.

3. Notice its texture, color, shadows, details, and the feeling of how your energy connects with it.

4. close your eyes and capture the image in your mind.

5. Open your eyes and compare your mental image with the real thing. Breathe and relax.

Gratitude as a formal practice is not part of NASA's core astronaut training, but positive psychology strategies (including journaling, connecting with meaning, and emotional reframing) are part of support programs for astronaut well-being. Some astronauts do engage in this personally during long missions, and it’s consistent with the emotional regulation tools NASA endorses.

Like astronauts looking back at Earth from space, reflect on the beauty, kindness, and blessings that illuminate your world. 

Here's How:

1. Take a moment to think of three things you're grateful for, as if you're collecting cosmic treasures.

2. Write them down or say them aloud, visualizing each as a shining star in your personal galaxy.

3. Reflect on how these stars light up your universe.

This strategy is commonly known as Laughter Yoga or a Laughter Meditation. While Laughter Yoga itself isn't explicitly listed as a standard NASA-developed stress relief technique in the same way as, say, progressive muscle relaxation, humor is definitely recognized and used by astronauts. NASA studies and astronaut accounts indicate that humor is a crucial in-flight psychological countermeasure. It's used to improve teamwork, reduce stress, diffuse tense situations, and improve astronauts' emotional states during spaceflight and in other isolated, high-pressure environments.

Laughter Yoga, developed by Dr. Madan Kataria in 1995 in Mumbai, India, is a unique exercise routine that combines unconditional laughter with yogic breathing (Pranayama). The concept is based on the idea that the body cannot differentiate between fake and real laughter, so even if you're faking it, you can still reap the physiological and psychological benefits.We can use Out of This World Laughter to relieve stress and build community through shared joy. It's best done with others!

Here's How:

1. Start with gentle warm-up techniques, which include stretching, chanting, clapping, and body movement. These help break down inhibitions and encourage playfulness.

2. Follow this with a series of laughter exercises that are interspersed with deep breathing exercises to help flush the lungs and bring more oxygen into the body. Basically, just start laughing ... once you start, it keeps growing!