Life is hectic, and it’s common to find yourself feeling nervous, anxious, or just stressed; however, these feelings are not conducive to healthy lifestyle. The key to better health and avoiding these feelings is learning how to relax, which in today’s society is easier said than done. So, if you find that you have trouble sleeping, clearing your mind, or even have high blood pressure, it is a good idea to incorporate relaxation into your everyday routine.
How Do You Learn to Relax?
The most important part of relaxing is learning to control your mind, which is much harder than it seems. The only way to improve your ability to relax is through practice, and lots of it. I also find that learning to do something helps if you understand what’s really going on, so I recommend educating yourself on your body’s physiological responses to stress, fear, anxiety, etc. After you understand what’s really going on, then become familiar with as many different relaxation techniques as you can so you can have a few favorite that work well in different situations.
Relaxation Techniques
There are many different methods for obtaining relaxation and everyone has their own that works great for them. For me, relaxation is much more than just clearing my mind – it is relaxing my body – so I enjoy yoga. Other ideas include:
- Yoga & Tai Chi
- Daily Meditation
- Essential Oils
- Self-Massage
- Deep Breathing
- Visualization
Now, the first time you try one of these techniques, it may not work for you, but through practice and repetition you’ll better train your mind and body to relax and find one you love. Then you can, and should, perform these techniques at any time of the day that you find yourself overly tense or just need a pick-me-up. For myself, I benefit most from my relaxation routine first thing in the morning – it gives my motivation a boost, or right before I go to bed to help clear my mind and relax my muscles. However, you can benefit from relaxing and meditating anytime during the day that you have a few minutes, such as following exercise or even on your lunch break.
Know Yourself
How do you know which relaxation technique will work best work for you? Besides trial and error, understanding your personality and how you react to stress will best help you identify the outlet that will be most effective. Do you become agitated? If so, try a relaxation technique that calms you down like deep breathing. Are you more apt to become depressed? If withdrawn and depression sounds more your style, seek an outlet that energizes you and get’s you going, such as exercise. Maybe you are one to let your mind go crazy while you stop being productive on the outside; in that case, you have a harder challenge of finding a technique that helps you feel secure while stimulating you so you can get back up and go. If you aren’t sure quite how you respond to stress, fall back on trial and error until you find one or two that keep you free from stress and motivated to keep on going.
What Do You Think?
What are your favorite relaxation exercises, techniques, or essential oils to use when you’re stressed or just needing to unwind?
About Author : Randi Upshaw loves health and fitness, and sharing her knowledge while learning from others; she is currently a contributing author for Home Gym Review.
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