The best relaxation methods for stress reliefThe best relaxation methods for stress relief
We could all do with a little, or a lot, less stress in our lives and integrating one or more of these relaxation techniques into your everyday routine could provide you with just that.
In order to effectively tackle your inner stress, you need to trigger your body’s natural relaxation response. There are a number of ways to stimulate this response and we will be looking at a few of them in this article.
Unfortunately, many of the ways that us humans like to ‘relax’ such as scrolling on our phones or lounging around watching telly do very little to counter the underlying symptoms of stress, and could even be making the situation much worse.
Instead, you need to find a way to switch off your mind, rather than overstimulating it, helping to slow your breathing, lower your blood pressure, and clear away invasive thoughts.
Here are some of the best ways to do just that.
Use a sauna or steam room
Where better to sit and clear your head than the steaming heat of a sauna? There is a reason that spa retreats make saunas such a big part of their experience and why so many people report feeling refreshed and rejuvenated once they leave.
Most people know that a sauna helps you to relax but don’t actually know the answer to the question ‘what does the sauna do that helps you to relax?’ The answer is that the heat of a sauna helps your muscles to relax, not only in your body but in your face and neck as well.
Tension in these muscles can make it hard to relax so releasing it is key to effective relaxation.
Take up Yoga
Yoga is widely regarded as the best way to relax the body and can help your mind just as much.
Yoga combines body movement and poses with deep breathing and boosts your flexibility and stamina whilst reducing anxiety.
Body Scan
Body scan is a method of progressive muscle relaxation that uses deep breathing to gradually reduce tension in each part of the body. Focussing on each set of muscles in turn, a body scan will help boost your self awareness and connect your body and mind like never before.
Meditation
The ultimate relaxation technique, many people think that meditation involves clearing the mind completely and thinking of nothing at all.
This isn’t quite the case, however. Meditation revolves around the concept of focussing your mind on the present, rather than the future or the past avoiding the worries and concerns that are causing your stress.
Prayer
Certainly not for everyone but if you are a religious person, or simply think it might help your spiritually, praying can be a good way to share your concerns and focus your breathe.
There are people across the globe who swear by all these techniques as stress reliving tools but they don’t work for everyone. Rather than trying one and giving up straight away, why not give them all a try and see which one works best for you.