Stress is part of life. Every day we come across various factors that cause stress: waking up early in the morning to go to school or work; traffic blues; a load of tasks to accomplish; and many more. At the end of the day, we feel drained and exhausted.
Simply lying on the bed can aid in resting your body, but it doesn’t actually produce a relaxation response that can bring the systems of your body to its optimal balance and functioning. The necessary relaxation techniques are those that allow you to focus and induce an activity on your brain to relax every muscle. Consider doing the following tips:
· When everything seems muddled in your mind, go to a quiet place. There you can clear your mind, allowing it to focus on relaxing the muscles of your body and relieve stress.
· Try to clean up your environment – may it be at home or office. A neat surrounding can assume a comfortable position when doing various relaxation techniques. This assists you to maintain a concentration during meditation and prevents your muscles from feeling tense. As much as possible, spare even an hour each day for a relaxation session.
· Be organized! Write down important dates of meetings, parties, or deadlines. You must always keep track of these days or things you need to accomplish to help relieve stress.
· Perform deep breathing exercises. Among the various relaxation techniques, this is the easiest yet truly effective. What’s good is that you can use it anywhere you are! One technique in deep breathing is to use your diaphragm. Your abdomen must expand when you inhale deeply and fall when you exhale. Do it repetitively and after a few times of deep breathing, you’ll certainly feel a sense of calmness.
· Give attention to what is currently happening and on how you are feeling right at the moment. Oftentimes you think of what would or might happen in the future. This can greatly stress you out so you better avoid it.
· Maintain a focal point – something significant that you can repeat to yourself throughout the meditation. When something distracts you from your focused thoughts, avoid struggling over them. Instead accept these distracters and gently go back to your focal point.
· Use your imagination to wash your worries and anxieties away. Visualization or guided imagery combines deep breathing and meditation. Envision yourself exploring a serene place, smelling the fragrant flowers, and feeling the breeze. This is best with accompaniment of nature sounds, such as flowing water and birds chirping.
· Do yoga! Aside from decreasing stress, it also aids in perking up your balance, flexibility and endurance.
· Start doing the relaxation techniques in a short period of time, probably at least 3 to 5 minutes. As you practice more and more, you can increase the length of time you engage in relaxation sessions.
· Practice and practice. The relaxation techniques are not really done effortlessly. Instead they must be practiced for proper implementation.
· Keep a positive attitude! Always tell yourself, “I can do this!” or “I can survive this day.” When you think positive, you’ll definitely be able to establish a positive environment as well.
· Listen to music. Many people have their bodies and minds relaxed when listening to mellow sounds or anything that pacifies them. It is a good stress management technique.
· Limit intake of caffeinated drinks and chocolates. These include coffee, soft drinks, and tea. They are stimulants and can augment to stress. Increase water intake or fruit juice instead.
Performing the relaxation techniques is an effective stress management. When you’re free from stress, you’d also have a longer life. You can avoid stress-related diseases, such as hypertension, ulcer, cancer, and other cardiovascular diseases. Mull over the tips stated above and have your mind and body coordinated for a better well-being.
