I’m not sure about you, but I believe learning how to de-stress should not be so stressful. But, let’s face it. You probably have a lot on your plate and are just trying to make it day-by-day. Managing your day-to-day life, your career, trying to be present for your spouse and significant other along with your children can break down the strongest person.
READ: 5 Ways To Beat the ‘Stress Hormone’ For Weight Loss
If you feel like you are running mad and trying to keep it together, use one of these techniques now to relax:
1. Close those eyes and meditate for 5 to 15 minutes a day. Your mind is your most powerful asset in managing your stress levels. Learning to shut down or quiet your thoughts can make a huge difference in how you tolerate and handle your stress levels. According to a psychologist Robbie Maller Hartman, Ph.D., “Research has shown that meditation may alter your brain’s neural pathways and help to make you more resilient to stress.” When you are stressing out, try this meditation technique. Close your eyes. Focus on repeating a positive affirmation or mantra. And let go of those thoughts that are stressing you out.
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2. Take a deep breath. If you are stuck in traffic, dealing with a difficult situation at work or home, take a moment and take a deep breath. Do this for 5 minutes. Inhale through your nose slowly and feel the breath in your abdomen and let this breathing work its way all to the top of your head. Reverse this same process and exhale through your mouth. Taking a deep breath will help you to calm your mind and your nerves.
3. Talk it out. If you are having a hard time dealing with a particular situation that is putting you on edge, find someone in your circle you trust and discuss it with him or her. Try to do so face to face or on the phone. In doing so, you get a fresh perspective and get the thoughts that are consuming you out in the open where you can deal with them. Holding things in can be more harmful. Getting them out allows you to get another perspective and move forward. You can also talk to yourself by writing in a journal.
READ: 11 Natural Remedies For Anxiety
4. Slow down. We are often moving at 100 miles per hour to get everything done. Accept that there will always be more to do and you will never completely get through your list of things to do. Slow down. Practice self-awareness about what you are doing at a particular moment. Focus on one thing at a time. Enjoy the nature that is around you. Pay attention to the textures of the food you are eating and enjoy each and every bite. In other words, take the time to smell the roses.
5. Warm up. If your muscles, neck and shoulders are tense, use a heat wrap on them for about 10 minutes. Close your eyes. Relax your tensed muscles. Heat releases tension and loosens up tightened muscles. Massage the muscles while the areas affected by stress are less tight and warm.
6. Watch some comedy or just laugh out loud. Whenever I am overthinking, or I just need to decompress, I look at a light comedy show that I know will make me laugh. Usually, I feel better afterward. When you laugh, it lowers your cortisol levels which are your body’s stress hormone. Laughing increases your endorphins which help to improve your mood. A little comedy, being around someone who makes you laugh, or just looking for the humor even in tough situations can help you to lighten up.
You deserve to relax and as you can see it takes as little as 5 minutes to de-stress. Taking advantage of these relaxation techniques can help you relieve your stress and feel better at the same time.
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