5 Quick and Easy Ways to Relax
- Caroline S
- Nov 2, 2018
- 3 min read
In today's world relaxing is difficult... yet alone finding TIME to relax. I have put together the QUICK and EASY ways I relax each day to help keep the stress of a busy schedule away. Relaxation is key to a healthy body, mind, and heart. I assure that you'll notice a big difference once you put any/some/all of these into practice!
1) Essential Oils
Whether you use a roller or diffuser, essential oils are one of the best ways to relax. The smell of certain scents activate your limbic system, which controls your emotions. While more studies are needed for full proof, these oils can help ease anxiety, mental health problems, promote relaxation, fight sickness, and improve headaches. You can look up or try out in stores (like Hyvee) what essential oils work best for you. For sleep and relaxation, I find that I like lavender. For clarity and stress relief, I like orange and chamomile. Lastly, for focus and headache relief, I use peppermint. My favorite roller is from Hyvee, and I apply it under my nose and on my wrists anytime I am feeling stressed. I also use a diffuser sometimes before bed with lavender oil to promote sleep. These are both very simple and small ways to relax throughout your day, whenever you need it. I recommend that you read warnings on bottles before using though, because some require dilution before use.
2) Meditation
Through an app called Breathe (described in my Phone Apps You NEED blog post), you can complete short meditations each day. Meditation does not have to be the classic "ommm" definiton, it is actually just thinking through things, relaxing, and being present in the moment. There are all kinds of meditation, which you can look up on Breathe or YouTube, and they can be anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour of your day. Meditation is wonderful for getting connected to the real world now, and not the stress of the future. I recommend doing it before bed, before your day begins, or during lunch to refocus. Praying, no matter your religion, is a form of meditation, and is something I also highly recommend for relaxation.
3) Yoga
Another app I enjoy is called Daily Yoga. It provides all types of yoga for certain things you may need, like for beginners or to improve low back pain. You don't have to use this; just like meditation, there are lots of ways to access it, for example YouTube or social media. Also just like meditation, it can be just as short or just as long as you want. Yoga connects your mind to your body, you can burn calories, and it will reduce stiffness in your muscles and joints. It is a great morning and/or nighttime ritual to ease your body.
4) Deep Breathing
Deep breathing has a variety of great benefits. If you have an fitness watch, you can do daily guided practices of deep breathing. Even if you don't, you can find phone apps or can even set reminders on your phone to breathe. The great thing about this practice is you don't have to stop what you're currently doing. Deep breathing is a great practice to ease anxiety, heart rate, and become in tune with your body and surroundings.
5) Gratitude
Lastly, but not any less important, is gratitude. You can practice gratitude throughout your day, by appreciating each blessing as it comes, you can practice gratitude at the end of each day by picking out 5 things that day you appreciated, or you can practice it by listing all the blessings you have in your life whenever works best for you. Gratitude is good for so many reasons, but for stress, it brings you to all the good things you have going for you, and it puts you back in reality.
Practice any of these that seems to work for you. It is important for your health and your mental health to bring your stress down in such a fast paced world. Good luck!
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