Stress, no matter how small and minor, can seriously wipe out from 10% to 50% of the natural immune cells (T Cells) that flow through your body. But relaxation can actually repair the body and the mind. By learning to relax and unwind you can accomplish much more, live even longer, and just be just a plain happier person. The following are proven ways to bring extra relaxation into your life by helping you to be healthier and more productive. By developing different abilities and using stress-relieving gadgets to relax into the present moment you can easily do what needs to be done.
Breathe Deeply
Take a 5-minute break and focus just on your breathing. Sit up straight, close your eyes, put a hand on your belly. Slowly and deeply inhale through your nose and feel the breath start in your stomach and work its way to the top of your head. Reverse the process as you exhale through your mouth.
Be Present
You need to just slow down. “Take 5 minutes and focus on only one behavior with awareness. Just notice how the fresh air feels on your face while you are walking and then feel how your feet feel hitting the ground. Enjoy the textures and tastes of each bite of food. When you spend time in the moment and focus on your senses, you should feel less tense.
Reach Out
Your social network is a great tool for handling all kinds of stress. Talk to others daily and it is preferable to do it face to face, or at the very least on the phone. Share what’s going on in your life. Share your concerns, fears, and hopes. Ask for feedback. You can get a fresh perspective while keeping your connection strong
Meditate
Just a few minutes of practice each day can greatly help ease anxiety. Research suggests that daily meditation may alter the brain’s neural pathways, making you more resilient to stress. It’s simple. Sit up straight with both feet on the floor. Then close your eyes Focus all of your attention by reciting either out loud or silently in your head a positive mantra such as “I feel totally at peace” or “I love myself.” or” I am smart” or “I am strong” Then gently place one hand on your stomach to get the mantra synched with each breath. Let any distracting thoughts leave and keep focusing.
Tune In to Your Body
Mentally take a scan of your body to get a good sense of how stress affects it each day. Just lie on your back, or you can sit with your feet on the floor. Start at your toes and slowly work your way up to your scalp, intently noticing how your body feels.
Decompress
Place a warm heat wrap or heating pad around your neck and shoulders for 10 minutes. Close your eyes and completely relax your face, neck, upper chest, and back muscles. Remove the wrap or heating pad and use a tennis ball or foam roller massager to massage away tension. You should place the ball between your back and the wall. Gently but firmly lean into the ball, and hold with gentle pressure for up to 30 seconds. Then move the ball to another spot on the back, and again reapply pressure.
Laugh Out Loud Regularly
A good deep, healthy belly laugh doesn’t just lighten the load on the mind mentally. It lowers a chemical in your body called cortisol which is your body’s stress hormone and boosts brain chemicals called endorphins which are feel-good hormones and this will help your mood greatly. You can lighten things up by watching your favorite t.v show or video or chatting with someone who makes you smile and feel at peace.
Get Moving
You don’t have to be a serious runner in order to get the famous runner’s high. All forms of exercise, including yoga, stretching and walking, can gently ease depression and help with anxiety by helping the brain release the feel-good chemicals and hormones and by giving your body a chance to practice dealing with all different kinds of stress. You can go for a quick walk around the block, take the stairs and go up and down a few times, or do stretching exercises with things like head rolls and shoulder shrugs. Any amount is helpful than none of all.
Give your body the rest and relaxation it needs and deserves by following the different ideas above. Even small amounts of stress reduction have great benefits for the body. Give yourself a break and relax and unwind.