We may, as a society, have forgotten how to relax, yet actually, learning how to unwind is more essential than ever. With long working hours, rising bills, and general world chaos continually playing on our minds. Carving out a space in which we are free to let our minds and bodies take a breather is key to maintaining positive mental wellbeing.
Researchers have gotten pretty good at figuring out how humans can relax. It’s just up to us to actually put them into practice. Happily, they’re usually things that we can all do, and many of them require only minimal amounts of time/effort/money.
With that in mind, we thought it’d be a good idea to round up some of the best, most effective relaxation strategies. Give these a try, and we’re confident you’ll be more relaxed than ever.
Stop Doomscrolling
Your phone might be the most brilliant piece of technology ever created, but you probably wouldn’t call it relaxing. While it can promote relaxation in non-direct ways (such as playing relaxing music), engaging with your smartphone directly will keep you in a state of alertness that makes true relaxation impossible. Throw in the fact that many of us spend our screentime doomscrolling through social media, and it becomes pretty easy to make a case for putting the phone down for periods of the day. We’d recommend avoiding screentime in the couple of hours before bed, since this will have the knock-on effect of making it easier to fall — and stay — asleep.
Breathwork and Meditation
Breathwork and meditation are two powerful relaxation tools that are free to do, require only small amounts of time and effort, and provide benefits that stretch beyond relaxation. They’ll both work individually, but the relaxation effects are heightened if you put the two together. If you’re only interested in trying one, then we’d say breathwork. Its effect on the nervous system is immediate; you’ll feel significantly calmer following a fifteen-minute session.
Calming Products
What you put into your body can have a big impact on your nervous system and how relaxed/stressed you feel. Caffeine and alcohol, for example, can elevate the heart rate and mimic anxiety, which is essentially the opposite of feeling relaxed. They’ll also make it more difficult to fall asleep. It’s best to avoid those products. Replace them with ones that noted for having relaxation properties. CBD and THC products are commonly linked with relaxation. Butit’s best to look up the legality of Delta 9 THC and other popular THC/CBD products before taking that route. Some teas, such as peppermint, chamomile, and lavender, are known to have anti-anxiety properties. Drink that with calming jasmine, pine, or sandalwood incense in the air, and you’re almost guaranteed to feel more relaxed than you did before.
Exercise the Stress Away
One of the reasons why people are more stressed than ever is that, as a species, we’re more sedentary than we were in the past. Many people drive to work, sit in a cubicle all day, drive home, and then spend the evening on the couch. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it does mean that you’re not giving your body the opportunity to expel any anxiety or tension it’s holding. Exercise can be brilliant for mental well-being. You’ll nearly always find that you feel significantly happier and more relaxed after you’ve spent thirty minutes or more working up a sweat on an exercise machine. Make it a routine part of your schedule, and it won’t be long before you notice the benefits.
Go Into Nature on a Regular Basis
The amount of time we spend in urban environments is another side effect of modern life that impacts our relaxation levels. The city can be fun and all the rest. But the loud noises and bright lights are anything but calming. Studies have shown that spending time in nature can have a profoundly positive impact on an individual’s anxiety levels. Plus, going on an adventure in the great outdoors also often provides a physical workout. It’s also fun and essentially free, so why not? You’ll get the benefit from spending time outdoors even if you’re only there for 15 minutes or so. Yet, for the biggest impact, look at spending as much time as possible in the great outdoors. A weekend trip, for example, can do wonders for boosting relaxation. You’ll also find that the effect sticks with you long after you’ve returned home to civilization.
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