When we think of relaxation, most people would say that they are looking for a state of peace and stillness. However, this is not always the case. What really counts as relaxation? There are many different ways to relax, it’s important to figure out what your ideal way is before you spend money on something like a massage or spa day. A lot of people find that taking time at home alone with their pet can be very relaxing. Other people might need more social interaction in order to truly feel relaxed; these individuals may find themselves feeling better after spending an evening chatting with friends over dinner or having coffee with a friend in the morning. No matter how you prefer to relax (and there isn’t necessarily just one answer), achieving total relaxation is an important part of living a healthy and happy life.
When we are stressed or anxious, the body produces hormones like adrenaline that can have negative effects on our health. Relaxation techniques can help reduce these harmful hormones and provide relief from stress. The best ways or methods of relaxation are whatever is the most effective and makes you feel better in your own unique way. What one person finds relaxing may not be what another person does, so it’s always good to experiment with different things until you find the right fit for your needs!
It might seem surprising at first (especially if stress has been taking over your life), but all forms of relaxation come down to being still. It doesn’t matter how many other activities or hobbies an individual engages in; when they’re truly relaxed, their body will finally stop moving and relax into absolute peace and stillness after a long day spent trying to do everything.
Allow yourself to be fully “off”
We are always on, always moving, always doing something. It’s hard for the majority of people to give themselves permission to flip the switch off and have a day for themselves not worrying about obligations or work email. How many times have you been sitting at a dinner with friends or grabbing drinks and all of a sudden you think about what you “should” be doing instead or you think about a work issue during your personal time? It throws off your entire night and distracts you from what is meant to be distracting you from stressors.
Be fully at work or be fully in the moment that you are living in, living and working at a percentage of the effort you should be will just end up feeling like wasted time. The first thing I would recommend to do is acknowledge when something like that happens. It’s hard to fully remove yourself from invasive stressful thoughts so we’ll work one step at a time towards it. Recognize that a work thought popped in your head and tell yourself that you will address it at a later date. Make sure your mind is aware that this isn’t the time for it, that you have flipped your switch off and this is you time that may not be disrupted and get back to what you were enjoying… you deserve it, I promise!
Meditate
Meditation looks easy, right? All you do is sit there and breathe, how hard can it be? Well, if you’ve ever tried to actually meditate you know that it is certainly not as easy as it looks. Our brains go at a million miles per minute and it doesn’t help that we are pretty much attached at the hip to our electronic devices. Sitting still, quietly with your thoughts is terrifying for most people and makes it super hard to get into a real state of meditation and relaxation. We are constantly going, thinking about new things, thinking about something better we can be doing with our time and although meditating doesn’t feel in the moment like the best use of your time this practice of slowing down is one of the best things you can do for yourself.
There are a few things I’ve learned as I’ve gotten deeper into my yoga practice but I’m definitely not perfect either. Sometimes before we start our practice we sit with our legs crossed in meditation for a good 10-15 minutes and sometimes it flys by but I have bad days too, we all do. I will sit there dripping sweat, thirsty and I’ll think about what I want to make for dinner or how hot it is in that room or how my back is hurting and these are the thoughts we need to overcome through meditation. My favorite yoga instructor did a seminar on meditation and recommended that you think of one word while attempting to meditate. I now think of the word green and visualize a forest, I say it over and over and over until all the other thoughts that were overcoming me are silenced and all I can think about is walking through a lush green forest. It’s pretty incredible learning to control your mind.
Spend time in nature
I am a big fan of sitting in nature to unwind whether it’s by the beach listening to the waves lapping, in a botanical garden taking in the fresh air watching the leaves blow in the gentle breeze or anywhere that you prefer. The rhythmic movement and the gentle sounds provided by mother earth are some of the most incredible things to spend your time around. A lot of people will go to a spa to relax and listen to wave sounds, totally fine, but have you tried sitting on the beach, sipping coffee, watching the sun rise? It’s pretty incredible and the nice part is, no two days are the same, nature will never bore you.
The simplistic, stress free life that everything in nature lives is the most amazing thing you can surround yourself with. Watch squirrels be squirrels and think about how literally all they do all day is look for something to eat (same) or something to mate with (same). It’s really fun to watch wild things in their natural habitat and it’ll teach you awareness and give you a whole new perspective to life.
Self Care
Give yourself a self care day or two or three. Self care doesn’t have to look the same for you as it does for other people, if your self care is wallowing in your bed with a pint of ice cream then damnit do that!! Whatever makes you feel good and relaxed. Maybe you like to box and after you box you find that you can actually sit in stillness and be relaxed. Whatever self care looks like to you, indulge in it and allow yourself to enter a state of relaxation, forget about your worries (they probably won’t even happen anyways).
From bathtubs to boxing rings no two self care routines are identical so I can’t give you much advice on what is “right or wrong” because there is no such thing. It will take some experimenting for you to find what’s right but once you find it, even if it’s something totally out of the ordinary, do it! Who cares, do what you love and do what feels good and be so incredibly unapologetic for it!
