Feeling stressed and need to slow things down? Try our relaxation tips.
Life can be stressful. Whether it’s work, our personal lives or current events, a plethora of things can make us feel stressed. Stress in itself is not necessarily a bad thing; in fact a small dose of stress can help motivate us to be productive in our work and personal lives and to complete tasks. However, stress becomes a problem when we experience it to a large degree and for an extended period of time.
So it is really important, no matter how busy your life gets, to find time to unwind and relax. It should be noted, however, that whilst relaxing can help to alleviate stress, it isn’t a cure for stress problems or their causes.
Therefore this article focuses on ways to relax, rather than focusing on stress relief. Check out our article “Stress relief” for tips and advice on how to deal with stress.
Before going on to discuss how to relax, it is important to first discuss what relaxation is and its value. Relaxation is an emotional state in which we experience low tension, where we feel little anger, anxiety or fear. Though relaxation doesn’t treat the causes of stress, regular relaxation helps up cope with it better.
There are a wide variety of ways to relax, and the way you relax will vary greatly depending on your interests and hobbies. Here are some ideas:
- Take a break. Have some time for yourself, read a book, watch some television or a film. Sometimes it’s good to give our minds a break from all our regular day-to-day thoughts and focus on something else.
- Start a creative pursuit. Try painting or collaging. Creative activities enable us to express ourselves and explore our feelings, helping us to relax and feel calm.
- Get out into nature. Time spent outside in nature is beneficial to both our physical and mental health.
- Breathing exercises can also help us to relax. Breathing exercises can be used in combination with mindfulness, a technique that helps you focus on the present moment. Check out Mind’s page on mindfulness and its video “Breathing” for a breathing exercise guide.
- Find and start a new interest or hobby. Relaxing hobbies and interests are a great way to practise mindfulness and unwind.
- Start a journal and get writing. Journals, and writing in general, can be a great way to express ourselves and relieve emotions, in turn making us feel more relaxed.
- Disconnect from media and technology. Whilst technology and media are a great way to keep in contact with people and keep up to date with current events, they can also make us feel stressed. Taking a break can help us to disconnect and relax our minds.
- Get out and do some gentle and low-intensity exercise. Gentle and low-intensity exercise, such as walking and yoga, can help us relax.
There are many more ways to relax, keep exploring different ways along your journey towards good mental wellbeing.
Please don’t suffer alone. Reach out to the organisations on this website if you are struggling. You can find local sources of support for your mental health here.
