You know when you are in a fit of anger, breaking out in hives, are hyperventilating and someone says just relax, and you want to punch that moronic smirk off their face as if you wanted to be this stressed? Well, this article is not about the smug outlook of relaxation, but about stress management tips by employing relaxation techniques, always.
Just like you will not build muscle by lifting weights one day, you can expect relaxation techniques to deal with years of chronic stress in one go. Hence, it is important that you take relaxation techniques as a process. Allow them to run their due course before asking why you are not relaxed.
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Some relaxations techniques to add to your daily routine for effective stress management include:
Visualization
Visualization is a powerful tool for not only goal setting but stress management as well. The basic principle is to envision a place where you would like to be. Thinking of these happy places and involving all your sensory abilities to form powerful imageries help in relaxing your mind and thus the body.
Gratitude
While you may not realize the impact of gratitude right away, it is great for improved well-being. The practice of gratitude makes you cognizant of all that you have, so you become less stressed about all that you do not have. It also helps in improving mood, making people content and less aggressive.
Breathing exercises
Breathing exercises are great for stress management and relaxation. Just as when you are stressed, your breathing becomes erratic, fast, and shallow, similarly, by deep breathing, you can signal your body into relaxing.
The idea is to sit comfortably, take a deep breath in, hold for a few, and exhale slowly. Throughout this process, detach from your mind. Let the thoughts come as they may, you will not react to them.
However, do not do breathing exercises if you have a health condition that can be exacerbated by them.
Yoga
Yoga is not just a great exercise, but an excellent way to manage stress as well. Since it involves physical exertion, it helps in the release of endorphins that improve mood. Exercise also helps in lowering stress hormone levels.
Furthermore, yoga focuses a lot on breathing, silencing the noise in the mind, and mental health. Therefore, it helps in improving the symptoms of stress.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a word that you must have caught on many wellness channels, and yes, it is as useful as they make it out to be. The core idea of mindfulness is being present in the moment and not getting swayed by our thoughts. When you are more present, you do not fixate on past mistakes or fret about the future, thereby curbing stress levels. To practice mindfulness, sit in a comfortable spot. Take a deep breath in and focus on how your breath travels through your body. Do not pay much heed to your thoughts, just observe them from afar as you occupy your attention by being in the present. Mindfulness is not just one of the more effective stress management strategies, but it also is helpful for dealing with anxiety and depression as well.
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