Relax Your Mind, Rejuvenate Your Soul

Don't you wish that you could just stop time? Just for a moment to catch your breath or catch up to the thoughts racing through your mind at any given moment? If only. Life moves past us a breakneck speed and more often than not we find ourselves tripping over ourselves to keep up. Writing one "To Do" list after another and heaping the undone tasks from yesterday's list onto today's list. No wonder we often are left feeling defeated and fatigued at the end of the day. 

This is why self-care isn't a luxury; it is a necessity. We need to nourish our souls as well as our bodies. But what if you can't make it to the spa or gym? What are some simple techniques you can adopt right now to help get you through the day? We've rounded up a few that should do the trick. 

1. Hug someone. This is going to sound cheesy, but trust us it works. When you give a hug; you're getting one too. And as long as you like getting hugs, the effect is quite calming as well as relaxing. 

2. Take a walk. When you're feeling like it's all just too much; take a walk around the block or around the office if necessary. Just give your mind a moment to get clear and yourself a moment to recharge. 

3.Take a hot shower or bath and add some lavender. Either one will help relax muscles, and any break from more stressful or mundane activities is a good one worth taking! As for lavender, research suggests that it may be useful for treating anxiety, insomnia, depression, and restlessness. Beyond that, some studies even suggest that consuming lavender as a tea can help with digestive issues such as vomiting, nausea, intestinal gas, upset stomach, and abdominal swelling. As if that wasn't enough, lavender is also used to help relieve pain from headaches. 

 

4. Listen to music that relaxes you. This can be anything from classical to hip hop, but ANY kind of music that brightens your mood and gets you smiling and happy is by definition, "relaxing music."

 

5. Catch your stressors. This one sounds a bit crazy, but hear us out. If you can be mindful of the things that cause you stress (hunger, calls that need to be made, paying bills, worrying, etc.), you can find a way to stop them in their tracks before they overwhelm you. Go for a jog, catch up your favorite show on Netflix, read a book, clean the house. ANYTHING that can help calm the storm brewing from within.

6. Do a personal infrared sauna session. Infrared therapy can help relax you and calm your frazzled nerves. Sauna sessions with calming music or just quiet time alone can have a wonderful effect on your nervous system.

7. Drink some Chamomile tea. Why specifically chamomile? Because like lavender, Chamomile possesses many uses and can help with digestion and prevent nausea and cramping. Due to its anti-inflammatory nature, it also helps assuage diarrhea and bloating. Other top health benefits of this tea include the ability to boost immunity, protect the skin, lower stress levels, calm nerves, regulate sleep, and soothe menstrual cramps. 

 

In a perfect world, there would always be balance. But, we live in an imperfect world filled with complications and demands. Stress isn't just an unpleasant by-product of our daily lives; it's also a dangerous one. Paying attention to what causes you stress and learning how to employ these relaxation techniques, or any others is crucial to your physical and mental well-being.