Do you feel stressed or unhappy? Do you really need to calm down? Training your mind to relax will help you feel refreshed and refreshed at all times. Once you have identified the most suitable methods for your person, practice them frequently. In a short time you will be able to relax easily and faster, using some of the ideas proposed in this article.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Meditation
Step 1. Do some deep breathing exercises
While the idea may seem commonplace to you, breathing exercises work wonderfully on relaxing the mind. Practice daily and in times of intense stress to help relieve anxiety.
- Close your mouth and inhale deeply through your nose. Try to take the time for this inhalation and make it last for four seconds. Hold your breath for seven seconds, then exhale for eight seconds. Repeat the exercise four times.
- If you have trouble slowing your breathing that much, start at a faster pace and gradually reduce it with practice.
- Feel free to change the duration of each inhalation and exhalation, but make sure the exhalation lasts twice as long as the inhale. Pause between breaths.
Step 2. Practice meditation or happy meditative prayer
They will help you clear your mind by focusing on a specific thought, place, color, word or object, or more simply by focusing on your breath. To meditate, sit comfortably and think (or pray) about something specific. It may take over ten minutes to be able to completely clear your mind, don't worry, it's normal.
- During meditation you can also decide to lie down; keep your eyes closed however, it will help you focus mentally and spiritually.
- It is normal for restless thoughts to enter your meditation practice. Try your best to ignore them by voluntarily focusing on a specific topic. Direct your thoughts of gratitude or prayers to a subject of your choice.
- Use guided imagery to help clear your mind. Imagine a place, real or fictional, where you can feel at peace and free of tension. Focus and visualize that you are in that place, focus on the details related to the environment and your feelings.
- Meditate for as long as you like, but rest for at least ten minutes after clearing your mind. Concentration and your stress level will greatly benefit.
- Listen to some relaxing music or sounds or songs that contain positive messages (such as: "I just feel like something good is about to happen. I just feel like something good is on its way …"), they will help you concentrate better during your meditation. Do everything you can to make you feel good and comfortable.
- Meditation has been shown to have beneficial health effects in addition to the ability to relax the mind, for example lowering blood pressure and reducing cholesterol and high blood sugar levels.
Step 3. Learn your visualization skills
As in guided imagery, where you imagine a quiet place during meditative practice, visualize the scenario in your mind for the desired time, but focus all your thoughts and energies on visualizing your place of peace in your mind.
Step 4. Relax your muscles progressively
In this process you will need to stretch and then relax each of the muscles in your body. Relaxing your muscles after tensing them alters your mental state, and helps your mind achieve the same relaxed state of the body.
- Start tensing the muscles of your face, one after the other. Frown, eyebrows, tense jaws. Then allow each muscle to relax completely.
- When you are done with your face, move along your body downwards, until you do the process with each of your muscles.
- Keep each of the muscles taut for 5 - 10 seconds before relaxing, to get the most benefit from the exercise.
Method 2 of 4: Healthy Habits
Step 1. Practice yoga
Yoga is a low-impact stretching and workout that helps you relax the muscles in your body. By having to concentrate on the position you are performing, your mind has no way of thinking about its worries and consequently reaches a state of stillness.
- It is advisable to start yoga by taking a class. Yoga classes are created for the purpose of inducing a state of mental relaxation in the participants, although many people may be present. Find out and find a teacher near you or join yoga classes offered at gyms.
- Hatha yoga is the yoga style behind the discipline and is great for relaxing. Learn those hatha yoga poses that you can do on your own at home.
- If you suffer from physical conditions such as a herniated disc and osteoporosis or are at risk of blood clots, avoid yoga.
Step 2. Drink lots of water
Water allows you to have a well hydrated and toxin-free body, thus promoting better mental focus. Drinking plenty of water therefore improves the success of other relaxation techniques.
Step 3. Eat those foods that help you relax
Certain foods help you reduce anxiety-related hormones, while simultaneously raising those responsible for creating a sense of happiness and peace.
- Foods rich in selenium help reduce anxiety and depression, and include nuts, shiitake mushrooms, tuna, cod and salmon.
- Eat those foods that are high in magnesium, such as spinach, pumpkin seeds, and halibut fish.
- Opt for those tryptophan-rich foods, as they help produce the chemical serotonin that increases happiness. Try dark chocolate, nuts, and red meats.
Step 4. Exercise moderately
Exercise is responsible for releasing endorphins, which in turn create a feeling of happiness. Try doing a little workout every day to help your mind relax after going through a busy schedule of stressful appointments.
- Work out in a quiet place or allow yourself time to be alone. If you have chosen to go to the gym, find a quiet and lonely area so as not to be distracted by what is going on around you.
- Opt for repetitive exercises that don't require your mind to participate. For example, choose swimming or running laps.
Step 5. Immerse yourself in your favorite activities
If you love cooking, reading or playing a sport, do it! Dedicating yourself to the things you love will help clear your mind of anxiety, and help release more endorphins that are responsible for happiness.
Step 6. Drink warm liquids
Hot drinks can help relieve tension and reduce stress. Choose those drinks that are free of caffeine and alcohol, both of which can stimulate anxiety and depression.
- Green tea contains some natural chemicals that help reduce stress levels. Drink it either hot or cold to enjoy its relaxing beneficial properties.
- Try drinking warm milk. This bedtime classic can help calm your restless mind because it contains high levels of tryptophan, which is responsible for increased serotonin production in the brain. Heat the milk and add some honey to pamper yourself with a soothing sweetness.
- If you choose to want to relax while sipping a coffee, choose the decaffeinated version to avoid feeling stimulated and hyperactive on the contrary.
- Avoid all high-sugar drinks, they will only over-stimulate your brain and negate your attempt to relax.
Method 3 of 4: Relaxing Activities
Step 1. Keep busy with a repetitive and mechanical activity
Doing something that requires physical work but not concentration will help relax your mind.
- Try scribbling or drawing an abstract image. You will be forced into the act of drawing, therefore unable to think about the causes of stress in your life.
- Carrying out those chores that require repetitive movements can induce a state of relaxation. For example, try picking leaves in the yard, cleaning floors, or folding dry laundry.
- If you are able to do this, you can also weave bracelets or knit.
- Avoid activities that require a lot of movement or are very demanding, they could promote increased stress rather than being able to reduce it.
Step 2. Listen to relaxing music
Even if you are a fan of rock or rap, look for slow, relaxed beats to help your mind calm down.
- Avoid heavy or loud music, otherwise it will not be easy to be able to enter a state of relaxation while listening to it. Sometimes it may be advisable to prefer instrumental pieces.
- Instead of music, you could also listen to the sounds of nature or white noises, specially developed to induce a state of relaxation in the listener. Choose the sounds of the ocean or forests, or try listening to simple white noises.
- Binaural tones are a special type of music or sound that produces high levels of alpha waves in the brain, helping you to relax. Search for a free source of binaural tones on the web or through your favorite streaming music site.
- Try listening to very repetitive pieces of music without long lyrics. Many genres of electronic music have these characteristics, such as house, trance, trap, and trip-hop music.
Step 3. Spend time with the animals
Studies have shown that people who spend time with or touching animals have lower blood pressure levels than others and are much less stressed than those who rarely have contact with the animal world.
- If you don't have a pet, you can go for a walk with a friend's or pet a neighbor's cat. A small amount of daily time spent with an animal can go a long way.
- Try animal-assisted therapies. This type of therapy helps reduce anxiety and stress levels with the help of animals. Often the animals used are horses, but dogs and cats are also a rather popular choice.
Step 4. Try aromatherapy
Pleasant fragrances will help you unwind and relax. Among the most popular beneficial fragrances we can include lavender, peppermint and eucalyptus.
- You can purchase aromatherapy oils to apply directly to the skin. Pat a small amount on the temples and inside the wrists and elbows. They are some of the hottest areas of your body, and will help spread the fragrances faster.
- Spray and home fragrances can be used to create a relaxing and pleasant environment in your bedroom. Help perfume your home with aromatherapy sprays and candles.
Step 5. Immerse yourself in a warm bath
Warm water can help you release stress-reducing endorphins, so immerse yourself in a warm bath for twenty minutes.
Method 4 of 4: Avoid Stress Factors
Step 1. Stay away from social media
Each of the social media available is a wide-ranging cause of stress, whether it's your phone or your Facebook account. Try to spend time away from these sources of stress to effectively reduce your anxiety levels.
- Turn off your phone or leave it in the car for a while so as not to be tempted to obsessively check it every few minutes.
- Leave your laptop closed and turn off your desktop computer so you won't be tempted to check your social media accounts.
- If social media is a large stressor in your life, consider ditching it completely for a while. Deactivate your online accounts for a few weeks or months, or until you are sure they are no longer a problem for you.
Step 2. Don't watch television
The TV is filled with bright colors, confusing images, and constant noises that all contribute to increased stress levels.
Step 3. Spend time alone
Often it is the people around us that are the main cause of our anxiety, so make it your goal to spend time alone with yourself.
- Take some time off from work to rest and be with yourself. Try to spend a weekend break in a nearby town or nature reserve where you can have time to think.
- If your daily schedule puts too much pressure on you, cancel schedules with friends. Before sharing your time with others, it is important to dedicate yourself to yourself.
- Find time to get away from your family. No matter how much you love her, we all need to spend time apart from our families to ensure good mental health.
Step 4. Avoid known stressors
If you know that an upcoming exam or meeting is the source of your stress, try not to get completely absorbed in the situation to prevent additional strain.
- Give yourself specific time limits and dedicate only the time necessary to these stressors, work, school, social, etc. Make a commitment to work on your homework only until 8pm, then commit to reporting your achievements and letting go of stress.
- If a certain person or activity is responsible for your anxiety, avoid it for a while. Think about why the situation is bothering you so much, and look for a solution to the problem.
Advice
- Close your eyes and listen to your breath. Choose a quiet place. Feel the air flowing in and out of your body as you inhale and exhale slowly.
- Sit in the sun, even if you are indoors. The heat and light will help improve your mood.
- Lie outside during the night and gaze at the starry sky above you.
- Lie on the ground or on a pillow and simply breathe in and out, slowly. Stay silent or listen to soft music. Recall happy moments and smile.
- Turn off the lights, light some candles and relax in a quiet environment.
- Watch a witty comedy. Your favorite comedy movie can improve your mood and distract your mind from worries, and it could help you find the way to resolve a situation.
- Eat healthily, take a bike ride, and make someone feel special every day.
- Write using the style that suits you best. You can also just write down what's on your mind. Keeping a journal can be very relaxing.
