Stress can be much more dangerous than you think. It can make it harder for you to control your emotions, and therefore affect your social relationships. Excessive stress can also tamper with your immune system, and therefore promote diseases. It can trigger heart disease and lead to long-term disabilities.
Stress can make you look older than you are and can negatively impact your teeth and gums if you tend to grind your teeth whenever you feel stressed. Stress, in many cases, can threaten your life and will surely put the quality of your life in jeopardy.
Here are 6 ways in which you can escape your stressful daily life and relax.
1. Exercise and Physical Activity
The majority of people are only aware of the physical and health benefits of exercise. While exercise can help you control your weight, reduce the risk of development of several health issues, including heart disease, and even help you improve the quality of your sleep, exercise can also serve as a temporary escape from all the stressors in your life. Daily and consistent exercise can help you keep your body and mind relaxed. It can also help you improve your mood drastically. Physical activity, in general, can help you manage your emotions. If you feel overwhelmed, going for a walk will subside your negative emotions.
2. Release the Tension
We tend to hold a lot of tension in our bodies, especially when we are stressed. When we work on releasing this tension, it is almost like we are telling our bodies that it’s okay to let go. Relax your eyebrows, unclench your jaw, release your shoulders, and let your tongue sit comfortably in your mouth. Notice if you are retaining any stress in your body and make sure to release it all. The tension in our minds and the tension in our bodies both feed on each other. Relaxing one can trick the other into mitigating.
3. Relax Your Muscles
Our muscles also automatically get tense whenever we feel stressed. Loosening them up can help us feel refreshed and at ease. The sauna therapists at mysaunaworld.com suggest that you can take the edge off your muscles by visiting a sauna or taking a hot bath or shower. You can also try stretching and doing different yoga poses. You will find many “yoga for relaxation” videos for beginners available online. If you haven’t been getting enough sleep, making sure that you get a good night’s sleep can also help. If you live with your family or roommates, ask them not to disturb you. Make sure to stay away from electronics before you go to bed.
4. Practice Deep Breathing
Sometimes, the pressure gets extremely unbearable to the point where you need to stop right in your tracks. When this happens, make sure to take a few deep breaths. Before you know it, you will feel much better right after you’ve mastered deep breathing. There are only five steps that you need to follow so that you can relax immediately. Sit yourself down in a comfortable position. Keep your hands in your lap and make sure that you can feel your feet touching the floor. Close your eyes and then start imagining yourself in a peaceful place.
Whether it is the sea or an open field, think of a place that would make you feel relaxed. Start to take slow and deep breaths in and out. You can do this for five to ten minutes at a time, depending on what it would take for you to feel relaxed.
5. Eat Well
Stress can severely impact our eating patterns. Whenever we feel stressed, we either eat too little or too much. Eating regular meals and maintaining a balanced diet can help you feel better overall. According to WebMD, the food that we eat can also affect our moods. Make sure that your diet consists of fruits, whole grains, proteins, and vegetables.
6. Hobby Time
Setting time aside to practice the things that you enjoy can help alleviate stress symptoms. Allocating as little as 15 or 20 minutes for practicing your hobbies can make all the difference. Reading, painting, knitting, and completing puzzles are all considered relaxing activities. You can even watch a movie, listen to music, pray, or spend some time in nature. You should do whatever makes you good and brings you inner peace.
The world that we live in is getting extremely fast-paced. It is getting harder and harder to stay relaxed and avoid feeling overwhelmed. Unwinding and destressing can seem impossible, especially when you can barely make time for yourself. However, taking care of yourself and ensuring that you stay mentally and physically healthy is vital.