In the modern era of balancing work, social commitments and personal time it can seem like you’re trying to keep too many plates spinning. Life can be a complicated, convoluted and stressful experience if you don’t take time to indulge and relax yourself. Here are the best ways to gain some inner Zen and eliminate stress from your life.
Exercise
While hitting the gym can be a point of anxiety for many, it’s also a fantastic way to help reduce stress levels and improve your overall wellbeing. If the gym is not your thing, consider some home workouts such as calisthenics or yoga. 20 minutes of exercise a day will help release endorphins which boost your mood and help melt away stress.
‘I really regret that workout’ – said no one, ever.
Take a holiday
Escaping your routine to travel is a fantastic way to broaden your mind and horizons. However, many of us can’t just escape our lives to head off backpacking through Southeast Asia to find ourselves. Instead, consider taking a relaxing beach holiday or even just a long weekend to drive somewhere you’ve never been before. Book a last minute hotel or hostel and experience a new area. Mini-breaks will refresh and reinvigorate you.
Indulge
Treating yourself can be a fantastic way to boost your mood and relax. Heading away to a spa weekend or leisure break can help completely relax your mind and body in time for the week ahead. Even a small shopping trip can be therapeutic, but ensure you spend within your means to avoid any post-buying guilt.
At a micro level, you can always visit a local masseuse for a massage. A Journal of Clinical Nursing study found that staff in a hospital’s stress levels dropped from 65% to 8% if they received a 15 minute massage whilst listening to music.
Meditate
Meditation isn’t reserved for Buddhist monks and other new-age types. Instead, it’s a practice that can help anyone remove stress form their lives and help reduce anxiety levels. In essence, all you have to do to meditate is to sit comfortably in an area devoid of distraction, close your eyes and focus on slow breathing. Then just concentrate on one picture in your mind for 10 minutes. Try picturing yourself on a calm beach and let your stress melt away.
Listen to music
Surprisingly, listening to music is one of the simplest and easiest ways to distress. Classical music can soothe your heart rate, lower blood pressure and decrease stress hormones. This carries to any music that you identify with, so crank up your favourite tunes on your commute home to remove you from any work or study related stress and put you in a good mood.
Follow these simple tips to keep your mind away from stress, anxiety and worry. Being mindful of the here and now can help you be happy without fretting over what might happen.
Sophia
