This article was last updated on December 30, 2015
Living a stressful life has become somewhat a common occurrence, mainly for those who work nine to five jobs. The majority of the day is spent in the office, you have to sit all day, opt for different diets due to your schedule and all of these factors poorly reflect on our mood. One way of battling a stressful lifestyle is by knowing how to relax and unwind, thus the positive outweighs the negative, and we are fully charged for the upcoming working day. Here are a couple of things you can either eat, drink, or do in order to relax.
3 Efficient Ways To Relax
1. Foods and drinks to help you relax
If your stress is the main reason for angry behaviour, in other words you are prone to lash out in rage, even if it was not your primary intention, than you can try drinking green tea. Green tea contains L-Theanine, which is a substance that can relieve you of the portion of your anger. Also, if you are stressed out because you can’t sleep at night, or if you eat late at night because of stress, then you can go for some dried tart and cherries. These are filled with melatonin, so you will be able to fall asleep faster and get the rest you deserve.
In the event you need to fight depression and anxiety start your day with a spoon of honey. It is a natural antibiotic, plus it is a skin moisturizer, it reduces inflammation within the brain, and it is very healthy. For reducing anxiety, you can also go for chewing gum or eat a mango, it is juicy and it has a compound called linalool, which is a common tool for lowering stress levels.
2. Activities you should try
The most commonly prescribed activity is of course physical exercise, or yoga to be precise. After giving your muscles a nice stretch, you are much less likely to feel tense throughout an entire day. Remember to combine meditation with yoga, or simply implement it whenever you feel depressed or overwhelmed. It was proven that by meditating for twice a day and calming your thoughts can truly help you if you are struggling with depression.
Taking a long nap can really improve your mood and recharge your batteries, as long as you have a nice cushion or soft pillow. Additionally, it would be far easier to fall asleep after a relaxing steamy shower – just remember showering frequently with hot water is bad for you skin, but use it every now and then just to fall asleep easier. Furthermore, if you want your shower to truly relax you, then start using rain showerheads – you won’t have to use hands, just stand and enjoy the warm water.
Finally, if you need a fast solution to calm down, you can always try to take big breaths, close your eyes and start counting backwards. It can be really useful if you want to avoid impulsive reactions, and save yourself from regrets in the future. And this brings me to one of the best ways to relax…
3. Treatments
When it comes to treatments, a massage is usually the reigning champion in this department, so for a nice relaxing session, book a massage and make sure the masseuse is a trained professional. If you spend a lot of time typing and sitting behind a computer, then you can give yourself a hand massage. You can try the acupressure technique when you do this – use your thumb to massage the soft area between a thumb and an index finger. The whole idea is to release the tensions by improving the circulation of fluids and energy inside the body, or in this case, your hand.
This also leads to another technique call acupuncture – it involves needles and Chinese traditional techniques, but a lot of people vouched for its efficiency, even if they did not believe in chi. Also you can book a whole day at the spa – there is a massage there, a steamy room where you can lose track of time and a nice warm bath in mineral muds to rejuvenate your skin. Finally, if you are at work, and need an activity to channel your stress, go to the shop and buy a stress ball that you can squeeze.
It is amazing how a simple thing like this can help you feel relief and manage some of that piled up stress. Pets are also great for stress relief if you like animals. Be careful not to adopt or buy a pet you don’t have time to look after, since additional responsibilities can cause an opposite effect to your stress levels. Think your decisions through before you commit to any of them so as not the make the situation worse.
Avoid taking the easy way out
A lot of people justify their tendency to reach out for medication or even worse, alcohol or drugs for stress relief, with the excuse that they don’t have the time or the energy to focus on their mental health. I’m not going to go into the impact that these things can have on your health, I’m going to focus more on attitude. If you keep avoiding to learn how to deal with stress, you’re setting yourself up for a permanent problem, which is going to have a very significant and overall negative impact on your everyday life. It is going to waste your energy, mess with your focus and make you underperform in every aspect of your life.
Even when you achieve success, you are still going to feel stressed out, so make sure that you find a way to deal with it instead of finding quick fixes. Dependency can turn into an addiction, which is always bad for your mind and your body. The period of adaptation will not be effortless. You will need to keep your willpower strong, and endure some changes in your life, but it is ultimately worth your trouble. It will have a positive impact not just on your career, but also on your general quality of life.
Even if you decide to go for medication, never self-medicate, always consult a physician before starting a treatment, since the doctor can actually help you utilize the medicine to the best effect without using it as temporary relief. The medication is there to help severe victims of stress get back on their feet and start dealing with their problems.
There isn’t a single person on this planet that hasn’t experienced stress and pressure. The way we manage that stress differs a lot though, and instead of becoming destructive or self-destructive use that stress to grow and improve. If you are having a tough time, rely friends and family for support as well as understanding. Don’t things like pride stop you from reaching out in difficult times, this can be the difference between making a change in your life and regressing to old ways.
Work on your mindset and keep yourself strong, the road is going to be bumpy but the prize that awaits at the end of that road is well worth the trouble. It is a road of transformation, commitment and endurance, but it produces stronger and more stable individuals, which is ultimately what we are striving to make ourselves. We hope that we managed to help you out with your problem. Best of luck.
Photo credit: Hernán Piñera
