How To Relax and Unwind Using Healthy Solutions
Living through a pandemic and a heated election year can put quite the strain on anyone. Add the holiday season to the mix and it’s understandable if you feel a bit on edge lately. Many people do right now!
All of these things on top of your day to day life, can bring in waves of anxiety and tense muscles. So let’s talk about some of the ways you can bring natural rest and relaxation into your life. Here are some of our favorite ways to reduce stress and increase wellness.
Try at least one of these once a day and see if it doesn’t make a difference…
Breathing Exercises
Breathing exercises work because they work to manipulate your brain into believing that you are relaxed. You breathe differently when you’re relaxed or sleeping, so in mimicking those breathing patterns, it sends the message that you are relaxed.
One fantastic method to try is the 4-7-8 breathing technique and another is roll breathing. Both of these utilize your breath to help calm down and relax your body.
How do you practice 4-7-8?
- Find somewhere comfortable to sit. If you can, close your eyes.
- Breathe in through your nose to the count of four.
- Hold the breath to the count of seven.
- Exhale through your mouth to the count of eight.
Roll breathing (also called abdominal breathing)Place your left hand on your abdomen and your right hand on your chest. Notice how your hands move as you breathe in and out. Practice filling your lower lungs by breathing so that your left hand goes up when you inhale and your right hand remains still.
Work it out
Daily, physical exercise is one of the best ways to combat stress. Exercising pumps up your endorphins, reducing negative feelings of stress and improving your mood. When you move your body, you’re physically moving your thoughts and feelings as well. This means that your anxiety, your sadness, and your fears don’t have the opportunity to just sit and linger in your mind and body.
Next time you’re feeling overwhelmed, try and go to the gym, go to a Zumba class, take a walk, or go for a run. Any one of these can improve your mood and your physical health as well!
Yoga
Yoga is a great mind-body practice that in combination with meditation can yield some amazing results. There are various styles of yoga, all suited for different people. The type of yoga you choose to practice can be fused together with other forms to create a practice unique to you.
Some enjoy a slow-paced practice while others want a high intensity yoga similar to a cardio workout. Yoga brings together a physical and mental discipline to create a happier, healthier, and more relaxed version of yourself.
Meditation/Prayer
This is a very easy and inexpensive way to relax that anyone can do at any time. All you need is a quiet space where you can be alone for a few minutes to quiet your mind and think on things that are uplifting to your mind, body, and spirit. It is a common stress reduction technique to center yourself and focus on what is trulyimportant in life and let go of those things that might be weighing you down.
Essential Oils (EO’s)
When you think of essential oils for stress relief you probably think of Lavender or Roman Chamomile. However, there are quite a few oils that have stress relieving properties.
A few of our favorite stress busting EO’s are Bergamot, Clary Sage, Neroli, Rose and Ylang-Ylang. These oils are all incorporated into aromatherapy techniques and practices that can help people suffering from anxiety. These oils have also been used on patients pre-surgery to reduce their stress levels.
Gratitude Journaling
It is important to take time to reflect on what you’re grateful for. So often in life, we get caught up in our everyday hustle and forget to stop and take a moment to appreciate and feel blessed for what we have. A great practice, to ground yourself and bring that focus back to what makes you happy, is gratitude journaling.
Dedicate a few minutes each day to reflect on what you are grateful for. This can be a list, a diary format, or even a handwritten note. When you take a step back and start to really think about the things, people, and experiences that enrich your life you’d be surprised how that relieves your stress.
CBD
There have been many studies that have shown that CBD may help relieve anxiety by reducing stress levels, decreasing an elevated heart rate, and improving the symptoms of PTSD. It also might help to induce relaxation and sleep in those suffering from insomnia. CBD is incredible for mind and body relaxation, not only for you but there are pet-friendly CBD solutions as well.
Spend time in nature
Human beings need to spend time outdoors to function at their best. Being in a natural environment can improve your physical and mental health. If you are working nonstop, in an urban setting you are more likely to suffer from burnout and chronic fatigue.
Those of us working a 9-5, Monday through Friday, should try and spend a good portion of our weekends outside. Try and take that weekend camping trip or find a new hike to try out.
The bottom line is that there are many things in our daily lives that can cause upset, anxiety, and overwhelm. It’s up to us to find ways to reduce these and improve our natural relaxation habits.
Here’s to your health and wellness!
Shannan & Jason
p.s. Just in case you are looking for a specific supplement solution, or any other wellness need, reach out to us here at 916-253-9276 and we would be happy to help you find exactly what you are looking for.
We are deeply committed to sharing our knowledge of health and therefore have carefully chosen the products we offer in our store. You’ll find only the highest quality brands and a large selection to choose from so you’re sure to find exactly what you need.
If you can’t make it into the store, we’re always happy to deliver it to you because your health and happiness are our #1 priority!
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