If you’re finding life fraught and frantic, look at these 10 ways to relax and dial down the stress in just five minutes…
1. Identify what’s beyond your control.
It’s hard to find ways to relax when we’re stressed, our minds whirring with ‘what ifs’. Take five minutes to identify what you’re worried about, then ask yourself if you have any control over it. If the answer is yes, then resolve to take action. If it’s no, decide to let go – and make ‘It is what it is’ your mantra.
2. Put pen to paper.
Find somewhere to sit with a pen and paper – writing manually is important, as it’s a break from normal life. Write out your worries, your fears, whatever is on your mind – then, when five minutes are up, stop. Burn your notes or stick them in the bottom drawer. The point is to get all worries out of your head.
3. Play games…
Do anything pleasurable but pointless. Playing hide-and-seek with your family, throwing balls for your dog, bouncing on a trampoline. The older we get – and the more stressed we become – the less we play. But, it soothes troubled minds and reconnects us to our younger, more carefree selves.
4. Chew something!
Chewing is a powerful relaxant – whether it’s gum, or chewing food for longer – as it can help reduce blood pressure and levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Adding just five minutes to your lunch by eating mindfully – really thinking about the taste and the texture – adds to your pleasure.
5 Close your eyes.
Simply shutting your eyes provides an instant break from a busy office, glaring screen, or cluttered kitchen. Count slowly to 10 and back down again, or trace a figure of eight repeatedly onto the palm of your hand for five minutes.
6 Make some space
Decluttering and embracing minimalism is a simple way to relax. A five-minute clear-out of your desk (that pile of papers or mountain of notebooks), your purse (forgotten loyalty cards, ancient receipts) or kitchen will lighten your load, make life easier, and help lift your mood.
7 Free your face…
Our faces carry so much tension. Try gritting your teeth and opening your lips as wide as you can – hold, release, repeat. Now scrunch up your face… hold, relax, repeat. Enjoy a stress-free face!
8 …and your body
Close your eyes, breathe deeply, and concentrate on where the tension is gathered. Shrug your shoulders to your ears, then release them. Clench your fingertips into your palms, then release. Continue downwards – clench your stomach, thighs, and calves, and curl and uncurl your toes. Feel the warmth of deep relaxation flood through you.
9 Plan a holiday
Whether it’s two weeks at the beach or a weekend break close to home, just gathering ideas, creating an itinerary, and imagining yourself there is an instant pick-me-up. So, get googling for your dream destination!
10 Breathe!
We tend to breathe too high in our lungs, making the brain think the body is in stress mode. Try breathing from your belly and relaxing your shoulders. Count to eight in your head while you breathe in, hold for four counts, then breathe out, counting to eight again.
ALSO SEE:
Less is more – so let’s get naked! The benefits to sleeping nude
Feature Image: Unsplash
