Ahhhhh…. Pure relaxation! When you look at this picture does it
make you punch that clock, call it a day, and buy a one-way ticket to the
beach? It definitely makes me want to! Sometimes we need to find ways to relax,
recharge and let go of our stress. Sometimes a vacation is necessary but
sometimes we can't always do that. I
don’t know about you, but I can't constantly travel for stress relief. So,
wouldn’t it nice to have other ways to relax that don’t require buying an
expensive plane ticket? Being able to find something you can do daily? No need
to worry! I came up with a list of things you can do to relax and do for
self-care. Self-care? What's that? Self-Care is defined as the process of
taking care of oneself with behaviors that promote health and active management
of illness when it occurs.
Last week I discussed ways to know you need to seek therapy and,
in that post, I discussed the different areas that can start to take a toll on
you and can start to cause a lot of stress. With that stress, it causes some
emotion irregulating, some tension, and feeling so disconnected. Relaxation is
what helps those symptoms to calm down and allow you to connect again with
yourself. The things you use to relax start to become coping skills to deal
with your mental illness. So, let's
learn some ways to practice relaxation and get into a self-care space.
Some of my favorite areas of relaxation that I talk about with
clients are as follows,
Aromatherapy
Hydrotherapy
Breathing/Meditation
Exercise
Music
The two biggest relaxation areas that I use the most are aromatherapy and hydrotherapy and typically combined. I love senses that help to promote relaxation. Candles, there is something about having a clean house and lighting candles and just lying on the couch smelling the candle permeate the house. Have you ever heard of Dr. Teals? The company Dr. Teals makes a ton of aromatherapy relaxing products. If you are into baths you can get the bubble bath and Epsom salt and spend time just allowing your body to soak. If you aren't into baths, they also make shower melts that you can use while in the shower to get the same aromatherapy without the bath water. They have smells to fit your liking which is great! I will add a link below if you are interested in checking them out. When it comes to hydrotherapy, you can also get into a hot tub or pool or just give yourself time in a sauna.
Home - Dr Teal's (drteals.com)
Are
you looking to find a way to relax yourself quickly? Breathing exercises/
meditation is probably the best go to. All you need is to take 5 minutes and do
a breathing exercise and you will notice yourself calming down. Breathing helps
to lower your heart rate and blood pressure. The process of breathing helps you
focus on the technique you are doing instead of the stress you are feeling.
When you breathe in you are taking in fresh air and releasing warm air with all
your tension. Below is a link to a YouTube video of a meditation breathing
exercise that I always recommend to clients to try when you are first starting
out with breathing techniques and meditation.
A Beautiful 5 Minute
Meditation Staying Connected to Your Breath
Exercise is a huge benefit for relaxation. Whether you are
swimming, walking, doing yoga, running or any other exercise. When you exercise
on a regular basis it can help to regulate your mental health and allow you to
relax. I recently got into yoga, and it has been a game changer. I know I am
doing exercise, but I feel so relaxed after I finish the session. Yoga is a
great way to incorporate breathing and mediation as well. I suggest creating an
exercise routine to be able to incorporate exercise into your life daily. Below
is a YouTube video on a yoga exercise.
Yoga To Heal Stress | 20
Min. Yoga Practice | Yoga With Adriene
Music is a huge stress reliever and a great way to relax. When you are listening to music to relax the music helps to regulate the nervous system. When we are stressed or angry or anxious, we tend to pick music that is going to pump us up more rather than finding music that is going to give us the opposite effect. Instead of listening to screamo music while angry. Listening to classical music or something soothing can be more effective in helping your mood and relaxing you. “Music can heal the wounds which medicine cannot touch.” — Debasish Mridha
I hope you found these relaxation techniques helpful and start to practice them! There will be more posts to come later exploring more coping skills in depth until then practice these and let me know in the comments or in session how you liked them!
