Saying you’ll avoid getting stressed out for the rest of your life is like saying you’ll avoid sweets for the rest of your life. Sadly, it’s unlikely to happen. While that may appear to be a losing battle for both chocoholics and the overly stressed, there is some good news. Even though we all experience stress on certain occasions in our lives, we are fortunate to have tools within easy reach to help us combat that gripping feeling and the overwhelming sense of helplessness and become relaxed and centered. Below we go into 5 techniques to become relaxed and centered.
Among these tools or techniques, one of the most effective is meditation. Meditation can greatly help us cope with the daily grind. While we strongly recommend making it a regular practice, not everyone is at that particular point in their lives where they can easily adopt this technique. There are, still, other strategies that we can use to combat the overwhelming emotion we experience when stress gets the better of us.
Stress
Do you ever feel anxious or overburdened by the events taking place in your life? Most of us experience this now and then. Stress is an unavoidable part of life. It is simply a survival scheme designed to keep us safe in risky circumstances. The issue arises when we do not know how to alleviate the stress, and the stress continues.
We live in a fast-moving society that is equipped with every conceivable gadget to keep us connected. You can stay in touch with people 24 hours a day through text, email, or Facebook. But has this made a difference? Or have we built a dependence that we will never be able to unplug? It’s easy to become stressed when we’re constantly “hooked up” or “plugged in.” Many people are stressed, overworked, and dragged in many directions. A lot of people spend money trying to relax and calm themselves.
Various Techniques to Relax
Keep in mind that the techniques listed below can be used to help you relax. It doesn’t hurt to give them a shot – they could change the course of your day. These relaxation meditation techniques will help you achieve balance and make your mind feel relaxed no matter where you are when stress strikes hard.
I. 10-Second Rule
Please take 10 seconds whenever you need it to reset yourself. Following this straightforward procedure triggers a brief “pattern disruption” and can be used whenever you need a moment to calm down, tone down your frustration, or get into the present moment.
Consider this a stress-reduction reset button or saying no when you normally say yes. It is something that leads you to break out of your current pattern and refocus.
Start your count from 10 to 1 slowly to calm yourself down. After that, you can focus on your work.
II. Deep breathing
This is yet another basic relaxation meditation technique that you can do on the spot if you’re feeling overwhelmed by what life has to offer.
Your eyes may be opened or closed; the goal is to inhale as deeply as possible. You’ll probably feel your chest swell and open up as you inhale at first. But if you keep inhaling past that point, make it a goal to slowly expand your stomach with the last bit of the inhale.
If you can do this for five or ten breaths, you’ll elicit the vagus nerve, which will decrease the sympathetic nervous system’s fight or flight reaction. Use some of your time every day to concentrate on deep breathing and the rising and falling sensations it induces in your body, as this can be a game-changer for your stress levels.
III. Listen to soothing music
Take time out of your busy daily schedule to sit peacefully and relax while listening to music that makes you happy. Unplug, unload, and put your feet up while listening to jazz, Latin, or soundscape music. Close your eyes and relax. You can also do something creative while enjoying music.
Creativity is also a wonderful technique to unwind. It allows you to squeeze out your thoughts while also giving you something to invest your mental energy in. When you draw, paint, or write, you’re transforming your stress into a tool – which, in some ways, is a great thing because it sparks inspiration for some kind of art form. Any artistic or creative activity that you enjoy can be beneficial for decreasing anxiety, and while it may not be considered a conventional relaxation technique, it certainly has its advantages.
IV. Think positive
Do you know that your thoughts can influence your mood and feelings? Even before they know the outcome, many people think negatively about a situation! This may discourage your body from ever entering a relaxing state.
While it’s critical to remain grounded in reality, negativity should be avoided at all costs.
V. Visualization
Our brains are capable of a great deal of imagination, allowing us to make up scenarios and have our bodies react to them without the situation even taking place. You can use this ingenuity of your brain as a stress-reducing technique to positively impact your mind and body.
Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a quiet situation, like sitting on the porch of a lakeside cottage, lying on a beautiful and sandy beach, or standing on top of a mountain or cliff while taking in a breathtaking view of the valley.
Put yourself in that situation. Feel the wind and smell the air, whether it’s tinged with salty ocean breeze or fresh woodland pine. Immerse yourself in the visualization by using all of your senses. When you return to the present moment after using this relaxation meditation technique, both your mind and body will feel more relaxed and centered.
All of these techniques play an important role in developing your ability to combat stress and decrease the impact of anxiety on your daily life. However, they are not cures for anxiety; rather, they are tools to make dealing with anxiety easier.
The bad news is that stress will continue to exist and is almost impossible to eliminate from your life. It would be futile to try. Ultimately, life is about sailing through those moments as they emerge.
The good thing is that there exists a plethora of relaxation meditation techniques to help you improve your mental health when you’re feeling overburdened. You simply need to be aware of them and understand that they are not difficult to implement.
Try some approaches listed above the next time you feel like stress has gotten the best of you. Whether you do one, two, or all of them, you will feel more relaxed and quiet as the day progresses. Knowing that you can reset your day at any moment should give you confidence that stressful feelings are only temporary.