Some people believe that they relax by sitting at a desk and sipping on some strong stimulant, such as alcohol or coffee, tea and other drinks. This is a common picture of a modern cafe.
When you are resting, you should not sit cross-legged, because in this position you will compress the artery that supplies the leg. This means that in this position you are not resting, but you are overloading your heart with enormous work. Never cross your legs when sitting.
To rest means to ensure free circulation of blood throughout the body. If your shoes are too tight, if your tie is too tight, if your hat is too small, if your shirt collar or any other clothing is too tight, you know you are not resting. Best vacation, this is when all clothing is removed from the body. You should not be wearing any clothes if you want to relax comfortably and profitably.
People often say: “I must rest.” But when they sit down to rest, they begin to nervously drum their fingers on the table, twitch or fidget. The art of rest is concentration. One option is to rest naked on a hard bed. Sunbathing is also good because that there is nothing more relaxing to the muscles and nerves than the soothing rays of the sun. When you rest, you should free your mind from all worries, worries and problems. When the muscles and nerves are relaxed, the heart slows down and breathing becomes slow and calm. This brings deep relaxation and complete rest.
An excellent rest is a short nap, during which you can completely relax your muscles. Most people are accustomed to using stimulants: tobacco, medications, coffee, tea, alcohol or tonic drinks, which only stimulate tired nerves. Therefore, people who use stimulants never have complete rest and relaxation; their nerves are always in an excited state.
Rest must be earned through physical and mental activity, as they go hand in hand. So many people suffer from insomnia and take countless medications to help them fall asleep, but in return they receive artificial sleep. No one can get a complete break from medications. No medicine will ever give you a refreshing, healthy, normal, satisfying sleep.
A body full of toxins is a constant nerve stimulant. How can you have a good and good night with excited nerves? When people are off stimulants during a fasting program, they sleep deeply and rest completely. You yourself will notice that as soon as you begin to cleanse your body, your ability to relax will increase and you will receive great pleasure from a deep, restful night's sleep.
Frequent changes in activity are also the most important factor in maintaining good health. During the working day we should change activities more often.
We live in a crazy world, imbued with the spirit of competition. In the conditions of our civilization, when “man is a wolf to man,” we have to withstand enormous stress and endure heavy blows. This is the reason why people are addicted to tobacco, coffee, alcohol and other stimulants. It is not only the spirit of competition that reigns in the business world , but also a desire to strengthen their own position.
People always strive to outdo each other, tirelessly following the stereotype they have created. But this false stereotype takes a huge amount of energy.
Life should be joy!
Isn't it amazing that today we have 15 million chronic alcoholics and millions of drug addicts? We have forgotten that to live means to feel alive and joyful. A quiet life is the happiness of few in our society. Life now is rush, rush and more rush. Where are we in a hurry? To the hospital or to the grave?
To be able to relax, rest and sleep, you need to plan your day so that there is time for rest, entertainment, exercise and a good night's sleep. You won't be able to sleep well if you've overworked your stomach or if you haven't done some outdoor exercise, such as a three-mile walk or gardening. Outdoor work, walking and running are necessary. You should please your body with natural food, distilled water, fresh air and sunlight. Of course, it is very easy to ridicule people who use the motto “back to nature,” but we who follow nature are precisely those people who always have the last laugh.
Relaxation is easy
Of course, we must dance, move, play various sports. But never hesitate to just sit or lie down and rest or relax, leaving all your worries aside. This is not only pleasant, it is absolutely necessary. Do not expect to achieve mastery in relaxation with the help of sedatives - this is not the same thing.
To relax and fall asleep, darken the room, turn off the TV and lie on the bed on your back with your arms extended along your body (but not touching it) and reduce your perceptions to a minimum. Give your hands a rest by placing them palms down on the bed. Stretch your legs, but so that they also do not touch each other. You can place your head on a small pillow or directly on the bed, whichever is most comfortable for you. At first, leave your eyes open, but do not look at one point directly in front of you, but move them up, down or to the sides. After such movements, your eyes will close on their own. Such movements of the eye muscles do not interfere with relaxation.
Always mentally follow these eye movements. By following the movements of your eyeballs and muscles, you relax your thoughts, and this will ultimately lead to relaxation of the entire body into a natural, restful and restorative sleep.
If you have insomnia, then read something before going to bed, and if this does not give the desired result, it means that your eye muscles are already overloaded, reading tires them and you need to relax them, as indicated above.
Don't tense your muscles unless absolutely necessary. By moving an arm or leg or changing your posture, you interrupt the internal relaxation process, and those muscles that have already reached a certain degree of relaxation will then have to start the whole process again. Muscles that are too tight may feel uncomfortable, but moving will only prolong the discomfort. The process of relaxing such muscles can take from 10 to 15 minutes. Relaxed muscles should feel very pleasant, and if you relax completely, you will feel extraordinary peace. Uncomfortability in a muscle or group of muscles is an indicator that they are overstrained and that you are not allowing them to relax.
Newbies to relaxation often tell me that they can't fall asleep lying on their back. It all depends on how deeply this thought is written in your brain, and if you are convinced of the opposite, you can discard this thought and understand its fallacy.
“I always fall asleep on my right side”, “I always fall asleep on my stomach”, “I have to curl up in a ball to fall asleep”, “I am used to tossing and turning from side to side”, “I can’t fall asleep at night if I take even a short nap during the day” “, “I only sleep until five o’clock, and then I lie with my eyes open until seven, and by noon I’m already sleepy again” - these are the common complaints that you hear from people. If a person wishes to devote 15 minutes a day to learning to relax, then he will definitely achieve success and will no longer be able to help but follow this habit in the future, if he adheres to a natural lifestyle.
Drink green tea: Herbal tea has an excellent relaxing effect. Green tea is a source of L-theanine, which helps relieve anger. Boil water, brew tea, and take a soothing sip—it only takes a couple of minutes.
Chocolate bar: A few pieces of dark chocolate will help relieve stress and improve your mood. Dark chocolate regulates levels of the stress hormone cortisol and stabilizes metabolism, but keep in mind that it is not advisable to abuse it.
Remember about breathing: Is there an easier way to relax? Slow, deep breathing can help lower blood pressure and heart rate. For a change, try pranayama breathing. This yogic technique involves breathing through one nostril and then the other, and is used to reduce anxiety.
Try progressive relaxation: Are you tense? Use progressive relaxation to learn how to relax in any environment. This method consists of step-by-step training in selective tension and relaxation of certain types of muscles.
Count back: Yes, this method is known to everyone, but it really works. Try counting forward and backward several times. Your brain won't have time to worry if it's busy with numbers.
Close your eyes: If you can, then everything is fine. Just isolate yourself from the noise of the office or the chaos of the street behind the protection of tightly closed eyelids. This is an easy way to restore calm and focus.
Body relaxation
Give yourself a hand massage: Of course, you will not be able to use the services of a professional massage therapist at your workplace. But it’s quite possible to do it yourself. This will be especially useful for people who spend a lot of time in front of the keyboard. But if you have a little more than five minutes, then it’s quite possible.
Try acupressure: Acupressure is acupressure that owes its origins to ancient Chinese medicine. This method is less painful and completely safe, while being universally applicable and easily accessible to anyone.
Ride a tennis ball: Take off your shoes and roll a regular tennis ball with your feet. This makes for a great impromptu foot massage. This is especially nice if you have to wear high heels.
Wet your wrists with cold water: If you feel like this, then go to the toilet and just wet your wrists and the area behind your earlobes with cold water. This will help you quickly calm down and relieve tension.
New environment
Be alone: Not everyone needs a cabin in the woods, but five minutes of solitude will help you gather your thoughts and clear your head.
Create a Zen zone for yourself: Find or create a special place for yourself to relax. This is a place where no one and nothing will disturb you. Perhaps it will be a comfortable chair in the hall or a secluded bench in the yard - the main thing is that you associate it with peace and relaxation.
Look out the window: If you constantly look at the TV screen or monitor, then five minutes of contemplation real life Looking outside can really clear your mind.
Get organized: The daily clutter around you can be much more strong reason for more irritation than you think. The chaos on your desk is often a reflection of the chaos in your head. Remove all that is unnecessary, put in order what is necessary, and you will see how beneficial it will be for you.
Exercises
Stretching: Does this word bring to mind an image of a gym and graceful gymnasts in the splits? This is not at all necessary - you can stretch without even getting up from your workplace. Try to stretch well up and to the sides, various rotations of the body, tilts, or, for example,.
Yoga: Many people think that yoga is very difficult and not entirely suitable for a noisy city. However . Yoga is a great way to take control of not only your body, but also your mind.
After man left nature and began to build concrete jungles in the form of cities, he began to have serious health problems. And the reason for this was the constant stress caused by various factors of urbanization. At one point we forgot that we need to relax. What for? We need to achieve success in society faster. Yes, but this should not be at the cost of our health and inner harmony. At one point, I simply realized this and decided to devote more time to various relaxation methods. And a month later I already realized the meaning of the saying “the slower you go, the further you will go.”
What is relaxation?
Relaxation is an involuntary or voluntary state of rest, which is associated with partial or complete muscle relaxation. Relaxation can be directed after heavy physical exertion or experiences, or it can be involuntary, for example, going to bed.
One of the first Western specialists who began to use the relaxation method were the German neurologist I. Schultz and the American psychologist E. Jacobson. Jacobson studied the manifestation of emotions, the emotional state was assessed by muscle tension. Jacobson was able to prove that muscle relaxation relieves hyperarousal nervous system, thereby restoring her balance and giving her rest. Muscle relaxation skills are beneficial for the general condition of the body, and it also helps eliminate the symptoms of certain diseases.
There are several types of relaxation:
By time: long-term, which occurs during sleep or hypnosis, as well as under the influence of medications, and short-term, which quickly gives way to stress.
By method of execution: mental and muscular.
By origin: primary and secondary.
By depth: deep and superficial. Deep relaxation lasts 20 minutes using various techniques; superficial relaxation can be a short rest.
What will mastery of relaxation techniques and methods give you:
- normalize blood pressure and breathing;
- adjust heart rhythm,
- relieve muscle tension;
- forget about the feeling of fatigue and weakness;
- get rid of irritability and anger;
- have a positive attitude;
- feel a surge of vitality;
— improve mental activity and the ability to concentrate, make the right decisions;
- increase efficiency and effectiveness.
Relaxation does not require much from us, but, as we see, it presents an invaluable gift - harmony of body, soul and spirit.
10 best methods for relaxation
RELAXING POSE
As a basic method for relaxation, I recommend a hatha yoga exercise called Savasana or Corpse Pose. I think we've all had those days when you just come home and fall on the couch like a corpse. So this needs to be done every day and more consciously. All you need to do is lie on your back and spread your legs and arms apart, palms up. Then start breathing slowly. The positive effects of shavasana cannot be overestimated. To achieve the desired effect, you need to master it perfectly. To do this, you need to do it regularly, but the result will exceed all your expectations.
BREATH
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START DEVELOPINGThis is one of the simplest relaxation methods that can be done basically anywhere and anytime. Have you noticed that when we are anxious, we breathe very quickly. Therefore, the task here is simple - to slow down the breathing process. You need to take a comfortable position. Inhale slowly through your nose, trying to use both your stomach and chest. Then hold your breath for 5-10 seconds. Exhale slowly through your mouth so that the duration of the exhalation is longer than the inhalation. Do this for 10-20 cycles. To achieve more complete relaxation, I combine breathing exercises with self-hypnosis. Just close your eyes during the exercise and say with each exhalation: “Relaxation”, “Relaxation”, “Calmness”.
MEDITATION
I think the benefits of meditation are difficult to put into words. Meditation is a unique relaxation method that will relieve tension in the body, harmonize emotions and calm the mind. To understand the full effect, it is better to just start practicing. It can be performed both in the morning and in the evening. Ask not to be disturbed for 15 minutes. Take the right pose, close your eyes. At the first stage, establish proper breathing. 10 cycles of deep breaths and exhalations will help you with this. Next, begin to relax all the muscles from top to bottom, starting with the muscles of the face and neck. Tell yourself that you are entering a state of complete peace without thoughts.
AIR WALKING
Personally, I like to walk in the forest for an hour in the evening and listen to the birds singing. Some people will prefer walks near the sea or maybe climbing to the tops of mountains. It’s just that any light physical activity helps relieve tension in the body, and contemplation of very beautiful landscapes gives a very deep psychophysiological effect. Activation of oxygen metabolism improves nutrition of the brain and helps normalize the flow of nervous processes, both in it and throughout the body. I have a very funny word that I usually say after a walk: “It’s so good, it’s painted again).”
WARM BATH
A bath is my favorite way to relieve stress after a good day at work. This method of relaxation may seem far from masculine, but somehow I don’t care. If before it was impossible to get me even into the shower, then recently I have become a fan of relaxing in the bathroom. The water in the bath should be just warm (36-37 degrees). Create a pleasant atmosphere: dim or turn off the lights, light candles, play relaxing Chillout music. You can add essential oils or salt to the bath for a better effect. The duration of the relaxation bath is 20-30 minutes. After such a bath I always feel refreshed.
MASSAGE
Who doesn't love being given a good relaxing massage! This relaxation technique is best used after a warm bath in the evening. And it doesn’t matter if you don’t have your own professional massage therapist. With a little preparation, one of the people close to you can do it. This massage is dominated by stroking and shallow kneading. The duration of a relaxation massage is usually much longer than usual. For relaxation, I perfectly combine massage with soothing music and aromatherapy.
MUSIC
One of the best and simplest, in my opinion, methods for relieving stress is relaxation music. The first advantage of this method is that you can listen to music in the background anywhere: at home, at work, on the way to an important meeting, anywhere else. The second advantage is the passivity of the method. I downloaded good tracks for meditation and relaxation, turned on play and, in principle, I don’t need to do anything else. Thirdly, the effect is very fast. After just 10 minutes, you can enter a deep alpha or theta state, in which the brain and the entire body relax greatly.
SEX
This method is loved by many. It comes from the opposite. To relax very much, you need to tense very much. During sexual contact, the tension can be so great that the resulting orgasm gives the effect of powerful relaxation of the body. Sex as a method is good after another unpleasant quarrel or just before bed to fall asleep faster. In addition, during sexual intercourse it is produced a large number of endorphin or as it is called the “hormone of happiness”, which also affects the level of stress and allows you to be in a good mood more often.
HEALTHY SLEEP
Sleep is the simplest and one of the most effective methods relaxation. It is provided by nature itself. Unfortunately, many still ignore the fact that a strong nervous system requires a full 8-hour sleep from 22:00 to 6:00. As a result, every day there is a difficult awakening, low energy potential and Bad mood. These are all the results of late sleep. With the right approach, you should wake up at dawn before your alarm clock. And not just wake up, but quickly jump out of bed. And there should be a smile on your face and a desire to change yourself and the world. After good sex comes a good night's sleep!
LONELINESS
I’ll say right away that this method is only suitable for introverts. I personally consider myself like that. I need to be alone with myself periodically. Disconnect from outside world, which has become very fast, and plunge into your inner one, where it is quiet and calm. I do this at every opportunity.
These 10 ways to relax for all occasions. Apply them when you feel that you really need to relax. Personally, I use all relaxation techniques on weekends when I really need to seriously recharge new energy but a new week.
Music for relaxation
Having tried a lot of ways to relax, I realized that listening to music for relaxation suits me best. A pleasant melody may a short time relax the body, free from heavy thoughts and bring into balance psycho-emotional state. I have developed a habit of relaxing with music before bed.
What music can help you relax and unwind the most?
I have made a selection of the 5 best relaxing music styles that I use myself.
Listen and restore your strength!
Chillout
This is my favorite direction, which literally translates from English as “relax, calm down.” Previously, this direction included any light music that relieves tension, and since the mid-90s this name has also become associated with the genre of leisurely electronic music, combining elements of lounge, ambient, jazz, house and many other directions.
Ethnic music of the East
The music of every nation is amazing and unique. This is largely due to the peculiarities of folk rhythms and local musical instruments, unusual for other countries. If you are looking for relaxation, then you definitely need to familiarize yourself with the compositions of the peoples of the East. For example, even my most difficult thoughts are calmed by Japanese relaxation music and the stunning sound of a bamboo flute.
Sounds of nature
To relax from everyday work and relieve stress, we often go to nature. Some are on vacation at the seaside, and others are visiting their grandmother in the village. What to do when you don’t have time for this?! Of course, listen to nature music for relaxation at home. The sound of the sea surf, the singing of dolphins, the chirping of birds - beauty! In general, I often like to listen to the sounds of space.
Classical music for relaxation
Orchestral etudes, violin solos and piano sounds are considered among the most emotional. They quickly penetrate inside a person, touching the thinnest strings of the soul. This is a real cure against internal disharmony. To relax and recuperate, you need to choose leisurely compositions from the classical direction, of which there are a lot. By the way, you can listen not only to the “classics”, but there are also talented contemporaries who are also worthy of attention.
Reggae
A synonym for the word "relaxation". The reggae genre was formed in Jamaica in the late 60s, and from there it spread to other countries. Most often, the themes of love and kindness predominate in the lyrics, and the music itself is presented in a very leisurely manner. It is forbidden to rush to this music. To get the real effect from listening to it, lie down on something soft, turn on some track quietly, close your eyes and relax. The result will be an excellent charge of positive and sunny emotions that will fuel you for a long time.
The sad fact of life is that often people do not realize the utmost importance of physical rest and relaxation. The very concept of “physical rest” can evoke images of a discipline, for example, yoga or various rituals on a schedule at certain times of the day. In fact, physical rest does not necessarily mean a system as such.
Rest and relaxation: the heart of the matter
Physical relaxation (or relaxation) simply means that you intentionally and consciously release tension that has somehow entered your body. For example, when you just sit in the dentist's chair, it already causes tension, doesn't it? The dentist should therefore tell you to relax. All you really need in this case is to force yourself to consciously relax all the muscles in your body at the same time. One clear command to relax all muscles works very well.
As you know, stress causes muscle tension, which leads to various types pain. On the contrary, physical rest and relaxation release muscle tension, which makes the situation easier. This is why it is so important that you try to relieve muscle tension immediately when any pain appears or occurs in your body. You may have noticed that when a person is asleep, he feels less pain (or does not feel it at all) than when he is awake. Why is this happening? The body relaxes and recovers during sleep, but during the working day it is influenced by stress and your mental attitude.
Constant stress causes fatigue, which gradually depletes all your physical and mental resources to cope with the affairs of life. On the contrary, relaxed muscles are able to work longer without making you tired. When a person is overly stressed, a lot of useful energy is wasted. Physical rest relieves fatigue and increases energy, helps keep the mind calm and improves sleep. When you are rested, your productivity, self-esteem and self-confidence will also increase, which will also help in your relationships with other people.
To get results from physical relaxation you must practice it for at least half an hour a day. It is important not to be hard on yourself, take your time and learn to relax at your own pace. This process may take some time to change and improve the quality of your life.
You can also do different activities throughout the day and take a minute or two between activities to relax. By practicing this, you will soon find that you can release tension and quickly relax everything you need during normal work.
Laughter as physical relaxation
There is an interesting built-in mechanism for relaxation that makes humans unique. Man is the only creature that laughs and can laugh from the heart (unlike animals). Laughter, even specially provoked, provides not only emotional satisfaction, but also significant physical relaxation. Laughter is based on a deep breath using the diaphragm, following rhythmic exhalations, which helps equalize the pressure in both cavities, and also, in addition to venous outflow, also causes massage internal organs. So, have a good laugh.
However, relaxation is not only about relaxation techniques, breathing or the practice of laughter. Like many things, relaxation begins with a change in attitude. We have to change the way we look at life, learn to take things in stride and keep a cool head in many situations. It is important to honestly acknowledge the first signs of your tension, and then it will be much easier for you to free yourself from them.
What role does relaxation and physical rest play in your life? And how often do you laugh heartily?