We live in a fast-paced world, and life can be pretty stressful with the bills, children and everyday life. We’re always on the go and often don’t take any time to pause and relax. But there are simple tools and methods that we can use to help us unwind. For example, ever heard of a guided relaxation practice?
Those sleepless nights can be brought on by stress, making relaxing really difficult. Sleeping sets the mark for relaxation because it helps us erase and eliminate what the day has brought into our lives. But sometimes, we cannot relieve all the stress from our day. This means we sleep and wake up with anxiety. And the cycle continues, and we keep piling on the stress and frustration.
The good news is that we can follow steps to help us relax – to get rid of some of that tension. Feeling relaxed will help us sleep better, and you’ll feel more refreshed and ready to start your following day. We need to learn how to manage our stress, and by doing this, we can feel happier and healthier.
How to Prepare Your Mind and Body for a Guided Relaxation
- Look for a place where you won’t be distracted or disturbed for about 20 minutes. This can be indoors or outdoors.
- Lie or sit down in a spot where you can be alone. You need to be entirely comfortable so that you can allow your body to release its tension and expel some of the stress. It takes practice and time to relax your mind and body. Be patient and take it slow, and soon you’ll see how it comes to you.
- Once you’ve found your perfect spot, be sure your legs and arms aren’t folded or crossed. Remember that the point is for you to feel comfortable. Open up your body and your heart, because only then you can really begin to relax.
The Key to Breathing in a Guided Relaxation
There is so much strength in our breath. One of the best ways to let go of tension and stress is through awareness and connection to our breath. Begin by sincerely and slowly breathing in and out. Try to let go of your thoughts and any tension you may have held on to with every exhale. Concentrate on letting your mind drift into a relaxed and happy place.
Keep your breathing deep and slow, letting go of everything else on your mind. The breathing will automatically relax your body. Your limbs might start feeling heavy. This is a good sign that your body is going into relaxation mode. Keep breathing deep and slow.
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Increase the Quality of Your Life with Guided Relaxation
Stress can lead to depression and anxiety, which is why we need to learn to control our stress level before it’s out of our hands. The truth is, we will always have stress in our lives, but what’s important is that we learn stress management – that we know how to listen to our mind and body to take care of our overall health.
A lot of it is due to our lifestyles: these days the world moves at such a fast pace, and we never seem to have enough time. The benefit of a guided relaxation program is that we learn to adapt to our lifestyles while taking some time to slow down – to focus on our breath and give our mind a break from all the work.
Don’t forget, relaxation is a skill like any other. It takes time and patience. Don’t be in a hurry to immediately see results. Learning to relax can be difficult, but you’ll learn with practice and make it a part of your daily life. As you know to relax, you’ll begin to notice that anxiety attacks will lessen, and you’ll be able to sleep better. Waking up in the mornings will feel much more accessible, and you’ll be prepared to kick start your day.
Relaxation has many benefits. Mainly, it helps us connect with ourselves and teaches us to cope with everyday issues. We also learn that sometimes all we can do is let go. One of the significant benefits of relaxation is connecting us with our breath and the present moment. Once we control our breath, we can maintain the way we think. And when we hold our thoughts, we can influence our perception of the world.
What Other things can I Do to Relax?
When it comes to taking care of your health, you need to ensure you include it in your daily life. It’s something you have to think about every day. So when you come home after a long day, you need to take the time to unwind. But some of us have so much going on at home with family and kids. What do we do?
One of the best ways to include relaxation in your daily life and even your exercise routine is through yoga. The best thing about yoga is that it teaches us to focus on breathing. A good yoga practise also teaches us to focus on our thoughts, let go, and create a union between the mind and body. Yoga also includes sound effects, which actually help massage the nervous system. Yogi breathing techniques make it impossible to hold on to tension. Give it a try: close your eyes, close your mouth, and continuously breathe out of your nose, pause after a minute, take a deep breath and repeat a few times. You’ll notice how relaxed you feel right away.
Yoga often goes hand in hand with meditation. The point is to take time out of your busy life and slow down – to focus inwards and to listen to your mind and body. The practice of yoga and mediation invites us to become more aware and mindful. Once we learn how to do that, we can control many aspects of our mind, helping it relax. We’ve written about the benefits of yoga and meditation before, so be sure to have a look.
There are many other ways to help you relax. The point is to have a positive and healthy outlet, which may be different for different people. Some find running to be really helpful. If that’s the case, then get ready and hit the track. Maybe after your run, take a few moments to start to walk and stretch to slow down your breathing. Some people can’t sit down and meditate. But did you know there’s something called walking meditation? There’s something out there for all of us. We just have to seek it.
The idea behind a guided relaxation or meditation routine is to help you slow down. It’s not rocket science. The point is to listen to your body and mind, to take breaks when you need to – and of course, to relax.
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Comment below to tell us about your favourite ways to relax. We’d love to hear your ideas.
