If you have a short amount of time to get everything done in the day, like many busy moms and dads, you might find relaxing to be more difficult than it sounds.
Even after the day is done, the meals are cooked and eaten, and the house is tidy-ish, you still might find you have trouble relaxing. Because you are thinking about everything you need to do tomorrow, the next day, and the day after that.
Interestingly, many parents believe that because they are so busy, they should be able to relax quite quickly when given the opportunity.
But the fact is there is always so much to do, which means there are always things on your mind. So here are some quick ways to improve your relaxation and minimize how long it takes to get into the zone.
Of course, relaxation means something different to everybody. Some people like to have a coffee and read a book to relax; others prefer to take a long nap; it simply depends on what works for you.
Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash
A cup of tea
Even the act of holding a warm cup of tea in your hands can be soothing. And as the British know, if something is wrong, you have a cup of tea, if something is excellent, you have a cup of tea, if it’s been a long day, you have a cup of tea.
However, when you are looking to have a cup of tea to relax, you can ditch the caffeine ones. Having a beautiful warm cup of green tea is one of the most relaxing things, and it acts pretty quickly. The L-theanine inside a green tea gets to work almost immediately, and it only takes about five minutes.
Mango
This might be a strange tip, and not everyone has mangoes readily available, but mangoes contain Linalool. This compound is the main ingredient in lavender essential oils, and as we know, lavender is one of the most relaxing scents around.
So have a little bit of mango, and you will get the same impact as sniffing some wonderful lavender.
Breathing
The power of taking a slow breath is quite something. Often, when we feel anxious and run around all day, it can be pretty difficult to catch our breath. We don’t even realize how quickly we are breathing until we take that one deep breath.
Box breathing has been practiced for many years and is one of the most relaxing things you can do. Aside from being comfortable, it can help you centre yourself and be more in the moment. If you want to double down on that at the moment, CBD patches are also an option.
Quiet time
If you are surrounded by people talking all day, asking questions, and in general needing your assistance, getting some quiet time can be the perfect thing to help you relax.
You might not even need that long, but walking to the nearest store, taking five minutes in the garden, or even simply sitting alone quietly somewhere in the house can work wonders.
Stretch
Our bodies hold onto a lot of tension, and that tension can cause aches and pains unnecessarily. If you suffer from a tech neck where you often have your head tilted down slightly to look at your mobile phone or even your laptop screen, this can worsen.
Take a few minutes to stretch out your body, starting with your hands reaching high up into the air and wiggle your fingers; you should feel stretch down into your armpits and even in your shoulders, reach down and touch your toes give your back and the back of your legs a nice stretch too.
If you want to get a natural stretch without doing yoga, then check online for some incredible tutorials to work out all of the kinks in your body.
If you hold a lot of tension in your back, then this post is perfect for you: How To Relieve Stress From Our Backs
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Walk
Sometimes there can be nothing more soothing than going for a walk, and it only takes a few minutes to get your heart rate pumping and lower your stress levels. Walking is one of the most relaxing things that you can do and is one of the things that can make you more productive.
This is particularly important if you work from home or have a lot of other things going on, and you need to keep your motivation and your productivity levels high.
If you have pets, then chances are you are probably walking quite enough already, in which case try jogging.
Music
Some people listen to music all day, every day, and others very rarely. If you fall into the latter category, it might be time to find some of your favorite relaxing tunes.
If you spend much of the time in the house and won’t need to have it through headphones, a small speaker playing your favorite songs can be enough. Often when we start listening to our favorite songs, we will begin to sing along and relax into the tunes.
If you aren’t sure what kind of music you like, you can try classical music as there is typically something for everybody, and it is known as some of the most soothing music.
If you want to try something slightly different, look for natural sounds like thunderstorms and rainforest music.
Aromatherapy
We spoke about mango having the same compounds as lavender and how lavender can make you relaxed, but there is also a vast range of other essential oils that can help with relaxation.
If you don’t want to use essential oils in your bath or on your body, you can use a cold steam diffuser to pump the smell around the house. Eucalyptus and peppermint are great if you want to work and relax simultaneously; they can also leave the house smelling fresh.
The best relaxing scents are Seabreeze, vanilla, Jasmine, lavender, rosemary, and cinnamon. Cinnamon is quite heady, so save that one for autumn winter.
Equally, if you’re not much of a baker, you can light a candle like a Christmas cookie, baked apple pie, or other baked goods, and that will also have a relaxing effect.
Comedy
There are so many comedies on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other streaming services you’ll be hard-pressed not to find something funny.
Laughing releases stress-busting hormones, so if you know of a comedy movie or perhaps a sketch show that gets your funny bone, then pop it on in the afternoon and enjoy it for a few minutes.
Talking
Talking can be super relaxing, especially if you’re the type that bottles up feelings. You don’t have to talk face-to-face; a phone call or even text can be enough to start to relieve any stress that you are going through.
Often a friend who genuinely cares about you can tell you if you need to worry about the subject or perhaps how you can handle it. Everyone goes through things in life from time to time and needs someone to talk to.
If it is the kind of thing that you cannot talk to anyone you know about, you can look online for chat rooms and forums filled with people who are going through a similar situation. Sometimes it can be easier to share with people that you don’t know.
Planning
One of the most exciting things and something to look forward to is planning some time away. Of course, the first few days of holiday can seem a little bit hectic, and you should be more relaxed by the end of it. Planning a holiday can also be relaxing in and of itself since you will be dreaming about far-off lands and taking that much-needed vacay.
If you are highly strung off or find yourself stressed quite a lot, this can lead to many diseases and illnesses, including heart attack and high blood pressure. So it is in the best interest of you and your family to manage your stress levels and find time to relax every day. These small things can help lower those levels and give you a healthy balance.
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