The latest trend in Health & Lifestyle is relaxation, but does anyone know what true relaxation is? Many people believe that relaxation is going out for a few beers or partying. Relaxation is way easier than you may think. Watching The Game of Thrones doesn’t technically count as relaxation because it is stimulating the brain. Think about that next time you have binge-watched a series on Netflix on a Sunday and feel complete exhausted when you report to work on Monday. Here are three ways to literally turn off and, finally, relax.
1. Do a Mobile Detox for a Day
While this may seem very obvious, this is really hard for some people as mobile and social media addiction is on the rise. Every time we see a notification on our mobile, the notification triggers a response in the brain. It can be either negative or positive. Regardless, most notifications are just that because the require some sort of response. Does anyone remember the days when we didn’t have cell phones and we still took road trips? Turn the mobile off for one day. You can announce it on social media like most do or just disappear for a day digitally. This will give you more to talk about when you meet up with those real ‘friends’ and interact face-to-face.
2. Spend a Few Hours Just Breathing
We breathe constantly in order to stay alive. How many times in your entire life have you ever consciously and gratefully just focus on your breath. You can do this in your home or out in nature. Turn off anything that could distract you. That means that you can also do this while you are on a Mobile Detox mentioned above. You can even lay down for this in any comfortable position. Force yourself just to lay there observing your abdomen going up and down as you breath in and out. If you fall asleep, that’s ok. (Make sure you are in a safe environment to do so.) This will allow you to slow down the thoughts in the mind as well as bring a sense of being to you. With life being on automation so much these days something like this seems so hard but it’s not. It laying down and breathing, but when was the last time you did this?
3. Listen to Classical Music
If you absolutely need a digital source to relax, classical music has been proven to boost creativity and concentration but did you know that it also slows down the heart rate. Soothing piano or strings can actually affect your mood also. You can sit in a room or go out for a walk. Walking and allowing the music to provide the soundtrack will make you more present to your environment. You may notice the neighbors new flowerbed that you drive by every morning without notice. You may notice the blooms on a tree you have never seen before. You may experience the breeze running through your hair. The catch is that you need to turn your mobile into an iPod by switching to airplane mode so that you don’t get distracted.
Relaxation is a conscious effort to disconnect and recharge the body. There are so many instances in life today that this is not done for long spans of time. This leaves us moody, exhausted and, the worst, on autopilot. When you take the time to experience true relaxation you will feel better than any workout and have more energy than any amount of sleep can give you.
