1. Shorten Your To-Do List
One way to relax your mind, body and spirit all at once may be to shorten your to-do list. According to The Stress Management Society, stress is the result of expectations exceeding an individual’s social or personal resources. Learning to say “no” in the future can help for you to avoid stress in the future but making a decision not to let yourself be overbooked and over-tired can help you relax in the moment.
2. Play A Video Game
The term “escapism” may have originated in literature, but it’s now being applied to videogames. A 2018 article by The Independent reported that over half of gamers who responded to a poll said that they play videogames as a way of relieving stress.
If you aren’t into video games, you don’t need an expensive console to reap the relaxation benefits. Puzzle games were rated one of the best genres for relaxation and these simple games can be downloaded, often for free, on mobile devices or played in a browser.
8. Don’t Compare Yourself To A Role Model
Expectations don’t need to come from other people or from our necessary commitments; sometimes we can expect or ask too much of ourselves as well. Some people find motivation in competition, or in emulating a role model, but if we spend too much time comparing ourselves to other people it can be easy to forget what makes us happy.
9. Get A Massage
Another familiar way to relax the mind and body is through massage, which the Mayo Clinic says can help to reduce pain from muscle strains and minor injuries as well as symptoms of anxiety, among other conditions.
While a massage from someone close to you might help to put your mind at ease, you may need more practiced hands to ease your muscles. There are many different kinds of massage that are good for different things, so if you have a particular issue in mind be sure you are getting the appropriate massage.
By the way, many people find that massages using essential oils are even more relaxing, both to the mind and the body. If you are getting a massage at home, be sure that you have oils specifically for massage or that your essential oils have been properly diluted, as undiluted essential oils can cause skin reactions.
