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by Steve Gillman
A few good relaxation techniques can save your life, because
stress is more than just unpleasant. It's
also dangerous to your
health. Disciplined practices such as meditation can help relieve
that stress, but what if you don't have the time or motivation?
Maybe you need to try a few of these simple ways to relax.
1. Hug someone. Giving a hug means getting one. As long as it's
from somebody you don't mind hugging you, this really can be
relaxing.
2. Interrupt routines. Go talk to that guy sleeping on the bench,
or eat lunch on the roof. Just doing anything that breaks you out of
your habitual patterns can relieve stress.
3. Have a hot shower. It relaxes your muscles, and any break from
more stressful activities can help too. Some find that an
alternating hot and cold shower is even more relaxing.
4. Try watching your mind. Spot the stressors lurking just below
the surface (hunger, worry, a phone call you need to make), and you
can resolve them and feel more relaxed. If you practice this
mindfulness exercise, it may become one of your favorite relaxation
techniques.
5. Try laughing. Your own experience shows that this helps you
relax, right? Go find a guy that knows all the best jokes, or find
something funny in front of you.
6. Use relaxing music. Keep your favorite relaxation CD at the
office, in the car, or wherever you'll need it most.
7. Leave the room for a while. This can really help if the things
in the room or related to it are triggering your stressful thoughts.
Why not get out for a little while?
8. Breath deeply. Try five deep breaths through your nose. Close
your eyes and pay attention only to your breathing while doing this.
It's like a mini-meditation, and perhaps the most effective of the
quick relaxation techniques.
9. Drink some chamomile tea. Chamomile tea seems to have a
calming effect on the nerves. Any hot tea without caffeine may be
relaxing.
10. Walk a while. If you have at least ten minutes to spare,
walking is one of the best relaxation techniques. While you're at
it, find a pretty place to walk.
Naturally, it is ideal if you can change yourself, so you're
naturally more relaxed all of the time. Perhaps the thought of the
work involved in this just stresses you more. In that case you might
have to take it slow, so why not start with one or two of the simple
relaxation techniques above?
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