Have you ever heard someone say, “relax, don’t worry about it so much?” That seems like a great idea, right? Of course, we know that it is not that easy. If we could all just relax, there would be a lot of relaxed people in the world rather than a bunch of anxious and stressed out people. Really though, it would be nice to learn how to teach ourselves to relax, wouldn’t it?
There really are many ways to help you relax, with and without medication. However, what helps one person may not help another. Everyone is different and has their own way of relaxing.
While some may feel relaxed listening to classical music, others may relax by cutting logs or hammering nails. Some people actually throw things to relax themselves. Not things that will break or damage anything. Pillows or stuffed animals, something soft. Here are some other ways to calm down.
Meditation
An ancient art, meditation has been used for thousands of years. Originally started as a way to understand the mystical force of life, it was found that what it actually does is help you focus and relax. By focusing your attention on your breathing and inner self, you push out the other thoughts that don’t belong in there.
Many experts say that meditation can increase self-awareness, decrease negative feelings, and can even help with other issues like asthma, headaches, hypertension, and heart disease. There are different types of meditation though, which include:
- Tai Chi: A gentle martial art that includes movements and postures while practicing deep breathing.
- Yoga: A popular form of meditation, yoga is similar to Tai Chi as it includes moves and poses but is more about stretching and becoming flexible.
- Mantra: Repeating a word or phrase over and over in your head while letting go of your emotions and distracting thoughts.
- Transcendental Meditation: By repeating a word or phrase over and over, your body will enter into a state of relaxation and it allows your mind to become peaceful. Similar to Mantra meditation but there is a certain way to repeat the word or phrase that makes it easier to let go of your troubles.
- Qi Gong: A combination of breathing, physical movements, relaxation, and meditation to retain and maintain balance.
- Mindfulness: Focusing on what you are experiencing as you sit in a certain position while breathing deeply and concentrating on your breathing, letting go of your thoughts and feelings.
Exercise
It is true that any type of physical activity is good for you both physically and mentally. In fact, studies have shown that just 15 minutes of running per day can reduce depression and anxiety by 26%.
Working your muscles helps relax them, which releases a lot of stress and negative feelings in your body. Not only does it work for your muscles, but it also increases the endorphins in your body, which is a hormone that improves your mood.
Sleep
Getting the right amount of sleep is extremely important in relaxation. When you are tired, you get stressed out. Your body is overworked, and you will have a hard time relaxing.
In fact, the longer you go without sleep, the harder it will be to get to sleep. Similar to children who are overtired, when your body gets overtired so does your mind, and it has a hard time shutting down so you can relax.
Online therapy
There are many online therapy websites and apps to choose from that can help with anxiety. BetterHelp.com is one of them and it seems promising. You can get their service available 24/7/365 and you do not have to leave your house to talk to them. Use your phone, tablet, laptop, or computer to contact them and they will answer you within a short amount of time.
Medication
If your anxiety is extremely bad, is interfering in your daily activities on a regular basis, and you have tried therapy, medication may be the right choice for you. A doctor or psychiatrist will have to decide what you need and there are a lot of choices. Benzodiazepines like Ativan or Xanax are popular choices, Buspirone is an anxiety drug that has been proven to work, and there are dozens of types of antidepressants that help thousands of people every day. Talk to your therapist about getting the right help for you.
About Author
Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health-related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.
