Anxiety and stress are now considered a natural part of our daily life. We tend to get stressed out over every single inconvenience we face. It is hard to figure out whether this stress is caused due to people’s ignorance towards mental health or the current scenario we are stuck in. The Pandemic has proven to be a very traumatic experience for the entire world. Moreover, the negative influence it has on our mental health has been disastrous. It has left us all alone, as the rules of social distancing indicate that one does not interact with anyone and maintains a distance of 6 feet from everyone else. We are forced to stay inside the vicinity of our own homes for the safety of everyone else. This situation has altered how we saw and lived everyday life.
The pandemic resembles something out of a zombie movie—the gloves, masks, the hazmat suits. Everyone is in fear of getting infected with the coronavirus. However, what scares people, even more, is the fact that they could infect a loved one. Thus, endangering their lives. It has been increasingly difficult to adapt to these new everyday norms. Hence, all of our collective attention is directed towards being as safe and away from the virus as possible.
In this article, we’ll be talking about a few ways how you can use other remedies similar to meditation to relax your mind and ease away the stress. We’ll also talk about how mediation works, how it decreases stress and all other benefits of meditation.
How does meditation help?
In all of this, we have forgotten to give ourselves some time to enjoy and relax. Meditation is one of the best ways to free up your mind from all the worries in the world and be at mental peace. It is a continuous process of teaching your mind to become more focused and give your thoughts a new direction. Furthermore, it helps people discover themselves and it has various health benefits. Think of it as a way of increasing your awareness of yourself and your surroundings. Thus, many individuals use it as a method of improving concentration and reducing anxiety. Meditation is known to improve mood, increase self-disciple, induce healthy sleeping patterns, and even increases pain tolerance in some cases.
Now, we’ll be talking about a few hacks that work just as well as meditation to relax your mind.
Sleep
A night of proper sleep is essential for decreasing stress and inducing relaxation. A lack of sleep is your worst nemesis. It can decrease your overall energy levels, kills productivity, and, worst of all, it worsens any normal situation into a hellish fever dream. Therefore, you must get a sufficient amount of sleep daily. Experts recommend that adults over the ages of 20 should get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep every day. The variable can change according to age and other factors.
Do you wish to live a relaxed and stress-free life? Go to sleep! Decrease the thermostat of your room, shut off all the light, stop using anything with a screen an hour earlier, and go to bed.
Research has proven that humans tend to fall asleep faster in a dark and chill environment. Thus, you must sleep in a dark room with as little light as possible, as you cannot afford to disturb your sleep. Having a good quality of sleep is far more essential than sleeping for a longer time. If it is hard for you to fall asleep or you suffer from insomnia, try using CBD tincture, read more about how to use it here. In just a few drops, you’ll be fast asleep.
Essential oils
You might have noticed the fragrance of essential oil when you enter a spa or a relaxation center. Even a few medical experts such as chiropractors take the help of essential oils to serenade their patients. Using essential oils can assist you in decreasing your stress and anxiety. It is great for providing you with peace of mind and brings you a sense of calamity. Try to light a scented candle or burn incense to add these essential oils to the atmosphere. Most modern humidifiers even use essential oils now.
Here are some examples of the most relaxing essential oils:
- Rose
- Roman chamomile
- Neroli
- Vetiver
- Bergamot
- Orange or orange blossom
- Sandalwood
- Ylang ylang
- Frankincense
- Lavender
- Geranium
Studies also suggest that aromatherapy provides its users with a better quality of sleep. Furthermore, this can further lead to the overall improvement of your sleeping pattern.
The use of supplements
The frequent use of anti-anxiety medication is a horrible idea and is advised against by most doctors. These drugs usually contain dangerous side effects that can lead to harm later in life. Therefore, try all-natural supplements that have relaxing and stress-reducing properties. Moreover, these supplements do not contain any after-effects and are great in providing you mental peace. To help you out a bit, we have compiled a list of some of the best supplements that will help you reach your happy place:
- Lemon balm
- Kratom
- Lavender
- Valerian
- Kava kava
- Ashwagandha
- Green tea
- CBD
Exercise frequently
Exercise is one of the greatest methods of reducing anxiety and inducing relaxation and sometimes used as a method of meditation among some people. Studies suggest that people who live a more energetic and active lifestyle are less likely to go through symptoms of stress compared to those who do not. Furthermore, consistency is the key to exercising. If you wish to procure all the benefits of exercise, then you have to work out regularly. Exercising once in a blue moon will do you no good. Therefore, try to exercise for 30 minutes every day or perform moderate to high-intensity exercise 4 times a week for best results.
It may seem surprising, nonetheless, physical activity is great for relaxation because it can easily uplift your mood.
Here are some reasons why exercise is great for relaxing:
- Stress hormones: working out reduces the production of cortisol. Exercise also releases endorphins(chemicals present in the brain, which improve your mood) in your body, which helps reduce anxiety.
- Sleep: working out consistently can exponentially improve the quality of your sleep, and as mentioned previously, sleep helps to combat stress.
- Confidence: exercising frequently tones your body, improves muscle growth, and vascularity. Thus, increasing your confidence. When you have a lower fat percentage, you automatically feel more confident.
Talk your heart out
Talking to your loved ones about your problems can be a great way of reducing stress and opening doors for relaxation. It would take away the burden from your chest. Especially for women, as it is essential for them to be socially interactive. A lot of studies have suggested that women who spend a large portion of their time among their loved ones produce more oxytocin. Another study showed that women who had a small social circle or fewer friends are more prone to fall into depression.
Bottom line
It isn’t very hard to get away from all the sources of stress in your life and relax. All you have to do is find the time. However, most of the hacks we have mentioned don’t require a lot of time, though, they do require consistency.
