Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 4: Accepting stress
• Part 2 of 4: Relaxing your body
• Part 3 of 4: Relaxing your mind
• Part 4 of 4: Staying relaxed around stressed people
• Tips
• Warnings

Knowing how to relax is essential to your health and well-being, and it can bring the passion and joy back into your life. When you let stress affect you, it can lead to depression, illness, weight gain and a feeling of general malaise. Here's how to manage anxiety and how to relax.

To step

Part 1 of 4: Accepting stress

1. Recognize stress. Some stress is clearly good for us - it adds interest, tension and motivation to life, in the right balance.When the stress level in your life causes you to tolerate things that continuously hurt or worry you, you run the risk of too much stress. These are signs that you could be too stressed:
   • You are constantly only busy with work. It could be your own business, a career, a paid job, a position as a house mother or father, or anything else that completely consumes your time and life, and this overconcentration makes you passive, disappointed, unhappy, and leaves you feeling emptied .
   • You experience permanent body tension, including headaches, neck cramps, backaches and general stiffness.
   • You are often irritable, passionate, and you may not be able to concentrate on completing tasks. You get angry easily about small things.
   • It feels like you have too many balls in the air and you can't stop juggling.
   • Your sleep is a battlefield and you wake up tired rather than refreshed. Insomnia has become the norm rather than an occasional occurrence.
   • You eat too much or too little. Or you opt for unhealthy food.
   • You can't remember the last time you had a good laugh and your sense of humor is unlike anything.
2. Set aside time to relax. If you have accepted that there are negative stressors that affect your life, it is important to make room for relaxation from all the busy things you do. Ways to prepare to return relaxation to your routine include:
   • Let go of guilt. Many religious and cultural attitudes place great emphasis on the value of hard work. Over time, and now even more so with the advent of smart technology that allows us to be constantly accessible, many of us have come to believe that being “on the road” is the only way to prove our worth. Having an unrealistic interpretation of "hard work" will exhaust you. Hard work is giving your tasks the attention they deserve on the time they deserve, not letting them take you all day long!
   • Accept that sleep is a very important part of life. During sleep, your mind continues to learn in ways that it cannot while awake. Sleep restores and refreshes your bodies in a myriad of ways that cannot happen while you are awake. Don't be tempted to lower the value of sleep. Plus, some people's supposed ability to thrive on four hours of sleep a night is the exception, not the rule - most of us need the six to eight hour sleep cycle for full recovery.
   • Make time for relaxation in your daily schedule. Think of it as an appointment with your most important customer - you - that you absolutely cannot skip or cancel.
   • When you are at home, write the relaxation time in black ink on a calendar for everyone to see. Thus, the whole family will appreciate the importance of making time to relax.
   • Recognize that finding your own optimal ways to relax can take time with some trial and error. Don't give up - keep looking until you find the right combination of activities to relax and rediscover your enthusiasm for living fully.

Part 2 of 4: Relaxing your body

1. Practice breathing techniques. Slow down your breathing and actively focus on it. This is always the easiest way to calm yourself, if you take advantage of it.
   • Inhale through your nose and out through your mouth.
   • Take a deep breath in as you count to five, hold your breath for a count of five, then exhale slowly, counting to five. Do this ten times to relax your muscles and nerves. As you exhale, visualize the stress and tension leaving your body through your breath.
2. Make healthy food choices. Eating right will keep your body healthy and in balance, so you are less prone to sugar spikes and feelings of anxiety. Try to moderate in these areas:
   • Avoid the large amounts of refined sugar in granola bars, pastries, or lemonade. Carbohydrates, such as pasta, are easily converted into sugar. This can cause large changes in your sugar level and lead to irritation, so that your body can use energy less efficiently.
   • Avoid a lot of caffeine. Too much caffeine can make you feel agitated and irritated. Try not to drink caffeine after 1 or 2 pm, don't take too much caffeine in the morning and keep your intake the same every day. If you need to drink more coffee than necessary, switch to decaffeinated coffee or an herbal tea with little or no caffeine.
   • Eat fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains that are free of refined sugar, such as apples, grapes, carrots, broccoli, brown rice, or whole grain bread.
   • Eat plenty of low-calorie protein, such as chicken, fish, whole grains, legumes, dark leafy greens, or low-fat dairy. These proteins are a better source of energy.
   • Take multi vitamins. Some vitamins reduce stress. Vitamin B and Vitamin D are especially good for relaxation.
3. Exercise every day. This is the best known, scientifically proven way to significantly reduce stress. You will be amazed how much easier it is to overcome stress if you exercise regularly. Here are some ideas to try:
   • Aim for at least 30 minutes a day of moderate activity.
   • Walk in the park, in the woods, or on a treadmill.
   • Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
   • Park a little further away from the entrance of a store.
   • Go cycling.
   • Go for a swim. Try a pool or lake nearby, or a friend or family member's house.
   • Do stretching exercises. Drop your shoulders to help you relax. Be more aware of the tension that quickly builds up in your shoulders and the area around your neck.
4. Try a massage. Go to a spa for a great massage. If you untie the knots in your body you are well aware to untie the knots in your mind.

Part 3 of 4: Relaxing your mind

1. Think positive. Positive thinking doesn't just mean dreaming or doing "wishful thinking"; it's about getting the most out of situations you go through and avoiding negative thinking.
   • Use visualization techniques. You may not feel calm and relaxed, but evoking a calm and relaxed scene in your mind can work really well in changing your outlook. Picture beaches, imagine lying quietly, going for a walk, etc., to help you stay relaxed.
   • Use affirmations to change your outlook on life and avoid making negative conclusions all the time. Affirmations are short, powerful statements that build you up and boost your confidence, helping you to expect positive outcomes. Be careful about the words you choose - the things you say about yourself over and over will make you believe in them. Use positive, credible, and caring words about yourself.
   • Teach yourself to take a step back and see the "bigger picture" when you are in a difficult situation. Recognize that most problems are temporary and small setbacks on the way to achieving bigger goals.
2. Think logically and control your emotions. If you learn to think more logically when you're stressed, solutions can become clearer.
   • View your stressors objectively. Look realistically at what you're worried about, and think about what advice you would give a friend in such a situation. Then follow your own advice.
   • Change your ways. If the problem is something you do, change the way you act or react. Listen to those around you to discover and correct what you may be misunderstanding or doing.
3. Find a quiet place if you feel overwhelmed and indulge yourself.
   • Take a warm bath. Light candles around the bathtub, turn off the lights and add bubbles or lavender if you wish.
   • Lie on the bed or on the couch. Play soft music or a CD with nature sounds. Relax while listening to the ocean, waterfalls or birds.
   • Read a good book. Curl up on the couch with a blanket and a cup of chamomile tea.
   • Imagine a personal paradise. Close your eyes and imagine a different environment. What do you see around you? Is there a light wind? What do you hear - birds or water? Imagine the calming sound of waves hitting the shore. Enjoy a moment in your special place.
   • Even the toilet at work is an ideal "quiet place" to take a break when you have no other place to go.
4. Do not feel guilty. Guilt is a major source of stress. Get rid of the source of guilt by behaving well; stop doing things that make you feel guilty. Seek professional help if necessary, but don't let destructive behavior aggravate and sabotage your life and health.
5. Learn to prioritize. Make a to-do list for the day. Organize the list by importance, and be proactive and handle things before they become a big deal. Time spent productively means you have more time to relax.
   • Work! While this may sound counterproductive when you're trying to relax, procrastinating never feels as good as when you don't have to do anything. Complete your tasks now, then you can really relax.
6. Meditate. Remove all thoughts and emotions from your mind by focusing on your breath. Meditation allows you to focus on your whole being as a form of relaxation, instead of focusing on just one area of ​​your body as with other relaxation techniques. It may take you a while to get the hang of it, but it is well worth it.
   • Start with a sitting position for at least 15 minutes per session, and build up to 45-60 minutes per session.
   • Try to meditate regularly.
   • Find a reputable mentor if you are having trouble learning meditation on your own.
   • Avoid taking an intense, competitive, or frustrated approach to meditation - all of these emotions miss the mark!
7. Consider self-hypnosis. Concentrate on something, take a few deep breaths and let yourself be hypnotized. If you have trouble with self-hypnosis, see a licensed hypnotherapist. Don't let an amateur try to hypnotize you, and be wary of subconscious messages.
8. Do activities or hobbies that relax you. Distract your attention from the things that normally stress you out. Maybe you just need a break every now and then.
   • Go fishing, sewing, singing, painting, or photographing.
   • Try to sing a song with numbers instead of words. Singing can help distract you from stress or relax suddenly.
   • Use music as a relaxation therapy. Spin it as hard or as soft as you want, whichever is the easiest for you.
9. Spend time with your pet. Cuddle or play with your pets. They will like it and you will too. Talk to your pet about any stress and concerns you have and you will feel a lot better. Pet therapy is a great way to relax; you can also learn how your pet relaxes (note, animals don't have lasting guilt!).
10. (Smile. Laughter is the best medicine. Rent, buy or watch a funny movie. This will certainly help. Smile and smile produce endorphins, which fight stress, help you relax, and remind you that life is more than just work. Even if it feels strange at first, make it a point to smile more often.

Part 4 of 4: Staying relaxed around stressed people

Sometimes the negativity and unrealistic expectations of other people can distract you from your determination to make relaxation a valuable part of your life. Don't let that happen. Instead, consider the following suggestions to help you stay relaxed with people who aren't.

1. Develop an invisible shield between yourself and stressed people. This is really a visualization technique, where you imagine yourself in a cocoon, protecting against the negative energy of the stressed people around you. See their behavior and attitudes for what they are, recognize what their stress is doing to them but don't let this get through your shield.
   • Don't carry the weight of the world on your shoulders - these people are making a choice to behave like this, and you don't have to participate.
   • Shutting yourself off from the stress of others can be difficult at first, especially if you are naturally empathetic, but keep practicing until you naturally stop paying attention to their negativity.
2. Shut yourself off. Put the phone away, close the e-mail folder, walk away. If you have a tendency to immediately react angrily to someone who angered you, don't. When we feel angry and stressed, we are more likely to see malicious intent in our interactions and when we act on it, our self-righteous anger can confirm itself when the person responds negatively. Sleep on it and use the relaxation techniques described here.
   • Write a version of your answer and leave it for a day. If everything in it is still true 24 hours later, consider sending it. If not, you'll be glad you waited.
   • Walk away and release the pressure. Instead of acting in anger, you can remove yourself from the situation until you are calm again.
3. Avoid toxic personalities. Spend less time with people who want to make you feel guilty or say you're not good enough. Yes, even if it is family.
   • Avoid people who constantly complain or are negative. Stress can be contagious, so avoid sources of contagion. Understand that there is always a solution to a problem, even if they don't want to see it.
   • Avoid people who always feel hurt (and don't do that yourself!). Some people have turned feeling misery into an art form. You don't need their negativity, any more than their greedy need to see the bad in everything.
4. Give hugs. Start a charm offensive and comfort people who seem miserable and negative. Caring touch reduces stress and promotes relaxation. Say hello and goodbye to your hugs friends and family members, and don't be afraid to comfort someone with a hug, or ask for a hug if you feel overwhelmed.
5. Know when to let go. If you value your relationships, like most people, it can be challenging to realize that there are people who are just too toxic or needy to keep in your circle of friends because they suck your energy and make you constantly stressed. Sometimes it is better to let go, if you do that after thinking about it carefully. Don't be judgmental, hurtful, or blunt; just get on with your life.
6. Spend time with people who radiate warmth and with whom you truly feel connected. Contact with positive-thinking and happy people greatly expands your capabilities and helps you feel more relaxed and happy.

Tips

• Tidy up your home or living space. It is very difficult to relax in a house where clutter always gets in the way and controls your life.
• Have confidence! Do not give up. Continue these relaxation techniques. You "can" reduce your stress levels. By visiting this site and seeking help, you are well on your way.
• Get 8-10 hours of sleep every night to get a good rest. This is also better for your health!
• Don't worry about the actions of people who should know better but take their own frustrations and lack of self-knowledge out on you. Let their frustrations and ill-considered actions slide away like water from a duck's back.
• Let water relax you. Create a small fountain in your bedroom or garden. Stroll by the beach or a lake. The calming sounds of water can be very soothing.
• You don't have to train like a bodybuilder or celebrity. See movement in perspective so that you can actually do it and enjoy it, instead of fearing it and avoiding it. A daily walk of 20 minutes is enough if you are only interested in that.
• Read a book or an article that makes you think. Read about an inspiring leader, such as Martin Luther King, or find out what Frankl wrote about the mind. Inspirational thoughts can lead to a more positive outlook on life and provide new energy.
• Download e-books about relaxation. Use controlled breathing, muscle exercises, affirmations (messages embedded in your subconscious mind) and visualization to experience the full impact of total relaxation.
• Sometimes put yourself first. We often think about other people's problems and get more stressed every day. However, don't become selfish.
• While you eliminate sugar from your diet, you can continue to crave it and become agitated. Be strong. After a few days, the craving will fade and you will feel calmer.Also try adding cinnamon to your food. It will reduce cravings for sweets.
• Imagine packing all your troubles in a box and not going to open it for a long time.
• If nothing works, try creating your own relaxation chart. If that doesn't work, listen to calming nature sounds and imagine you're there.
• Listen to relaxing trance music (instrumental) so that you can relax and don't think about anything. Create a trance playlist so you don't have to keep choosing a new song.

Warnings

• Thousands of people become addicted to drugs and alcohol unnoticed in times of severe stress. Practice resilience to prevent this from happening to you. One of the hardest parts of dealing with stress is recognizing and avoiding temptations that mask it instead of heal it.
• Consult your doctor if stress is causing severe symptoms such as headaches, poor appetite or general fatigue.