What do we do to relax? How to learn to relax: effective relaxation techniques

Coming home after a hard day at work, we naturally want to relax. But not every person knows how to do it correctly. It's actually quite simple. It only takes a little time to get back to normal..I will share with you how you can relax after working day at home and outside the home.

After a working day, I, like any person, need rest. But how can you relax when you have big family, requiring attention? Cook dinner, check homework, iron clothes for the next day. All this and more have already become an integral part of our lives. With such a rhythm, all you want is to just lie down and sleep. What will happen tomorrow? Tomorrow the alarm will ring again and everything will start all over again. With such a rhythm of life, it is difficult to find time for yourself and your loved one. Constant stress and lack of sleep, sooner or later, will take their toll.

But even left alone with myself, I could not rest well. The house seems quiet and cozy. But I couldn’t get rid of the strange feeling of being lost. Every time my eyelids closed, I found myself thinking that I had forgotten to do something. And no matter how hard I tried to distract myself, nothing helped.

So you can easily relax before bed at home

One day, waking up on Saturday morning, I realized that any more time and I would have a nervous breakdown. To avoid this, I had to put aside all household chores and get serious about solving the problem. So, after some time, I learned to relax properly. I learned for myself the most effective methods, and now I actively use them.

Hot bath - This best medicine. Water can have a beneficial effect on the body. It doesn't matter if it's just a shower or long stay in water. Either way, it will reduce stress and improve your mood. True, I would recommend tidying up the bathroom hot water and add various oils and salts there. This will help you calm down completely.

To achieve a relaxing effect, it is better to take a bath in the evening. Warm or hot water works well. She will help calm you down nervous system and relieve stress after have a hard day. But to recharge your energy, it is better to use a contrast shower.

I think that advice on listening to music for relaxation will not surprise anyone. And we all know that its sounds can affect us - both positively and negatively. Human body easily responds to vibration frequency. Thus, due to personal individual vibrational rhythms, each of us develops our own musical taste.

To relax, it is advisable to choose pleasant and calm melodies.

• Watching your favorite movie and reading your favorite book

Films that can relax should attract with their plot. Immersion in an atmosphere that is interesting to you will perfectly relieve painful thoughts after hours. True, there are not so many such paintings and books in our time. But perhaps you already have something similar in your home collection.

• Physical activity: exercises, gymnastics

You can achieve relaxation by doing simple exercises.

First, let's look at the exercises in the "lying" position.

• You need to stretch your arms out in front of you. After that, lift them up. Tighten up. Then you can relax them by slowly lowering them down.
• Raise your legs up and tense. Then calmly lower it, relaxing.
• Raise your torso and lower it slowly. Repeat the exercise with turning your head, now to the right, now to the left.

We perform the following exercises in a sitting position.

Now let's look at the standing position.

• You need to raise your arms up and bend your back slightly, tensing your muscles.
• Place your hands on your belt and bend over. Forward, backward, left and right.
• Exercise "mill". Here you need to do circular movements hands.

In order to relax after work, you can also go for a run. But it is advisable to run until you feel slightly tired, and then the nervous fatigue will subside.

• Small solution home problems

If there is no time for physical exercise or listening to light songs, you can always do household chores. But it is not advisable to grab hard work. You need to pay attention to light family chores. For example, some people love to cook. Therefore, for them, preparing a family dinner becomes the best vacation.

• Relaxing tea

For me, tea is life. I really love the tea drinking process. This is probably why relaxing tea helps me so much. One of the simplest, in my opinion, cooking recipes, many consider brewing green tea.

We very often hear about beneficial properties this drink. But if we add a few more ingredients, we get a healthier tea.

So, we will need:

• a glass of milk;
• glass of water;
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon;
• ¼ cup sugar, preferably brown.

It really helps you relax and enjoy life.

Sometimes, in addition to relaxing within the walls of the house, I use other methods of relaxation. Every person needs to change their environment at least once every two weeks.

• Visit to the spa

Not long ago I was invited to a spa for the first time in my life. I didn’t know what procedures awaited me here, as I decided that they would be a surprise. Now I don’t even remember all the secrets and subtleties, so I won’t talk about them. But I will definitely recommend it to all my friends to try it.

Of course, lying on the couch at home and watching an interesting movie is always a pleasure. But we want to change the situation, get new impressions? Then don't be lazy to visit the cinema. These are completely different emotions! Here I forget that there are a lot of people around. I buy myself popcorn. I make myself comfortable in the chair. And after immersing myself in the film, I don’t even remember the problems that bothered me before.

• Meeting with friends in a restaurant or cafe

• Massage

What could be better than a massage? It's a wonderful feeling when every cell in your body relaxes. After a professional massage, it is generally difficult to think about anything. The only desire is to continue to drift on the waves of pleasure. During the procedure, thoughts about work will not arise. And after such relaxation, a charge of vigor and freshness is absolutely guaranteed.

Ours is excessive active life With constant voltage and stress can lead to serious problems with health. Every person needs periodic relaxation and rest. Unfortunately, in most cases this concept is inextricably linked with a lot of spending money and alcohol. It’s worth thinking about how you can relax in simple home conditions, without huge costs and the use of substances harmful to the body.

How to relax without alcohol

For many people, alcohol seems to be the only effective solution any psychological problem. Indeed, its effect on the brain allows you to calm down for a while. However, after its effect wears off, our brain suffers from a lack of concentration and activity. As a result, the next day we are even more tired.

If you are serious about your own health, then you will think about how to learn to relax using available and completely harmless means. If you use your imagination, it turns out that there is great amount activities that allow you to relax mentally or physically.

If finances allow, you can go to a massage parlor or swimming pool. If you want to calm down and take a break from your daily routine without extra expenses, you can put on sportswear and sneakers and make a small circle in the yard. This will not only put your thoughts in order, but will also help keep your body in shape.

If you don’t want to go outside, you can think about how to effectively relax at home and turn to yoga classes for this. It is attractive because after performing fairly simple but physically demanding actions, it is time to meditate to pleasant music. This allows you to relax your whole body and free your brain from extraneous obsessive thoughts.

It is worth citing a few more methods on how to relax without alcohol in your own home:

• Reading jokes and funny stories;
• Watching a light television show;
• Listening to your favorite music;
• Cooking delicious food;
• House cleaning;
• Taking a shower or bath;
• Sports, yoga, gymnastics;
• Massage;
• Playing a guitar, synthesizer or other instrument;
• Computer games;
• Board games;
• Solving crossword puzzles.

In fact, there are over 200 ways to learn how to relax after a hard day at work. At the same time, it is not at all necessary to go to the store for beer or wine.

Relaxing your mind and body before sex

If you live with a loved one, then one of the ways to relax can be having sex. However, according to psychologists, very few people know how to really relax during this activity and get maximum pleasure from it. It's interesting to think about what this is connected with and how to relax during sex in order to get an influx of energy the next day.

First, remember that sex is not an easy exercise for two. Sex is the union of bodies and two minds, it is physical expression love. In many religions, sex has a special ritual significance. So why not find out how to learn to relax during this already enjoyable activity. After all, the kisses and hugs of a loved one magically relieve all the fatigue and tension that has accumulated throughout the day.

In order to get maximum pleasure and sex itself does not seem boring, you should prepare in advance. To get it out of my head intrusive thoughts about the past day, you can take a shower or enjoy a fragrant bath with oils and foam. This will clear your body and mind. Moreover, it is very important for any woman to always look beautiful. And it’s very difficult to relax before sex, knowing that you look tired and not particularly attractive.

You cannot ignore the environment. Muffled light, soft bed and erotic lingerie will allow you to quickly calm down and forget about oppressive problems. In addition, such an environment will add additional excitement for both partners.

If you still can’t get annoying thoughts about problems and daily affairs out of your head, you should give in to sexual dreams and fantasies. Our brain is designed in such a way that even mental experiences and imaginations of sexual scenes allow us to obtain some pleasure. This is why it is important to pay Special attention the question of how to relax as much as possible before sex with your loved one.

7 ways to relax before bed

If you have trouble sleeping, suffer from insomnia or nightmares, you should reconsider your evening activities. For example, watching mystical films or thrillers does not allow us to relax during sleep, as our brain tries to digest the information received. And if the film left a lot vivid impressions, then insomnia and further lack of sleep are guaranteed.

Therefore, it is worth thinking about how to learn to relax in evening time and how to properly prepare for bed. After all, from healthy dreams recovery of strength the next day depends. If the night is not a success, then in the morning you will feel an irresistible apathy and, as a result, a strong decrease in productivity and mood.

if you have favorite hobby or a hobby, then the time to pay attention to it is in the evening before bed.

Here are some things you can do to help you quickly calm down and clear your mind:

• Reading your favorite books;
• Listening to classical music;
• Watching cartoons;
• Walk outside;
• Embroidery or knitting;
• Collecting puzzles;
• Drawing.

All of these activities are suitable for use at home, where you can put on your favorite soft pajamas and completely devote yourself to what you like most.

When you turn off the lights and lie down in a soft bed, but still cannot fall asleep, try to prepare yourself psychologically for sweet and joyful dreams. To do this, you can introduce meditation and complete relaxation of the body into practice. It's very easy to learn how to do it.

To do this, just use the following step-by-step instructions:

• Lie down and close your eyes;
• Take a comfortable position and allow your muscles to completely relax;
• Even out your breathing, it should be even and deep;
• Pay attention to your left leg, feel how every cell of it relaxes from the toes to the thigh;
• Do the same with the right leg, arms, stomach, chest and neck;
• Pay special attention to relaxing your head;
• When the body is completely relaxed, imagine as vividly as possible how you leave it lying on the bed, and yourself, being weightless, go up;
• Imagine what your house, city, country looks like from above;
• Mentally go to the ocean and visualize flying over its surface;
• Try to hear its noise and feel the touch of water.

Such visualizations will help you quickly calm down and relieve nervous tension. When you try to clearly imagine a picture of a city or water, try to hear the sound of the surf or feel the touch of water, then your brain simply cannot be distracted by understanding the problems. Therefore, meditation as a way is an excellent solution to quickly relax before bed.

Anna Krachek 09/6/2015 2801

Stress kills thousands nerve cells in a matter of minutes. We learn to quickly get rid of it.

There are times in life when all the bad things come at once: problems at work, tension in relationships with your husband, children’s reluctance to study, lack of money. You rush around like a squirrel in a wheel, trying to bring life back to normal, but you feel that a little more and your nerves will give in.

Stop for a minute, catch your breath, and try one of these quick relaxation techniques. They won’t take much of your time, but your mood will immediately improve and stress will subside.

Hot bath with essential oils

A bath filled with hot water is one of the most affordable and effective means to relieve stress at home. The principle of its operation is very simple: plunging into hot water, it’s as if you again find yourself in your mother’s womb, where you felt warm, calm and good.

Add a few drops of essential oil to the bath and you will greatly enhance the effect of the procedure. Oils of lavender, orange, ylang-ylang, bergamot, and mint are known for their relaxing effect on the nervous system. The oil must be diluted in some base (milk, base oil, honey), and the resulting mixture must be dissolved in water.

Be careful: the bath water should not be too hot, otherwise it may adversely affect the work of cardio-vascular system. The optimal temperature is 37-38 degrees.

Meditation

IN eastern cultures Meditation is the main method of dealing with stress and gaining inner harmony. Why don't we try it for ourselves?

For a meditation session, you will need a secluded place where no one and nothing will distract you from the process. If the weather permits, go outside: to the lawn in a small park or to the river bank.

Take the most comfortable position for you (it is not at all necessary to sit in the lotus position), breathe deeply and evenly, relax all your muscles as much as possible. Try to throw away all thoughts about problems, affairs and feelings. Focus on the breathing process, be aware of each inhalation and exhalation.

During meditation, try not to move or be distracted by extraneous noises. Pronouncing a monotonous sound such as “Mmmmm” can help with this, but this is not at all necessary.

If you can spend at least 5-10 minutes in a state of immersion, you will feel much calmer and relaxed.

Neuromuscular relaxation

This relaxation technique is often used during hypnosis sessions, but it can also work well for stress relief at home.

Take a comfortable position. It is best to lie on the floor with your legs and arms spread apart. You can also sit in a comfortable chair or on a sofa. Turn off the TV and music, ask your family not to disturb you or make noise for 15-20 minutes.

Close your eyes and begin to mentally relax every muscle in your body. Imagine how your legs become warm and heavy, you cannot lift them off the floor. Then do the same for your hands. After this, imagine your body going limp. Lastly, relax your neck and face, allowing your head to hang freely. Stay in this position for a few minutes, trying not to move.

Finish the session by stretching as if you had just woken up. You will be surprised how much your well-being and mood will improve!

Output of aggression

This method is good if for some reason you are very nervous and angry. If aggression is not released in time, it will cause considerable damage to your health: suppressed emotions lead to nervous breakdowns and emergence.

Don't take your anger out on your colleagues or family; instead, take a pillow and beat it well, imagining the person who made you angry. With each blow, you will feel the negative energy leaving, and calmness taking its place.

There is one more good way get rid of bad emotions, but to perform it you will need all your acting skills and good imagination. Imagine that your left hand suddenly went crazy: she convulses, moves absolutely chaotically, you cannot control her. The more “wild” the movements are, the better!

Now imagine that the madness spread to right hand. Then - on the legs and torso. Move your arms and legs as you please, move your pelvis and other parts of your body intensively. After 5 minutes, stop and restore your breathing. The effect of such a “wild dance” is simply incredible! About stress and nervous tension you won't even remember.

By the way, it is better to perform this exercise in solitude. Otherwise, there is a high risk of ending up seeing a psychiatrist.

Pets

Cats, dogs, horses and other animals, being close to a person, help relieve stress and calm. If you have a pet, pick him up, pet him, and play with his favorite toys.

If you haven't got a pet yet, feed homeless animals or go to a shelter: volunteers are always needed there. This way you will not only relax and relieve stress, but also do a truly good deed. And who knows: maybe you will find yourself best friend for life.

We need anxiety and stress to protect ourselves from danger. The brain evaluates the surrounding situation. If something threatens our safety, it puts the body into combat mode to fight and run away. But most stressful situations that we encounter every day does not kill us. Maybe we're arguing with colleagues, studying for an exam, or going on a first date. In such conditions, the body's reactions only get in the way, we get nervous and cannot concentrate on work, remember information or engage in creativity.

You need to turn off the tension and relax. But how to do this if you are worried? The brain is overstimulated, and self-conviction that everything is fine and you need to pull yourself together does not work.

Do not confuse relaxation and rest. Nobody bothers you to sit and do nothing at the same time, but at the same time worry and worry. So just taking a break from work will not help you relax and calm your nervous system.

The best option is to act from the body, that is, relax the muscles and remove the consequences. The brain will decide that since the body is calm, there is no danger, then it can calm down.

To do this, try the deep relaxation technique offered by the charity No Panic, which helps people with anxiety and panic disorders.

Start relaxing

To feel the effect of your first classes, find a comfortable and quiet place where you will not be distracted for at least five minutes. It’s better to practice the technique at home, in cozy clothes, and then repeat it in other conditions.

Turn off the music, turn off the lights if possible and sit in a comfortable position. Breathe freely when doing the exercises, do not hold your breath or try to breathe deeply. Think that you only need to relax, nothing more.

Feel the difference between tension and relaxation

To relax, you need to feel the tension. Start with your hands. Clench your fists as hard as you can and count to 10. Then relax your fists so that your fingers rest freely on your knees or any other surface. Feel how your hands move differently when they are tense and relaxed, remember the moment of relaxation and leave your hands in a calm state.

Then you need to take turns tensing and relaxing the muscles throughout your body in the following order:

• Forearms. Bend your elbows and try to press your fists to your shoulders.
• Muscles of the back of the arms. Straighten your arms as far as you can.
• Shoulders. Raise your shoulders towards your ears.
• Neck. Tilt your head back.
• Forehead. Raise your eyebrows as if asking a question.
• Eyelids. Close your eyes tightly.
• Jaw. Clench your teeth.
• Tongue and throat. Press your tongue onto the roof of your mouth.
• Lips. Purse your lips tightly, as if you want to hold something small with them.
• Breast. Do deep breath and hold your breath.
• Stomach. Tighten your abdominal muscles as if preparing for a punch.
• Hips and lower back. Arch your back and squeeze your buttocks.
• Legs. Straighten your legs and pull your toes back.

Tighten your muscles to the maximum for 10 seconds, and then relax them and listen to the difference in sensations.

Let your body get used to relaxation

Sit in silence with your muscles relaxed for a few more minutes to remember how your body feels at rest.

You may not relax completely the first time, but if you regularly practice and struggle with this technique, you will soon feel that five minutes is enough for you to calm down and manage your emotions again.

Subsequently, you will learn to relax even on the go: for example, relax your arms and back when going to work, and your legs when sitting at the computer.