When we think about stress, we often think about the physical facet of it and forget or ignore the mental or emotional parts. But the truth of the matter is that the latter is as important, sometimes even more so when it comes to our wellbeing. You can’t achieve true wellness with just a peak physical condition — your mind and heart should also feel at ease.
With that being said, here are some things you can do to feel more relaxed and achieve a sense of tranquility.
Gardening
There’s already plenty of scientific evidence that spending time in a natural environment can benefit both your physical and mental health. You’re away from the pollution of the city, you have a beautiful view, and the sounds you hear all evoke a peaceful and relaxing train of thought.
For those who do not have easy access to parks, beaches, or forest reserves, you can bring nature closer to you by cultivating a garden. There are a variety of ornamental plants, flowering and fruit-bearing trees and shrubs, and even herbs that are easy to care for even within a limited space. You can boost the feeling of tranquility by adding a fountain to your garden (be it indoors or outdoors); the sound of flowing water is a naturally soothing music!
Taking care of plants and flowers also has the added boost of giving you a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment when you see them thrive and bloom. Studies have also shown that gardening can improve one’s mental health and even reduce feelings depression and anxiety.
Journaling
Being thankful is something that not many people are actually good at, especially because we tend to focus on the things that go wrong instead of the small triumphs that we achieve every single day. This attitude — putting our attention on the negative — is very stressful indeed.
Writing down the things you are thankful for in a journal may serve you well for this purpose. And don’t confine yourself to your personal triumphs, either. Include everything and anything that made you feel good, no matter how small and no matter who did it. And you don’t have to do it in the traditional “Dear Diaryâ€way; if lists work better for you, then go write down a list!
Doing Something for Yourself
Think and take care of yourself first, instead of worrying too much about others. When you are healthy, you can perform your responsibilities more effectively and derive more joy in it as well because you won’t grow to resent it.
Do something that you love and makes you feel good — read books, do some volunteer work, exercise, play some games, try a new hobby, maybe even treat yourself to a luxurious massage at a spa or a really fancy dinner. And remember to take care of yourself not just for the sake of it; take the time to really enjoy what you are doing!
Deep Breathing
Deep breathing is like the built-in reset button of our body. It’s simple but effective, and even just a series of five deep breaths can do you a lot of good. Apart from calming your mind, deep breathing exercises have also been proven to improve blood flow, reduce pain (due to the release of endorphins), and increase your energy levels. Proper breathing can also help you improve your posture.
Do Nothing
Some people get antsy when they don’t have anything to do because they feel like they are wasting time. However, “doing nothing†does not necessarily mean being unproductive. In fact, psychologists and neuroscientists actually recommend dedicating some time every day doing nothing — and literally nothing, not even watching TV or scrolling through your social media feeds — to help our brains process the load of information that encounters everyday. These include memories, experiences, new tidbits of learning, and even the way we felt as we experienced certain things.
When we feel stressed, the entire body is affected. So don’t forget to spend some time to relax not just physically but also mentally and emotionally. You’ll feel better and healthier when you give your whole self some time to rejuvenate!
Brought to you by our friends at kineticfountains.com.