6 Relaxation Tips: How to De-Stress and Recharge
Knowing some relaxation tips and techniques to be able to practice daily is a great way to help with stress management. Taking time to de-stress and recharge is more than simply calming, but may help you cope better with daily stressors and avoid long term effects of stress on the body.
Whether you need help getting your stress under control or you are looking for new methods to add to your repertoire, we’re taking a look at six relaxation tips and techniques you can easily integrate into your daily routine.
The Benefits of Learning How to De-Stress
Learning how to de-stress and manage stress in your everyday life using simple relaxation tips is incredibly beneficial to both your mental and physical health. Relaxation for stress management helps us do things like:
- Reduce blood pressure naturally
- Get better sleep quality
- Make better decisions and process things more easily
- Lower risk of stress-related illnesses or diseases
- Improve attitude and elevate your mood
Following relaxation tips to help manage stress can even be beneficial for dealing with future stressors more effectively. It’s a skill set that may benefit people of any age and lifestyle.
Simple Relaxation Tips and Techniques
On to the relaxation tips and techniques, then, right? The great thing about knowing how to de-stress with simple relaxation tips is that they don’t have to take a lot of time during your day. We know you’ve probably got a busy schedule juggling work, family, friends, and your personal life--that’s why you need these tips! We’re taking a look at a few relaxation tips you can easily integrate into your morning, while on the go, or even as part of a relaxing night time routine.
Some of our favorite relaxation tips and techniques are:
- Practice breathing exercises
- Write out your thoughts
- Relax your muscles
- Try meditation techniques
- Listen to calming music
- Simple exercises to help de-stress
Relaxation Tip #1: Practice Breathing Exercises for Stress
Practicing breathing exercises for stress is one of the easiest relaxation tips and techniques you can do anytime and anywhere. Ideally you’ll want to find a quiet, safe space for you to do your breathing exercises. It doesn’t have to be a dedicated room, though! This could be while alone in a break room at work, sitting in your car in a parking lot, or at home on a couch, zero gravity chair, or recliner.
One of the simplest breathing exercises for how to de-stress begins by placing one hand on your stomach and breathing in slowly while counting to three. Hold it briefly, then exhale slowly for another three count. Be present and mindful of how your body feels and changes with these breaths. Feel how your stomach expands as you breathe in, how the breath feels, and how you feel on the exhale. Repeat this simple breathing exercise as many times as needed (we suggest at least five times) until you begin to feel more calm.
Relaxation Tip #2: Writing to Reduce Stress
There are lots of brain games you can play that may help when learning how to de-stress, but one of the most commonly recommended is journaling. Writing to reduce stress can be very effective. Professionals agree that journaling before bed and getting your thoughts out may elevate your mood, help manage stress better, and even improve sleep quality.
For an easy relaxation tip, grab any notebook or journal and start spending a few minutes each day writing out your thoughts, feelings, or anything you have on your mind that may trigger stress. This can even be as easy as making a to-do list for yourself so that you don’t feel anything is falling through the cracks and being forgotten.
Relaxation Tip #3: Muscle Relaxation Techniques for Stress
Another relaxation tip for how to de-stress and recharge is practicing muscle relaxation techniques. These can come in several forms, depending on your preference, time, and available tools.
One common method is commonly referred to as body scan progressive muscle relaxation. This relaxation tip has you tense up one part of your body at a time then release. The targeted tension and release are meant to help your muscles relax and ease any subconscious muscle tension you may have.
Getting a massage is another great way to relax and manage stress levels, too. Regular massage therapist appointments keep your body loose and may even be beneficial for enhancing how the body heals itself. If regular massage therapist appointments are difficult to fit into your schedule, there are other tools that may provide muscle relaxation benefits like zero gravity chairs with massage features.
While zero gravity chairs aren’t traditional massage chairs, some models do offer vibration massage or air pressure massage that may help your muscles relax and heal. Other bonus features of zero gravity luxury recliners such as heat therapy could even take your muscle relaxation to the next level when combined with massage. The zero gravity position, itself, may also help deepen your relaxation making zero gravity chairs popular tools for how to de-stress, relax, and recharge.
Relaxation Tip #4: Meditation for Stress
Meditation has many purposes, but today we’re focusing on how to practice meditation for stress. Dating back thousands of years, meditation is a great way to center yourself and relax. Learning how to meditate at home, at work, or even if you have a few minutes to spare while on the go can be great for managing daily stress levels. Studies have shown the benefits of meditation for stress time and time again, making it one of the most popular stress management tips to try.
There are lots of different types of meditation such as guided meditation, mindfulness meditation, and even movement meditation (combining meditation with low-impact movement like yoga). Our favorite is mindfulness meditation as it’s arguably the easiest to practice anywhere.
Whether you’re on a break at work, sitting in your car, or even practicing zero gravity meditation at home, mindfulness meditation is about centering yourself and acknowledging your thoughts without judgment. Many people misinterpret the goal of mindfulness meditation to be clearing your mind of all thought, but that’s simply not the case. Allow your mind to process its thoughts and feelings without reacting to them and it may help you manage stress levels more easily.
Relaxation Tip #5: Relaxing Music for Stress Relief
We’ve mentioned playing brain games and journaling for stress relief, but for those who prefer disengaging and sitting back to relax, listening to relaxing music for stress relief may be a great option.
If listening to music is your favorite relaxation tip and technique on our list, be sure you’re listening to the right things. No, we don’t mean specific songs or melodies, but genres like rock music aren't going to be much help here. Instead, opt for calming, relaxing music around 60 beats per minute (BPM). At this rate, the mind is able to unwind and destress. It can be ideal as part of a relaxing night time routine before bed that may help treat insomnia and other sleep deprivation issues or even during the day as a relaxation tip on a short work break.
Relaxation Tip #6: Stress Relief Exercises
Have you ever felt incredible after doing full body workout exercises or achieved a runner’s high on your daily jog? Those are great examples of relaxation tips using stress relief exercises! When we exercise, our body releases endorphins. These are natural hormones that have been shown to help elevate our mood, reduce stress, and even alleviate pain.
You don’t have to go running or do a hard workout to achieve this, however (though make sure you have a post workout recovery routine in place if you do). Simple exercises like yoga, tai chi, or even ones meant to increase mobility and flexibility can be just as effective. Integrating stress relief exercises into your daily fitness routine can have a major impact on both your mental and physical health.
We hope that our list of relaxation tips and techniques have given you some new methods for how to de-stress and recharge. Learning how to manage stress levels is critical for your mental and physical well being. These relaxation tips for managing stress may help elevate your mood, increase your productivity, and make you feel great once again. So try out some breathing exercises, write out your thoughts, listen to music, or choose a zero gravity chair to help with stress management and see what a difference these tips can make!
Interested in more uses and health benefits of zero gravity chairs? Check out these resources:
