Learning how to relax is really important. Try to think of it as necessary for a healthy body and for productivity, rather than a luxury.
There are lots of different ways to relax and it can depend on your likes and interests. However these are really common and work for most people:
- Taking a bath
- Listening to calming music
- Going on a walk
- Watching light hearted TV shows
- Yoga
- Mindfulness activities
Mindfulness
What is Mindfulness? Mindfulness is the term used for staying aware of the present. It improves your ability to control your attention by helping to strengthen your ability to self-observe, to train attention, and to develop different relationships to experiences that are stressful. In other words, it teaches you to pay attention to paying attention, and can also make people more aware of their emotional state, so they won’t react impulsively.
The basic practice is very simple. Just sit down in a comfortable place where you won’t be disturbed and spend five minutes focusing on the sensation of breathing in and breathing out — pay attention to how it feels when your stomach rises and falls. Soon, you may notice that you’re thinking of something else — your job or some noise you just heard or your plans for later in the day. Label these thoughts as “thinking,” and refocus your attention on your breath.
Feelings of Panic
Learning about how your body experiences stress, or panic will help you to understand what to do in a ‘crisis’.
