5 Tricks You Can Try Any Time, Anywhere for Instant Relaxation

We all live very busy lives.  Between work, family, friends, and the endless list of responsibilities we all seem to have, we need a little relaxation.  Stress has been scientifically proven to be very bad for the human body and it can affect us in ways we are not even aware of, causing sickness, disease and negative psychological conditions like depression.  Taking the time to enjoy life and relax is very important for your overall health and longevity.

Here are 5 tricks you can try any time, anywhere for instant relaxation.

Breathe Deep

Take a deep breath, hold for 2-3 seconds and then slowly exhale. Make sure your eyes are closed and you are only paying attention to your breathing, clearing your mind of everything else. You can repeat this as many times as desired until you feel calmness start to set in. I would recommend using scented oil on your wrists and inhaling the scent – apply a small dab, hold for 2-3 seconds and slowly exhale for incredible results. Some relaxing scented oils you can use are: lavender, bergamot, orange, rosemary, ylang ylang and lemon verbena. You can get roll-on scented oils, which are extremely convenient to use at anytime, anywhere. Try beauty supply stores like The Body Shop for a wide selection.

Try Acupressure

A great relaxation technique is EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique). It is basically applying acupressure along your meridian points, similar to acupuncture, but instead you are tapping. The proper technique requires you to tap with your fingertips and do solid taps (without hurting yourself!) The tapping points are: top of the head (center of the skull), eyebrow (spread your fingertips from where the eyebrow begins to where it ends), side of the eye, under the eye, under the nose, chin, collar bone, under the arm (about 4 inches below armpit) and wrists.

This is usually repeated along with positive affirmations such as: “Even though I have this fear of speaking in public, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.” You can substitute whatever emotion or situation you are going through. This will not only relax you and make you confident, but it will give you long term positive effects as well.

Listen to Natural Sounds

Nature sounds are relaxation heaven! Download some of your favorite nature sounds (ocean waves, birds, wind, etc) onto your iPod, iPad or MP3 player and you have relaxation available to you anytime and anywhere. It is very simple and very effective. Put natural sounds on your headphones and listen at work (if you boss allows it). You’ll find the stresses of the office soon melt away!

Have a Good Laugh!

Laughter is the most natural way to relax and de-stress. Technology has provided easy access to the internet from our smartphones, iPads – you can easily go to You Tube and type: funny animal videos, America’s Funniest Videos, funny cat videos, etc. A good laugh available to you whenever you need it!

If you don’t have access to such devices, think of an awesome memory. When you were with your friends at the lake last summer, or when your fiancé proposed, or when your kids said something silly. Anything that will put a smile on your face. Really, it’s that simple! It will not only change your mood instantly, but it will relax you and help you get through whatever is making you stress out.

A fun alternative is to carry around a silly picture of a loved one or a funny picture of a cherished pet. Then all you have to do is open your purse or wallet, and you’ll find yourself instantly smiling.

Be thankful

Whenever we are going through a stressful time, we often forget to be thankful for all the blessings we have in our lives. Taking a few moments to be thankful will put things into perspective and if anything it will give you motivation.

Many of us stress on a daily basis due to very minor things/incidents such as: the guy you like asked someone else to prom, you didn’t get that promotion at work, or the chicken burnt and dinner is ruined. When you are thankful you begin to realize all of the wonderful things you have been blessed with, for instance: you married the love of your life, you have beautiful healthy children and you have a caring, supportive family. If we’re going through a much harder time like a family, friend or pet death, or we are going through hard financial trouble; being thankful can be especially helpful.

These are just a few things you can do anytime, anywhere to de-stress and relax. Remember to always try and remain positive and always be thankful, and your life will immediately be so much better.