My 5 favorite techniques for relaxation and stress relief

    Woo-ho! It’s Friday. Probably, many of you impatiently waited for the weekend to relax from the stressful week that you had.  Maybe some of you didn’t have many hard days this week, but you still want to use your free time this weekend to rest and relax.

     That’s why I want to share with you my 5 favorite techniques for relaxation and stress relief.

1.Deep breathing- The key to deep breathing is to breathe deeply from the abdomen, getting as much fresh air as possible in your lungs. When you take deep breaths from the abdomen, you inhale more oxygen.

* Duration - A few minutes. You can redo this several times during the day.

* How? – Sit comfortably with your back straight down and close your eyes. Direct your attention to your breathing. Your breathing needs to become slower and deeper.

2.Instant relaxation - do one of the following things: 

2.1. Count slowly to ten.

2.2. Breath slowly and deeply for a short time

2.3. These two things together - counting + deep breathing.

3. A few minutes without thoughts. It’s useful to have a time during the day when you will distance yourself from any troubling thoughts.

* How? – Take a few minutes and try not having any thoughts. It will be easier if you close your eyes. Focus your attention to your breathing. Don’t try to change the rhythm of your breathing. Just follow it.

4. Time for yourself- It’s important to have a time of relaxation - time spent in silence, without the presence of another person. It will be useful if you do this in the same part of the day. For example: after dinner or before sleeping. During this time for relaxation, remind yourself of all things, activities and experiences that happened to you that day. Take your time to think about yourself. Also, you can write short notes about the things that cross your mind.

5. Be present. – Slow down. Take five minutes and focus on only one behavior with awareness. Notice how the air feels on your face when you are walking and how your feet feel hitting the ground. Enjoy the texture and taste of each bite of food. When you spend time in the moment and focus on your senses, you should feel more relaxed.

      I hope these 5 techniques will help you have more relaxing moments in your life. You really don’t need to go somewhere, on a spa weekend or a retreat. You can try one or two of these techniques at your home, in your room. You deserve to have a time for yourself. It's good for you, and it takes less time than you think.