Being stressed will take its toll on your mental and physical health, so knowing how to unwind and de-stress is really important. Check out the five tips below to unwind in under a minute.
1. Visit a Funny Website
The internet is filled with humorous websites, so bookmark a few of them and have them handy for those moments when you need a little break. Laughter, after all, is great medicine, and it could be the perfect way to take your mind off of your troubles. Plus, smiling alone could do wonders at helping you feel more at ease. So check out sites like lolhit.com or subscribe to some funny YouTube channels that will always have something to make you chuckle.
2. Do Some Deep Breathing
When you are stressed, your breath becomes erratic and choppy. By practicing some deep breathing for about a minute, you could help calm down the nervous system and bring your mind into a state of peace. So sit in your chair with your back straight and notice the flow of breath moving into and out of your nose, and pay attention to the belly as it rises and falls with every breath. You could also inhale for four seconds and exhale for four seconds to lengthen and slow the breath to help you unwind.
3. Look Up
Believe it or not, the simple act of looking upward could help stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system. That, in turn, could help to lower your blood pressure and slow down your breathing rate when you’re stressed. To help you focus, look up at the ceiling as you count down from 60 so you can relax for a full minute.
4. Meditate
Even a quick one-minute meditation during which you sit quietly and repeat a positive mantra or simply focus on your breath could work wonders at helping you relax when you are feeling stressed. By sitting in meditation, you can remove yourself from the situation, close your eyes and take your focus off of your environment, and begin to find your center again. And while a one-minute meditation can be beneficial, if you could sit for a few minutes longer, such as for five minutes, you may find that you feel even more relaxed.
5. Relax Your Muscles
Another common side effect of stress is tension throughout your body. You may not even notice it, but stress probably causes you to contract the muscles throughout your body, and that could lead to pain and stiffness over time. To help your body relax, start by focusing on the muscles of your head and make your way down to your toes. As you move your focus from one body part to another, squeeze and release the muscles there. This should help you relax your muscles and feel more relaxed in about a minute’s time.
The next time that you are feeling frazzled, try out one or more of the five tips above. You may find that you’re able to unwind rather quickly and gain your composure again.
