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Ways to Mentally Relax

The stressors of daily life can wreak havoc on your mental health. Combat this by learning ways to mentally relax. The right approach reduces stress hormones, relaxes muscles and increases your concentration. It is ideal to spend at least 10 minutes per day for mental relaxation. For those who are seriously suffering, 30 minutes to one hour per day is optimal.

  1. Deep Breathing

    • A way to mentally relax is to engage in deep breathing. It is convenient as you can do it in small spaces and to suit your situation. To start, sit up with your back perfectly straight. Close your eyes and breathe deeply through your nose. Breathe out through your mouth. Make sure to push as much air out as you can. Continue to take slow, deep breaths. Take at least 10 deep breaths per session.

    Visualization

    • Visualization is a form of meditation that assists with relaxation. It also is easy to do in most settings, from sitting on an airplane to sitting in a doctor's waiting room. The key is to focus on a scene in your mind that is calming and peaceful. To mentally relax using visualization, close your eyes and imagine your perfect place. Some ideas include sitting on a beach, sitting in a forest or in your favorite childhood spot. Do not just imagine yourself there, use your senses to smell the trees or feel the breeze from the ocean on your skin.

    Massage

    • Give yourself a quick self-massage. This is perfect for when you need to destress the mind and body. Close the eyes and put both ring fingers near the bridge of your nose. They should be just under the eyebrows. Press gently and increase the pressure for 10 seconds. Release the pressure with your fingers. Do this self-massage two to three times.

    Yoga

    • Practice yoga to help you relax your mind. There are different types of yoga to try. For relaxation purposes avoid the more stimulating power or hot yoga. Part of the success of yoga for relaxation and stress relief is the deep breathing involved. Yoga helps to relax muscles throughout the body, which in turn helps you mentally relax.

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