When it’s time for you to take some ”down-time”, for yourself to really unwind, de-stress and become peaceful, there are certain things you may be doing which can hinder your relaxation goals. You might think you’re relaxing, but if you’re doing these things, you’re actually making it harder for your brain to switch-off. If you can take anything useful away from reading this, it will be a more mindful approach towards all your actions. You may not be the meditating type, and that’s fine, but you could come damn near close with these simple tips..
”The best cure for the body is a quiet mind” – Napoleon Bonaparte
Silence is golden
That old saying! Well it really has something to it. Have you ever been out in the countryside, and it’s beautifully silent? So still, quiet and calm, that you can’t help but notice it. You might only hear a bird, or the rustle of leaves in the wind. That’s the silence I’m talking about. You’re not being blasted with all sorts of static, motorised vibrations and electrical hums. There’s no hustle and bustle or distractions. You breathe it in and it’s wonderful. If you focus, your thoughts clarify, you feel uplifted as your tension releases. Wouldn’t it be great to have some of that golden silence everyday?
Well, some of us are lucky, but for a lot of us that’s not easily accessible. A long day consists of a lot of noise, especially if you’re in the city. We constantly have noise all around us. It’s an unavoidable part of life, and all this noise is projected at us with it’s varying vibrations and frequencies, all affecting us in different ways. Even our common relaxation habits involve noise, such as listening to music or watching TV. The truth is, when we tune out the soundtrack of our lives—whether it be the murmur of an AC unit or even the sound of our neighbours—we can enable a very deep and healing state of relaxation.
It might seem inconvenient to try to reach absolute silence, but the convenient part is we don’t need a prolonged amount of it to benefit from it. Just a small amount of time spent in silence can bring us back to basics and help us smooth out our messy minds. You’ll find it will stir creativity, and help focusing capabilities. It also gives your brain a break from sorting out all the stimuli it rarely gets a break from.
So, whenever possible, take advantage of silence. Don’t rush to fill it, don’t keep busy if you don’t have to. When was the last time you remained still in total silence?
Reading the right way
Reading is a wonderful way to relax, detach and dive into someplace else for a while. It’s scientifically been proven to be an effective way of calming our minds and tiring our eyes before bed, like a drug-free sleep aid. The issue with our thoroughly modern-day devices, is that paperbacks are getting replaced with illuminated screens. Studies have shown that the blue light emitted from screens can actually disrupt sleep, making it physically harder for our body to shut-off.
Ideally, we want to be prepping our body for restful relaxation and quality sleep. If you’ve got into the habit of being on your electronics before your time of shut-eye, try swapping your device for a paperback and see if you note a difference. Happy reading!
Less phone time, more you time
Phones are no longer purely a tool for long-distance communication and abbreviated text messages. They’ve now become this major player in all of our lives, like an extension of ourselves, instead of another convenient tool or appliance. Having a phone is not a bad thing, being on your phone is not a bad thing. Knowing when to give it a rest is where the issue lies.
Nowadays, you’ve got apps that like to ding at you all hours of the day, and Facebook feeds that never end, and tweets that come in a million a second. You’ve got Instagram-addicts that need to snap a shot of pretty much anything and upload it instantaneously. It’s constant, it’s consuming, it’s distracting, and it’s leaching the peace from a lot of people, especially the young ones.
It’s no wonder many of us can’t calm down. It seems the more we advance, the more we create an environment that holds us back from what’s important. If you want to switch your brain off for a while, that smartphone’s gotta be switched-off too. Don’t panic, the world won’t end while you’re out of reach. And no checking emails after work hours either, I mean really!
I hope you can take some inspiration and adopt a heathy habit to aid your relaxation moments. If you don’t have any set-aside time for you to gather yourself, and be calm, then it’s time to change things up. Our body needs to unravel so we don’t become a knotted mess, and these things can sometimes suddenly hit us, leaving us feeling stumped as to where it came from or how to move forward.
Looking after yourself is the most important thing in your life. That’s your main concern. You might have other people in your life, and think their needs have to be put first, but that should never come at the cost of your own health. If you don’t take care of yourself first, you can’t take care of them properly later. That’s why they tell you on the aeroplane: “Fasten your own oxygen mask, before helping someone else with theirs”. It’s just good logic.
Sources: Wellness Today At The School of Natural Health Sciences we’re all about holistic living, teaching and practicing. We have 57 accredited holistic health courses which carry internationally-recognised qualifications. From Holistic Massage, to Philosophy, Child Psychology and Clinical Nutrition, we cover all aspects of holistic health knowledge, and keeping more on subject, check out our courses in Yoga, Mindfulness & Meditation. Namaste and have a great day!
