When you’re under stress, it can feel like there’s never enough time in a day. There’s always so much to do, and the feeling of constant obligation can be exhausting. It’s not surprising that we often find ourselves stressed out and anxious - as stress is a common response to pressure. On top of this, modern life can be stressful in general: our jobs and careers are becoming more demanding, technology is constantly challenging us to think faster and work smarter, and the pace of modern life is relentless. But with so much stress comes the opportunity for relaxation, too. When you relax, your body has time to recuperate from the constant demands you’ve been subjecting it to. Relaxation helps your mind unwind as well - keeping you mentally active while also reducing stress levels by decreasing anxiety levels (resulting in an overall reduction of tension). Here are some helpful tips for relaxing when you’re stressed:

Take a daily meditation break

Regular meditation is a fantastic way to relax and unwind. While there are many forms of meditation, the key is to focus on something non-physical. Focusing on your breath, thoughts, or a phrase can help you relax and relieve stress. While you can do any type of meditation, certain types might be more beneficial for the stresses of modern life. For example, mindfulness meditation is a type of meditation that focuses on the present moment - helping you to be more mindful of your thoughts and bodily sensations so you can be more present in your life. While mindfulness meditation will always be beneficial, it’s important to also regularly practice other types of meditation as well as other relaxation techniques. Doing so will help you to adapt your techniques to your specific stresses and anxieties.

Exercise is proven to lower stress

There’s evidence that regular exercise helps to lower stress and relieve anxiety. However, before you start taking frequent exercise breaks during your day, it’s important to remember that exercise is different for everyone. How much exercise works for you is dependent on your lifestyle, as well as what state you’re in when you start exercising. If you’re feeling stressed when you exercise, try to change your routine slightly so that you’re not exercising when you’re feeling stressed. Instead, take regular breaks throughout your routine so that you can relax. The more you exercise, the more you’ll start to relax naturally - so don’t feel like you need to push yourself too much.

Breathe properly – don’t hold your breath

Try to focus on your breathing while you’re relaxing. Breathing deeply and slowly while you’re relaxed will help you to feel calmer. You don’t have to focus on breathing so heavily that you become hyper-focused on it, but you should try to notice your breathing and how it makes you feel. Taking regular breaks throughout your day where you can sit quietly and focus on your breathing will help you to stay relaxed and calm. This is particularly important if you find that you hold your breath when you’re stressed - breathing properly will help to relieve tension and prevent this from happening. If you find that you’re breathing heavily when you’re stressed, try to slow down your breathing. Breathing too heavily will only make you more tense.

Spend time with friends and loved ones

When you’re stressed, it’s easy to feel isolated. This is particularly common if you work in an office where you’re surrounded by colleagues but not interacting with them. This is why it’s so important to spend time with friends and loved ones when you’re stressed. This is both social and relaxing - so you’ll start to reconnect with the people in your life who matter to you. This could be as simple as spending time with a friend while you’re waiting for something, or visiting a loved one in the hospital. It doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive, and it doesn’t even need to be planned ahead of time. It just needs to be something that keeps you active and connected with the people in your life.

Don’t over-commit - set boundaries for everyone involved

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to help others - but it’s important to remember that you can’t help everyone. While you can’t help everyone in your life, you can help those you care about the most. There’s also a danger in over-committing yourself - you may find that you’re trying to do too many things that take up your time. This may seem like a good thing, but it actually makes you more stressed out. Over-committing means that you’re trying to do too many things at once, which means that you’re stressed out because you have too many things to do. This only creates more stress in your life. It’s important to remember that you don’t need to over-commit. Instead, try to over-commit to the things that matter to you - while making sure that you have time for the things that aren’t as important to you. This will help you to keep a healthy balance in your life - while also allowing you to take action on things that matter most to you.

Conclusion

Stress is inevitable in life; however, the important thing is to learn how to cope with it. This means learning how to relax when you’re stressed, taking regular breaks from your daily tasks, and setting boundaries for everyone involved. Overall, relaxation is key to relieving stress and reducing anxiety. When you relax, your body has time to recuperate from the constant demands you’ve been subjecting it to. Relaxation helps your mind unwind as well - keeping you mentally active while also reducing stress levels by decreasing anxiety levels.