After a person left nature and began to build stone jungles in the form of cities, he began to have big health problems. And the reason for this was the constant stress caused by various factors of urbanization. At one point, we forgot to relax. What for? We need to quickly achieve success in society. Yes, but only this should not be at the cost of our health and inner harmony. At one fine moment, I just realized this and decided to devote more time to various relaxation methods. And after a month I already realized the meaning of the rant "the quieter you go, the further you will be."

What is relaxation?

Relaxation- This is an involuntary or voluntary state of rest, which is associated with partial or complete muscle relaxation. Relaxation can be directed after intense physical exertion or anxiety, or it can be involuntary, for example, going to sleep.

One of the first Western specialists who began to use the relaxation method were the German neuropathologist I. Schultz and the American psychologist E. Jacobson. Jacobson studied the manifestation of emotions, the emotional state was assessed by muscle tension. Jacobson was able to prove that muscle relaxation relieves hyperexcitation of the nervous system, thereby restoring its balance and providing it with rest. Muscle relaxation skills are beneficial for the general health of the body, and it also helps to eliminate the symptoms of some diseases.

There are several types of relaxation:

By time: long-term, which occurs during sleep or hypnosis, as well as when exposed to drugs and short-term, which is quickly replaced by stress.

By the way of execution: mental and muscular.

By origin: primary and secondary.

Depth: deep and shallow. Deep relaxation lasts 20 minutes using various techniques; shallow relaxation can be a short rest.

What will give you mastery of techniques and methods of relaxation:

- to normalize pressure and breathing;

- to improve the heart rate,

- relieve muscle tension;

- forget about the feeling of tiredness and weakness;

- get rid of irritability and anger;

- have a positive attitude;

- feel a surge of vitality;

- improve mental activity and the ability to concentrate attention, make the right decisions;

- to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

Relaxation does not require much from us, but, as we can see, it presents an invaluable gift - harmony of body, soul and spirit.

10 best relaxation techniques

RELAXING POSITIONS

As a basic relaxation technique, I recommend a hatha yoga exercise called Shavasana or Corpse Pose. I think everyone has had days like this when you just come home and fall on the couch like a "corpse." So this should be done every day and more consciously. All you need to do is lie on your back and spread your legs and arms to the sides with your palms up. Then start breathing slowly. The positive effect of shavasana cannot be overstated. To achieve the desired effect, you must master it perfectly. To do this, you need to do it regularly, but the result will exceed all your expectations.

BREATH

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This is one of the simplest relaxation techniques that you can do, in principle, anywhere, anytime. You have noticed that when we are alarmed, we breathe very often. Therefore, the task here is simple - to slow down the breathing process. You need to take a comfortable position. Inhale slowly through your nose, trying to engage both your abdomen and chest. Then hold your breath for 5-10 seconds. Exhale slowly through the mouth so that the duration of the exhalation is longer than the inhalation. Do this for 10-20 cycles. To achieve more complete relaxation, I combine breathing exercises with self-hypnosis. Just close your eyes while exercising and with each exhalation say: "Relaxation", "Relaxation", "Calm".

MEDITATION

I think the benefits of meditation are difficult to convey in words. Meditation is a unique relaxation technique that will release tension in the body, harmonize emotions and calm the mind. To understand the full effect, it's best to just start practicing. It can be performed both in the morning and in the evening. Ask not to be disturbed for 15 minutes. Get in the right posture, close your eyes. In the first step, get your breathing right. 10 cycles of deep inhalation and exhalation will help you with this. Then start relaxing all the muscles from top to bottom, starting with the muscles of the face and neck. Tell yourself that you are entering a state of complete peace without thoughts.

AIR WALKING

Personally, I like to walk in the woods for an hour in the evening and listen to birds singing. Someone will like walks near the sea or climbs to the top of the mountains more. It's just that any light physical activity helps to relieve tension in the body, and contemplation of very beautiful landscapes gives a very deep psychophysiological effect. The activation of oxygen metabolism improves the nutrition of the brain and contributes to the normalization of the course of nervous processes, both in it and throughout the body. I have a very funny word that I usually say after a walk: "How good, it’s written again)."

WARM BATH

A bath is my favorite way to relieve stress after a good day at work. This relaxation method may seem far from masculine, but somehow I don't care. If earlier it was impossible to drag me even under the shower, then recently I have become a lover of relaxing in the bathroom. The water in the bath should be just warm (36-37 degrees). Create a pleasant atmosphere: dim or turn off the lights, light candles, play relaxing Chillout music. You can add essential oils or salt to the bath for the best effect. The duration of the relaxation bath is 20-30 minutes. After such a bath I always feel refreshed.

MASSAGE

Who doesn't like being given a good relaxing massage! This relaxation technique is best used after a warm bath in the evening. And it doesn't matter if you don't have your own professional massage therapist. With a little preparation, one of the people close to you can do it. This massage is dominated by stroking and shallow kneading. The duration of a relaxation massage is usually much longer than usual. I combine relaxation massage with soothing music and aromatherapy.

MUSIC

One of the best and simplest, in my opinion, methods for relieving stress is relaxation music. The first plus of this method is that you can listen to music in the background anywhere: at home, at work, on the way to an important meeting, somewhere else. The second plus is the passivity of the method. I uploaded good tracks for meditation and relaxation, turned on play and, in principle, I don’t need to do anything else. Third, a very quick effect. After just 10 minutes, you can enter a deep alpha or theta state, in which the brain and the whole body are very relaxed.

SEX

This method is loved by many. It goes backwards. To relax a lot, you need to tense up. During sexual intercourse, the tension can be so great that the resulting orgasm has the effect of powerful relaxation of the body. Sex as a method is good after another unpleasant quarrel or just before bedtime to fall asleep more quickly. In addition, during intercourse, a large amount of endorphin is produced, or as it is called "the hormone of happiness", which also affects the level of stress and allows you to be in a good mood more often.

HEALTHY SLEEP

Sleep is the simplest and one of the most effective relaxation techniques. It is provided by nature itself. Unfortunately, many people still ignore the fact that a strong nervous system requires a full 8 hours of sleep from 22:00 to 6:00. As a result, every day there is a difficult waking up, low energy potential and a bad mood. These are all results of late sleep. With the right approach, you should wake up at dawn before the alarm clock. And not just wake up, but quickly jump out of bed. And on the face there should be a smile and a desire to change yourself and the world around you. Good sex is followed by a deep sleep!

LONELINESS

I must say right away that this method is only suitable for introverts. I personally consider myself as such. I need to periodically be alone with myself. Disconnect from the outside world, which has become very fast, and plunge into your inner world, where it is quiet and calm. I do this whenever possible.

These 10 relaxation techniques for all occasions. Use them when you feel like you really need to relax. Personally, I use all relaxation methods on weekends when I really need to seriously recharge with new energy for a new week.

Relaxation music

Having tried many ways to relax, I realized that listening to relaxation music works best for me. A pleasant melody can relax the body in a short time, release from heavy thoughts and bring the psychoemotional state into balance. I have developed a habit of relaxing myself with music before bed.

What kind of music can most help you to relax and unwind?

I have compiled a selection of 5 of the best relaxing music styles I use myself.

Listen and recharge your batteries!

Chillout

This is my favorite direction, which literally translates from English as "relax, calm down". Previously, this direction included any light music that relieves tension, and since the mid-90s this name has also become associated with the genre of unhurried electronic music, which combines elements of lounge, ambient, jazz, house and many other directions.

Ethnic music of the East

The music of each nation is amazing and unique. This is largely due to the peculiarity of folk rhythms and local musical instruments, which are unusual in other countries. If you are looking for relaxation, then you should definitely familiarize yourself with the compositions of the peoples of the East. For example, even my hardest thoughts are soothed by Japanese relaxation music and the amazing sound of a bamboo flute.

Sounds of nature

To relax from everyday work and relieve stress, we often go to nature. Someone on vacation at sea, and someone to their grandmother in the village. And what to do when there is no time for this ?! Of course, listen to the music of nature for relaxation at home. The sound of the surf, the singing of dolphins, the chirping of birds - beauty! In general, I often like to listen to the sounds of space.

Classical relaxation music

Orchestral etudes, violin solos and piano sounds are considered some of the most emotional. They quickly penetrate into a person, touching the most delicate strings of the soul. This is a real cure for internal disharmony. To relax and recuperate, you need to choose unhurried compositions from the classical direction, of which there are a lot. By the way, you can listen not only to the "classics", but there are also talented contemporaries who are also worthy of attention.

Reggae

A synonym for relaxation. The reggae genre was formed in Jamaica in the late 60s, and from there spread to other countries. Most often, the lyrics are dominated by themes of love, kindness, and the music itself is presented in a very unhurried manner. It is forbidden to rush to this music. To get the real effect of listening to it, lie down on something soft, play a track softly, close your eyes and rest. The result will be an excellent charge of positive and sunny emotions that will feed you for a long time.

If a woman has a free minute, it would be right to use it to her advantage. After coming home from work, it is recommended to organize at least twenty minutes of rest in order to relax and put yourself in order. Such a small rest is scientifically called "relaxation" in world practice.

Relaxation is needed proceeding from the fact that at work a person gets tired mentally and physically. Sometimes a woman has to do part-time work - for other employees. The load increases, the rhythm of life becomes tense, the body needs to recover, at least for a short time, rest. At home there are other concerns - family, husband and children. Ask them to do, for a while, their own affairs. During this time, try to ensure your peace of mind by retiring to a separate room for at least twenty minutes. Grab a weak tea solution and a cosmetic bag with cotton pads from the kitchen in advance. If the weather is good, open a window or window. Place pillows under your head and knees and stretch out on the bed. Take it easy. Cover your eyes with wet discs. Place your hands along your torso and place your palms on your hips. Start taking deep, slow breaths. Try to breathe rhythmically. Forget everything except your body. Imagine that the foot, knee, thigh are filled with weight on each half of the body. Think of the palm, elbow, and shoulder in the same way. Next is the turn for the body and head. The muscles all relaxed. Remove the discs from your eyes and slowly get out of bed, sit for a while and start your usual business and household chores.

The mood rises and a sparkle appears in the eyes. The result of relaxation is obvious. Try to finish your household chores by ten o'clock in the evening, then get ready for bed. Candles from bispol will help you to relax. The body needs sleep like air and food, because the whole body rests in a dream. All muscles are relaxed, the brain rests from daily continuous activities. Women's health and life expectancy depend on the duration of sleep.

Having a good night's sleep, a woman will look great, smile. It is enough to sleep for about nine hours. It must be remembered that sleep before midnight is very useful. No organism can withstand the absence of adequate sleep. You need to sleep, there's nothing you can do about it. You need to choose a comfortable position for yourself to fall asleep. You need to completely relax and dream in complete silence and without light. The bed should be comfortable with a small pillow. The blanket is light and warm. Bed linen must be fresh.

Some people find they are relaxing by sitting at a table sipping on some strong stimulant, such as alcohol or coffee, tea, and other beverages. This is a common sight in a modern cafe.

When you are resting, you do not need to sit with your legs crossed, because in this position you pinch the artery that feeds the leg. This means that you do not rest in this position, but overload your heart with tremendous work. Never cross your legs when sitting.

Resting means ensuring free blood circulation throughout the body. If your boots are too tight, if your tie is too tight, if your hat is too small, if the collar of your shirt or any other clothing is too tight, you are not resting. The best rest is when all the clothes are thrown off the body. You don't have to wear any clothes if you want to relax comfortably and profitably.

Often people say: “I have to rest.” But when they sit down to rest, they start drumming their fingers nervously on the table, twitching or fussing. The art of rest is concentration. One of the options is to rest naked on a hard bed. that there is nothing more relaxing for muscles and nerves than the soothing rays of the sun. When you rest, you must free your brain from all worries, worries and problems. When muscles and nerves are relaxed, the work of the heart slows down and breathing becomes slow and calm. This brings deep relaxation and complete rest.

A good rest is a short nap, during which you can completely relax your muscles. Most people are accustomed to using stimulants such as tobacco, medicine, coffee, tea, alcohol, or tonic drinks, which only spur tired nerves. Therefore, people who use stimulants never have complete rest and relaxation, their nerves are always in an agitated state.

Rest must be earned by physical and mental activity, as they go hand in hand. Too many people suffer from insomnia, take countless medications to sleep, but get artificial sleep in return. No one can get complete rest from medication. No medicine will ever give you a refreshing, healthy, normal, satisfying sleep.

A body full of toxins is a constant stimulant of the nerves. How can you have a good and restful night with nervous nerves? When people give up stimulants during a fasting program, they sleep deeply and completely rest. You yourself will notice that as soon as you begin to cleanse your body, your ability to relax will increase and you will enjoy a deep, restful night's sleep.

Changing activities frequently is also a critical factor in maintaining good health. During the working day, we must change our activities more often.

We live in a crazy, competitive world. In our civilization, when "man is a wolf", we have to endure tremendous stress and heavy blows. This is the reason why people are addicted to tobacco, coffee, alcohol and other stimulants. In the business world, not only the spirit of competition reigns but also the desire to strengthen your own position.

People always strive to outdo each other, relentlessly following the stereotype they have created. But this false stereotype takes up a tremendous amount of energy.

Life should be joy!

Is it not surprising that today we have 15 million chronic alcoholics and millions of drug addicts? We have forgotten that to live is to feel alive and joyful. A calm life is the happiness of a few in our society. Life now is a rush, a rush, and again a rush. Where are we in a hurry? To the hospital or to the grave?

To be able to relax, rest and sleep, you need to plan your day so that there is time for relaxation, entertainment, exercise and a good night's sleep. You will not be able to enjoy a good sleep if you have overworked your stomach if you do not exercise outdoors, such as a three-kilometer walk or gardening. Outdoor work, walking and running are essential. You should delight your body with natural food, distilled water, fresh air and sunlight. Of course, it is very easy to ridicule people who use the motto "back to nature", but we who follow nature are exactly the kind of people who always laugh last.

Relaxation made easy

Of course, we have to dance, move, engage in various sports. But never hesitate to just sit down or lie down and relax or unwind with all your worries aside. This is not only pleasant, it is absolutely necessary. Do not expect to achieve mastery of relaxation with the help of sedatives - they are not the same thing.

To relax and fall asleep, darken the room, turn off the TV and lie on your back with your arms at your side (but not touching) and keep your perceptions to a minimum. Let your hands rest, place them, palms down, on the bed. Stretch your legs, but so that they also do not touch each other. You can rest your head on a small pillow or directly on the bed, as you like. Leave your eyes open at first, but do not look at one point directly in front of you, but move them up, down or to the sides. After such movements, your eyes will close by themselves. Such movements of the eye muscles do not interfere with relaxation.

Always follow these eye movements in your mind. By following the movements of the eyeballs and muscles, you relax your thoughts, and this will ultimately lead to relaxation of the whole body in a natural, restful and restorative sleep.

If you have insomnia, then read something before bed, and if this does not give the desired result, then your eye muscles are already overloaded, reading tires them and you need to relax them, as indicated above.

Don't tense your muscles unless absolutely necessary. By moving your arm or leg or by changing your posture, you interrupt the internal relaxation process, and those muscles that have already reached a certain degree of relaxation will have to start the whole process again in this case. Muscles that are too tense may feel uncomfortable, but movement will only prolong the inconvenience. Relaxation of these muscles can take 10 to 15 minutes. Relaxed muscles should feel very pleasant, and if you relax completely, you will experience extraordinary peace. An inconvenience in a muscle or muscle group is an indicator that they are overstretched and that you are preventing them from relaxing.

Relaxation beginners often tell me that they cannot fall asleep while lying on their back. It all depends on how deeply this thought is recorded in your brain, and if you believe otherwise, you can drop this thought and understand its erroneousness.

“I always fall asleep on my right side”, “I always fall asleep on my stomach”, “I have to curl up in a ball to fall asleep”, “I'm used to tossing and turning from side to side”, “I cannot sleep at night if I took a nap even a little during the day "," I only sleep until five o'clock, and then until seven I lie with my eyes open, and by noon I want to sleep again "- these are the usual complaints that you can hear from people. If a person wishes to devote 15 minutes a day to learning relaxation, then he will certainly achieve success and will no longer be able to follow this habit in the future, he will adhere to a natural lifestyle.

Drink green tea: Herbal tea has an excellent relaxing effect. Green tea is a source of L-theanine, which can help relieve anger. Boil water, brew the tea and take a soothing sip - it only takes a couple of minutes.

Chocolate bar: A few chunks of dark chocolate can help reduce stress and boost your mood. Dark chocolate regulates levels of the stress hormone cortisol and stabilizes metabolism, but keep in mind that it is not advisable to overuse it.

Remember breathing: Is there an easier way to relax? Breathing slowly, deeply can help lower blood pressure and heart rate. For a change, try pranayama breathing. This yogic method involves breathing first through one nostril and then the other, and is used to relieve anxiety.

Try progressive relaxation: Are you tense? Use progressive relaxation to learn how to relax in any setting. This method consists of teaching in stages to selectively tension and relax certain types of muscles.

Count back: Yes, everyone knows this method, but it really works. Try to count back and forth several times. Your brain will not be upset if it is busy with numbers.

Close your eyes: If you can, then everything is fine. Just shield yourself from the noise of the office or the chaos of the street behind the protection of tightly closed eyelids. This is an easy way to restore calmness and focus.

Body relaxation

Give yourself a hand massage: Of course, you will not be able to use the services of a professional massage therapist at your workplace. But it is quite possible to make yourself. This will be especially useful for people who spend a lot of time in front of the keyboard. And if you have a little more than five minutes, then it is quite possible.

Try acupressure: Acupressure is an acupressure massage that owes its birth to ancient Chinese medicine. This method is less painful and completely safe, at the same time it is applicable everywhere and easily accessible for mastering by any person.

Ride a tennis ball: Take off your shoes and roll your feet with a regular tennis ball. You will get an excellent impromptu foot massage. This is especially nice if you have to wear high-heeled shoes.

Wet your wrists with cold water: If you feel like it now, then go to the bathroom and just soak yourself with cold water on your wrists and behind your earlobes. This will help you quickly calm down and relieve tension.

New environment

Stay alone: Not everyone needs a forest hut, but five minutes of solitude will help you collect your thoughts and clear your head.

Create yourself a Zen zone: find or create a special place for yourself to relax. This is a place where no one and nothing will bother you for sure. Perhaps it will be a comfortable armchair in the lobby or a secluded bench in the yard - the main thing is that you associate it with peace and relaxation.

Look out the window: If you constantly look at a TV screen or monitor, then a five-minute contemplation of real life outside the window can be great to clear your mind.

Put things in order: The daily clutter around you can be much more irritating than you might think. Table chaos is very often a reflection of the chaos in your head. Remove all unnecessary things, put things in order in the necessary and you will see how beneficial it will affect you.

Exercises

Stretching: Do you get the image of a gym and graceful twine gymnasts at this word? This is not at all necessary - you can stretch out without even getting up from your workplace. Try to stretch well up and to the sides, various body rotations, bends, or, for example,.

Yoga: Many people think that yoga is very difficult and not quite suitable for a busy city. But . Yoga is a great way to take control of not only your body, but also your mind.

After some days off, I want another weekend. By no means are we always talking about some extraordinary events that disturbed the peace on Saturday and Sunday. But after all, there are people who go to work vigorous on Monday, but during the working week they do not seem to get tired at all. What is their secret, and what interferes with proper rest for everyone else?

What prevents us from relaxing?

Many do not even suspect that they need to learn how to rest. Why study anymore, if after a hard day's work it is so pleasant to flop down on the sofa in front of the TV? Tea with something delicious, beer or wine, TV shows or the Internet - what else is required for happiness? On weekends, you need to do what you can't do on weeknights, and then it's time to pull the strap again. This is if there are no children. And then after all, there is no time to turn around, what kind of rest is there? I would live to see the vacation.

In order to learn how to properly rest and relax, you need to know what prevents us from doing this. And the main enemy becomes, surprisingly, not the lack of free time.

• Boredom and monotony
• Hustle and bustle and the pursuit of new sensations
• Faith in the help of alcohol
• Lack of daily routine

All of the above harms good rest, turns a vacation into a season of hard work in the country, a tourist trip into a race to the sights, makes one evening indistinguishable from another.

The lack of new impressions and their excess are closely intertwined. Boredom arises where there is no fascinating thing. The variety of information at some point starts to get boring. Alcohol, having a short effect on the nervous system, gradually increases nervousness, and does not allow to relax completely. There is no need to explain about the habit of going to bed after midnight, and working without a break until the legs are carried to your favorite chair.