In today’s fast paced world, it can get a little overwhelming and hard to unwind and de-stress after a long busy day at work. Most of us usually unconsciously grab a glass of wine or aimlessly scroll instagram, absorbing information we don’t even care about. However this can be doing more harm than good because you’re not actually letting yourself relax or spending time focusing on yourself, you are merely avoiding the feeling.
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Co-Founder of College of Yoga Therapy, Lynn Keogh shares her tips on how you can de-stress in a positive way for your body and mind
Drink water
Drinking the recommended amount of 2 litres of water per day, is vital. If you’re someone who struggles to get in your 2L, try adding something interesting to your water to make the taste more appealing, such as mint, cucumber, lemon, lime or fruit. Constantly sipping on water is important in creating a calm state for your mind.
Get moving once a day
Taking the time, once a day to move your body is integral in creating a healthy mind and body. Regular exercises can help reduce anxiety by making your mind get into a ‘flight or fight’ state. Exercise such as yoga, pilates, running or even going for a brisk walk can help reduce depressive symptoms. So try booking yourself into a yoga class or putting in the effort to walk with a friend once a week.
Sleep
We should all aim to get between 7-9 hours of sleep every night. Research has shown that a short sleep duration is associated with drastically increased risk of weight gain and obesity in both children and adults. However, good sleep can also maximize problem solving and enhance memory. Poor sleep has been shown to impair brain function. If you have trouble falling to sleep at night, then try switching off all electronics an earlier hour and keeping them out of your bedroom.
Breathing properly
Breathing properly is a great great way of calming down but so many of us don’t know how to do it. Breathing is something you do all the time and usually you don’t think about it. However, try to start noticing your breathing patterns to see what type of breaths to take when you are calm in opposed to when you are stressed. Your breath cycles can be a powerful practice in focus and can relieve stress and calm your nervous system dramatically.
You time
Taking some time to focus on yourself or even taking a ‘me day’ should be something you practice regularly. Not only physically but mentally as in the long run it allows you to become more productive. Once a week, you should try doing something that will help your mind switch off from your work, like going for a brisk walk, practising yoga, getting a massage or chucking on your favourite show on Netflix!
