Relaxation for a Healthier Lifestyle
A common issue for many today is an excess of stress and a shortage of relaxation in our daily lives.
Stress can significantly impede your ability to achieve and maintain a healthier lifestyle.
This is where the topic of relaxation becomes crucial.
For many of us, relaxation might involve lounging on the couch in front of the TV at the end of a stressful day.
However, this does little to alleviate the damaging effects of stress.
To address this issue, we need to consciously create pauses and breaks during our day.
We've compiled all our articles about relaxation in this category.
Tip! Use the "Show Expanded TOC" button if you want to jump straight to a specific article.
Table of Contents
Definition Of Relaxation
Relaxation means the state of being free from tension and anxiety.
It's when you need recreation or rest, especially after a period of work or when your body is in a state of stress.
Stress Can Be Unhealthy If Not Managed
If we do not give ourselves the recovery we need, both shorter breaks several times a day and longer now and then, we get ill.
For instance, we risk getting
- Sleep problems
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Pain
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD)
The brain cannot distinguish between the stress that we create with our thoughts and real dangers. Whatever the reason, it prepares the body to fight or flee.
When we are stressed, blood pressure rises, the heart beats faster, the vessels contract, the muscles tense, and digestion gets worse.
Stress for short periods is not harmful.
When stress decreases, the heart beats more slowly, blood pressure drops, and your immune system gets strengthened.
The problem is that the stress we experience nowadays is often diffuse and has no natural end. And, in the long run, it'll wear us down, making us ill.
Plan Your Pauses!
Actively planning pauses and breaks is vital for managing stress, even unconscious stress, for your health.
We need to actively prioritize recovery and our health.
All Our Articles On Relaxation
A few micropauses per day are great for alleviating stress
Micropauses are small breaks for about 5-10 minutes that you can take whenever during your day.
They make a big difference when you feel tired and sluggish. It's quite amazing that just 5 minutes of relaxation can have such positive effects on your energy levels and your overall health.
In this helpful guide, we describe micropauses.
You will also find an easy step-by-step guide on how you can take a micropause whenever you feel like it, even at work.
Take control over your stress with the steps we describe in Micropause 101: A Short Beginner’s Friendly Guide
Learn how-to deep breath
Deep breathing is a technique for relaxation that can not only help you cope with stress but can also at the same time provide you with numerous health benefits.
We have put together a beginners guide to deep breathing.
So you can learn and start reaping the rewards. It's well worth it!
Learn how to deep breath in Beginners Guide: How-To Deep Breathe
Benefits of deep breathing
Deep breathing is a technique that provides numerous health benefits. It triggers the release of endorphins, which improves feelings of well-being and provides pain-relief. But that's not all.
We have put together a list of several health benefits you might get if you start implementing deep breathing in your everyday life.
Read all about them in 11 Benefits Of Deep Breathing [Research-Backed]
Relax your brain
Your brain needs rest regularly, to be able to recover and function properly.
Short breaks, good sleep, and activation are needed to let your brain recharge its batteries.
You can read about why your brain needs relaxation and how you are able to do it in Your Brain Needs To Relax, This Is How You Do It! [5 Tips]