Sometimes after a hard day you feel so tired that it seems: all you have to do is get to bed and fall asleep. But now you have already gone to bed, and sleep does not come. The fact is that after too much physical, psychological or emotional stress, you must first relax.
There are many ways to relax. You can find the most suitable one for yourself or use several as you wish.
Breathing exercises
Sit or lie down in a comfortable position and focus on your breathing. Relax the muscles of the face, shoulder girdle, arms. Take a deep breath at your usual pace. At the same time, make sure that the air does not fill the chest, but the abdomen. Hold your breath for 5-8 counts and exhale slowly. Try to make the exhalation about 1/3 longer than the inhalation. Hold your breath again for 3-5 counts and start over. Repeat 10-15 times.
You can breathe both through your mouth and through your nose. As a result of inhalation, your blood is filled with oxygen, and as you exhale, relaxation actually occurs. Make sure to perform the exercise smoothly, without jerking at the end of exhalation and inhalation, do not strain.
Active aggression
Actually, if you are engaged in any kind of martial arts, we can say that you have already successfully used this method. Exercising in the gym also has a similar effect. But it is quite possible for an ordinary person to apply this method at home.
Choose an object to target your aggression. Simply put, something that can be beaten without damage. It does not have to be analogous to a punching bag. Unnecessary dishes will do, which is not a pity to turn into fragments, newspapers or rags that can be torn, or other things you do not need.
Start destructive work with all the emotional intensity you can! It will be very nice to yell at the same time. This method is especially good if you need to relieve accumulated negative emotions, relieve stress, or, on the contrary, give yourself strength and cheer yourself up.
Jacobson's method
This relaxation method is based on alternating tension and relaxation of individual muscle groups. For 10-15 seconds, tense the muscles of the hands, and then try to completely relax them. When relaxing, make sure that your breathing is slow and smooth. Enjoy the relaxed state for about 2 minutes.
Then, sequentially in the same way, strain and relax alternately the muscles of the face, neck, shoulder girdle, back, abdomen, legs, groin, and feet. Gradually, the body will "remember" a pleasant state, and will easily return to it. For about a week, do this exercise 5 or 6 times during the day - this way you can get rid of chronic muscle tension. Further, a single execution within a day will be enough.
It should be borne in mind that this method of relaxation is contraindicated for people with high blood pressure and diseases of the cardiovascular system. But they can replace tension by stretching the muscles - the effect will be the same. To perform this version of the exercise, lie on the floor and bend your arms, neck, back, and legs alternately as much as possible. Feel your muscles stretch.
Other easy ways to relax
In order to relax, various types of meditations are suitable, relaxation to the appropriate calm soothing music. When applying this method, it is important to make sure that nothing outsiders interfere with you at this moment.
It's a good idea to take a contrast shower. Remember that in order for it to help you relax, you need to finish the procedure comfortably with a hot douche. The difference between hot and cold water should not exceed 10-15 degrees.
Oddly enough, peeling sunflower seeds, using chewing gum will help you to relax - it's not for nothing that there are people trying to “chew” stress. Many women find that handicrafts such as knitting or embroidery are also great for relieving fatigue. The brain switches from negative thoughts and experiences to a mechanical process, and you rest!
