Most of us have “off- days”, either because we work hard, look after the children, or even from a seasonal anxiety disorder, among many other reasons that can bring us down and increase our need to feel better at home. While there are a lucky few who seem to feel great all of the time, there are those of us who feel the aches, pains, and tiredness of everyday life.
While taking a day off to relax might be a good idea, it isn’t possible for many people and because of Covid-19, the prospect of a holiday or short break is a long way off or at the very least, very uncertain. On average, 60% of people the world over don’t get enough relaxation or sleep which contributes to a poor working day by decreasing focus and increasing tension and anxiety.
There are many things you can try at home to provide temporary relief such as a quick shower, an afternoon nap, or even just a quiet coffee break, but these are quick fixes with not much benefit.
Some more appropriate methods with proven benefits include:
- Self-massage
- Meditation
- Home spa
Massaging your own body is an excellent way to relieve tension while a meditation session can be done in as little as five minutes and it’s surprising how easy it is to turn your bathroom into a personal home spa.
Find Your Problem Areas
While the best massage definitely will come from a trained professional, at the moment massage establishments are closed, some people might be embarrassed to go to one and they can be expensive. But there are some self-massage techniques you can do.
Kneading the skin and applying pressure to certain muscles of your body such as the neck, shoulders, lower back, and even the face can relieve tension and make you feel better. Some techniques involve using your thumb and fingers but others involve useful items such as tennis balls, face rollers, and special trigger point massagers.
Each massage technique has been developed with various benefits and has been specifically designed to target different areas. The physical benefits of self-massage can help with headaches, pain, and swelling while the emotional benefits include reductions in anxiety, depression feelings, and improved alertness.
Take Just Five Minutes
While it isn’t for everyone, the practice of meditating has been a tried and tested method of relaxation and has been used for centuries, if not, millennia by many cultures all over the world, the most famous of course being Indian, Tibetan, and Japanese.
While there are some complex meditation techniques such as Kundalini which is a part of Yoga, you can learn simple methods that can provide almost instant benefits, and the more you do it the easier it becomes. Some people find it difficult at first since many are not used to just stopping and focusing on something for extended periods of time.
Because of this, one of the most popular meditation techniques in the west is guided meditation which uses an instrument of focus such as a candle, sounds of nature, or audible instruction. This is usually done by sitting in a comfortable or lying down as opposed to assuming advanced poses as with more complex methods.
Indulge If You Can
The joy of a spa is something to behold as we are put into a serene state of relaxation by trained professionals who cater to our every whim and use their magical hands to massage us through the day before we lay next to an indoor waterfall and just do nothing. Unfortunately, that is next to impossible at home for most of us but you can make your bathroom a little bit more spa-like.
The first might be to redecorate the bathroom using neutral tones and new stone tiles wherever possible, but this is expensive and isn’t the most necessary thing to do. What you will need to do though is clear out the bathroom of any clutter. Anything that isn’t going to provide a relaxing experience should be removed. Replace as much as you can with wooden items such as loofahs, towel racks, and soap dishes and add a few plants.
Next, organize your towels into small, medium, and large categories and make them easily accessible from the bath. This could be by placing them at the end or grabbing a towel stand. Also, get your smaller face cloths and roll them up then arrange them in a pyramid shape on the bath end where your head goes if you can. This makes them easy to reach while you are relaxing.
Now, light a scented candle, put on a face mask, and indulge in a steamy bath for as long as you can handle the heat. A hot bath opens up all of your pores and releases any toxins from your body while the heat itself relaxes muscles and eases tension.
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