Would you say you experience high levels of stress?

Many of you will answer yes to this, and it indicates what modern life has become. We’re more stressed now than ever, and it would be interesting to consider why.

That’s not what we’re doing today, though! Instead, we’re looking at ways to decrease stress levels and make you feel more relaxed. Below, you’ll find the best relaxation routine for high-stress individuals, detailing what to do every day, week and month.

Take the time to breathe

It sounds cliche, but deep breathing is the key to feeling more relaxed. If you wear a heart rate monitor, you’ll instantly see the effects of deep breathing. Taking a deep breath in, then breathing back out will slow your heart rate and calm your body.

You should aim to do this every day, particularly when you start feeling stressed. Take a moment to go through some deep breathing exercises, and you will calm yourself down.

Start and end your day with meditation

Meditation may seem like a very “hippy” thing to do, but it’s proven to help decrease stress levels. It utilises some of the deep breathing techniques we mentioned earlier, but there’s more relaxation involved here. You’re trying to shut your brain off and focus on other things, being aware of the space around you and the smells or sounds you hear. You can also use meditation music to calm down even further.

If you’ve never done this before, there are meditation guides that’ll help. Try doing this every morning when you wake up as it helps you start the day with the right mindset. Similarly, do it before going to sleep while lying in bed. Some late-night meditation can help you drift off to sleep for a deeper slumber.

Relax your muscles

Muscle tension happens when you’re really stressed as your whole body gets tense and tight. This can lead to niggling pains that make you feel more stressed. So, focus on relaxing your muscles whenever possible.

Yoga is a great way to stretch tight muscles every day, making you feel less tense. Try it in the morning or before you go to sleep.

Running a warm bath and soaking it with Epsom salts or a muscle-relaxing bubble bath is also great. You probably don’t have the time to do it every day, but it can become a once-a-week thing that relaxes you on weekends.

Alternatively, try visiting a spa every month or once every two/three months. It may seem expensive, but the range of muscle-relaxing treatments here is worth their weight in gold. You’ll feel the tension melt away with a deep tissue massage or while sitting in a heated jacuzzi.

Give these ideas a go if you’re feeling stressed every day. Some of the techniques can be done during the day; others are great at the start/end of the day, and some work best when done once a week/month. Keep at it, and you should see some improvements in stress reduction throughout your body.

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