Do you know how many hours are necessary for Relax? According to psychologists and specialists in related areas, it will be enough to dedicate five or 10 minutes a day for it, but it is necessary to be constant.
However, The specialists also claim that the longer we spend, the results can be better. In that sense, the key is to be aware of the importance of spending time to relax, since these practices are beneficial to our physical, mental and emotional health.
Anayancy Castro, Guatemalan psychologist, mentions that if we want to reduce stress, The most important thing is to have the will to do so at consciousnesssince, if we do not have the disposition, the effectiveness of the tools we use can be affected.
On the other hand, It is important to take into account our hobbies and interpersonal relationshipssince, at the discretion of the psychologist Maria Renée Ordonez, they are fundamental pillars when talking about good emotional health.
Read more: what happens to the body when it has excess cortisol and adrenaline, stress hormones
8 techniques to relax when we are busy
1. Active pauses
Castro mentions that active breaks allow us to relax when we are very busy, it is even a practice that can be done in the office. It will suffice with slight stretching, get out of our workplace or any similar activity to be able to dismiss and relax the body. “For example, I can pass reports to take five minutes to walk or stretch,” says Ordoñez.
2. Exercises of mindfulness
He mindfulness It can be defined as a series of exercises and techniques whose objective is to generate full attention at the present time. This implies having the awareness put in the here and now so that the mind does not rise into thoughts related to the past or the future.
According to Heidi Kusters, an expert in these techniques and director of Mindfulness Guatemala, one of the recommended exercises are the conscious breaks. If it does not have much time, the professional suggests taking five minutes for this activity. During this, you can focus on this period completely to your breathing or to identify sensory stimuli.
In that aspect, another practice that can do is exercise “5,4,3,2,1”This consists of identifying five elements that you can see, four sounds that you can hear, three objects that you can feel, two smells of your surroundings and, finally, focus your attention on something that you can taste. This will return your attention to the present.
3. Meditate 5 to 10 minutes
Kusters mentions that, By meditating for at least five minutes, we can experience the benefits of this practice. However, it is essential to be constant and take into account that the longer we spend this activity, the results of this will be much better.
4. Ded time on your agenda for your favorite hobbies
Take 5 to 30 minutes to change activity, this will depend on the time available. Can Read a book, draw, listen to relaxing music or any other hobby that enjoy. The specialists emphasize that the most important thing is to disconnect for a moment from every mobile device.
“Being able to find A hobby It is essential to change the mental approach. I can dedicate 20 minutes daily to read, paint, write, walk, among others. (…) The main thing is to look for a state of relaxation, tranquility and interest, ”says Ordóñez.
In this regard, Kusters points out that activities must allow a connection with the present moment and not distract us. That is, everything that implies social networks disconnects us with reality, while a creative hobby, for example, connects us with the here and now.
If you want to identify your favorite hobbies, the professional suggests remembering what she liked to do in childhood to be able to recognize those hobbies she could truly enjoy.
5. Use the technique Pomodoro
According to Kusters, this is a strategy that can be useful to focus on the present moment. It consists of dedicating 30 minutes to the activity you want or need to do and schedule the alarm to have time.
However, the specialist emphasizes that it is essential to deactivate all notifications, emails and social networks so that this activity is successful. If you need help, there are useful applications for those who wish to explore this in -depth technique.
6. Drink cold water
Hydration plays an important role when talking about relaxation. If it is stressed, you can drink a cold water base to reduce stress. According to Castro, It is a good quick technique to perform very well during the day and recover calm. In addition, the professional emphasizes the importance of creating good sleep habits and having a good quality of life, since this has an impact on all aspects of our life.
7. Breathe while “we delineate” our hand
Ordonez mentions that a simple breathing technique consists of “delineating” the contour of one hand with the other. To put it into practice, it is enough to stretch one of the hands and review the contour of this with our other hand. While the fingers go up, it must inhale deeply. When they go down, exhale.
8. relaxing sounds
Download short audios with rain sounds, sea or birds. You can listen to them for a moment while closing your eyes and focuses on the feeling they produce. There are also applications where you can find them.
Physical benefits of relaxation
According to the Mayo Clinic, Relaxation can be favorable both to reduce stress and to improve the functioning of our body. In that sense, among the benefits of relaxation techniques we can mention:
- Improvement of heart rate and digestion
- Reduction of blood pressure
- It is possible to control blood glucose levels
- The activity of stress hormones decreases
- Increase blood flow towards larger muscles
- It is useful to improve muscle tension and chronic pain
- Improves concentration and mood, which is beneficial for your mental health, as well as sleep quality.
- Fatigue decreases, as well as feelings of anger and frustration.
- Increase confidence for problem solving
Mental rest: our best ally
Many of the strategies mentioned above go hand in hand with mental rest and the change of attention approach. In this regard, Ordonez adds that deep and conscious breathing techniques will be our allies to oxygenate the brain and reconnect.
The psychologist mentions that if you want to relieve the heavy load produced by work, studies or any other aspect of her life, she must prioritize relaxation or disconnection spaces. However, in some cases it becomes a challenge to find that time for ourselves.
On the other hand, the levels of tiredness and fatigue can increase to the point that this has an impact on the ability to disconnect from the work and in this case, a professional evaluation is required to verify or rule out the existence of the syndrome of Burnoutwhich generates long -term negative effects.
The term Burnout It refers to a type of stress linked to work, which includes physical and emotional wear, as well as feelings of uselessness, impotence and emptiness. For this reason, it is important to prevent this type of harmful effects for health through relaxation techniques that are effective, functional and that can adapt to their lifestyle.
In addition, when other emotional challenges are faced, it is important to consider the accompaniment of a health professional. In that sense, professionals emphasize that, if you find difficulties to relax or are facing any emotional crisis or in any field, it is necessary to go to a mental health professional to receive the support required to overcome these obstacles and improve our quality of life.