[New Song] Short Acoustic Guitar Meditation
Disciplined practices such as an hour long meditation or yoga can help relieve stress and anxiety, but what if you don’t have the time or motivation? Knowing a few simple and effective relaxation techniques can therefore be extremely helpful as it provides fast relief and can be done any time anywhere.
Check out some easy and quick ways below to calm your nerves and alleviate anxiety.
Hug someone
Hugging makes you feel good – this is a fact backed by science. Hugging triggers your body to release a hormone called which helps to make you feel good in so many ways – from lowing your blood pressure and cortisol (aka ‘stress hormones’) to improving your well-being by increasing your feelings of belonging.
As explained by , Ph.D., director of the University of Miami Medical School’s Touch Research Institute – “The gentle pressure of a hug can stimulate nerve endings under the skin that send calming messages to the brain and slow the release of cortisol,”
So as long as it’s somebody you don’t mind being in close contact with, hug them when you are feeling down, and wait for the powerful effects this simple contact can bring you.
Acupressure points
Acupressure is a very effective and convenient tool for anxiety relief and is done by applying a gentle pressure using your thumbs or fingertips on specific points of the body. You will know if you have accurately identified a pressure point if you feel a slight tingling sensation when you apply pressure. Once you have located the desired acupressure point, each point is then stimulated by massaging it in a clockwise direction for about 1-2 minutes. There should be no pain or discomfort when pressing on the points.
Some simple pressure points to relief anxiety: Yintang point (located midway between your eyebrow), GV 26 (located mid point between the bottom of your nose and upper lip) and forearm point (located on the inner side of the arm, 1-2 cm below the wrist folds).
Interrupt routines
Anxiety may also be caused by our mundane and stressful routines in life. The daily tiring commute to work, Saturdays spent catching up with chores, picking after the kids…and the list goes on. As such, breaking out of our habitual patterns can rejuvenate and excite our mind and help to relief some anxiety and stress.
Talk to the guy sitting next to you on the train, eat lunch on the roof or garden, or try a new product or brand in the supermarket. It does not have to be big things, just little changes wherever possible – and it can make a huge difference.
Hydrotherapy
Water has many healing powers, one of which is to alleviate anxiety. Water therapy, also know as hydrotherapy, makes use of our body’s natural responses to hot and cold stimulus to change our physiology and mood. Hydrotherapy has been used since ancient times as a natural way to balance the body and mind.
A simple way to relax is to take a hot water shower or bath. You can consider adding some herbs or aromatic oils/salts in your bath to enhance the effects of hydrotherapy.
Alternating between hot and cold water during a shower can also help to rejuvenate the mind and body. Cold water causes the blood vessels to constrict, causing blood from the body surface to move to the body’s core – this in turn helps to bathe the vital organs, including the brain with fresh blood. Hot water will relax the blood vessels and allows blood to flow back to the surface, thus drawing blood away from the core, effectively cleansing body.
You can also relax by giving yourself a. Add some aromatic oil and epsom salt to enhance your foot bath experience.
Surround yourself with therapeutic aromas
Besides adding them to your baths, there are also many other ways to enjoy the benefits of aromatic oils. You can add a few drops of it into your body or hand lotion, put it in an for your room, add some to cotton balls, put them in a container and place it on your office desk or car, add a few drops to a cloth to include it in the dryer so the smell can be infused with your clothes.
Another great way is to buy massage oil with a blend of aromatic scents, rub the oil onto your palms, place your palms over your nose and breathe deeply – this can be done prior to a self administered massage just before bedtime.
Common aromatic scents: , peppermint, , , , sandalwood, basil, , mandarin, marjoram, patchouli and vetiver.
All these scents work to ease your anxiety with its uplifting and refreshing properties. You can either use each scent on its own or combine them into a powerful blend.
If you are not sure which scents to choose, you can find ,which offers several scents for you to try. Essential oil blends are also easily available and target specific problems such as , or .
If you buy pure undiluted essential oil, remember to dilute it before using it directly on skin.
Look for something to make you laugh
When you feel anxiety kicking in, stop what you are doing, step away from whatever is causing your anxiety and look for something entertaining and funny. This is so easy to do now with the support of digital technology – just whip out your phone/tablet and go to Youtube or something and search for something that makes you laugh.
You can get back to whatever it is later – when you have a better and calmer mind to deal with it.
Breath deeply
Deep breathing exercise is perhaps the most effective and quick relaxation techniques.
Close your eyes and pay attention only to your breathing while doing this. Breathe in slowly through your nose, allowing your chest and lower belly to rise up and your abdomen to expand. Breathe out slowly as well, and you may also want to think repeatedly of a word or phrase that calms you down. Do this for about 10 minutes in order to get the most benefit.
You can find out more on a simple breathe meditation technique .
Take a break from your digital stuff
If you think you are suffering from a more severe case of anxiety, you can find out more natural cures .
Shine on,
♥
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