Six tips to help you relax

Relaxation doesn’t always come naturally, especially during frenetic periods when we’re accustomed to being “switched on” all the time. In order to relax, we need to become intentional about it. Here are six tips to help ease the tension in your daily life. 

1. Get creative

Embracing your creative side can help take your mind off the issues of the day and promote a relaxed state. This is particularly helpful for people who experience difficulty relaxing without being productive on some level. Baking, painting, playing an instrument, journaling, DIY with Suzelle, there’s a whole world of options. Focus on the experience rather than the end result to benefit from the calming effect of creativity.

2. Drink this

Enjoy a warm, caffeine-free beverage in the evenings to help you unwind. Try cardamom tea with milk and honey or simply a warm cup of milk to facilitate relaxation and promote a good night’s sleep.

3. Laugh it off

Are you laughing enough? Laughing soothes tension, boosts immunity, improves mood and even relieves pain. Create moments for comic relief in your everyday life. Watch DVDs of your favourite comedian, find humorous YouTube clips and listen carefully when your kids share news about their day with you – children’s insights are often very amusing. Look for the humour in everyday life and you’ll find it.

4. Stretch it out

A few simple stretches will boost your blood circulation, facilitate deeper breathing and relieve muscle tension, helping your body work out the stress of the day. Search online for good stretching techniques or look out for the article in the upcoming Autumn issue of Bounce magazine (coming soon) with detailed illustrations of simple stretches you can do at home.

5. Listen to soothing music

Calming music has a powerful effect on your body’s physiological functioning, decreasing stress hormones and lowering your heart rate. Nature sounds, slow classical music or other calming tunes are best for soothing frayed nerves.

6. The cherry on top

Did you know that cherries are one of few natural sources of melatonin, which can help regulate your internal body clock and regulate sleep? In a study at Louisiana State University in the US, participants who drank 230ml of tart cherry juice twice a day for two weeks experienced a significant increase in circulating melatonin levels and slept on average 84 minutes longer than usual each night. Cherries are also rich in antioxidants, which reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the body and boost heart health. It’s certainly worth a try!