Relaxation is preached by everyone. We hear, it we know it and yet most of us don’t take the time to do it. So why?

A lot of research has been done on the topic of relaxation and there’s been numerous finds in terms of why people don’t take the time to really relax. They can range from having too much to do, not knowing how to do it and others say it’s because they can’t stop thinking about problems in their lives. There is almost always one re-occuring idea though, the fact the people believe the cost of relaxation is too high.

What people are saying is true, but it’s not the full truth. So how is it true? You see, most people perceive relaxation as being something big. They see it as going to a spa, getting your nails done or going on a cruise. Now, here’s where the line gets a little blurry. While these are all things you can do to relax, your stereotypical relaxation techniques, relaxation is so much more.

The true definition of relaxation is “the state of being free from tension and anxiety”. This means that relaxation can be anything, as long as it allows the person to relieve all their tension (or at least some of it) and not feel anxious. This sounds simple, right? Unfortunately for most people they get stuck in the stereotypical forms of relaxation and cannot understand how other activities can help.

My goal for this post is to give you some ideas of activities or techniques that you can do to achieve relaxation. Some of these you may have tried or heard, some of these you may have considered and some of these activities may be things you have never even considered. Whether you’re a student that needs to relieve some tension, a parent that wants to help their child with anxiety or a TR looking for program ideas for their clients this post is for you. Hopefully I’ll be able to help you think a little deeper about relaxation opportunities and open your mind to try something new to relieve all your built up tension for everything going on in your life.

What’s even better about the opportunities? They’re going to have little to no cost associated with them!

Forest Bathing

Forest bathing is a relaxation technique that originated in Japan. Forest bathing is all about immersing yourself in nature and has been proven to have an immense calming impact. This technique is done while outside, whether on a walk or just sitting on a bench in a park, and involves using all 5 of your sense to truly absorb everything around you.

Palm & Sun Your Eyes

This technique is one I learned while in school, and that can be done both inside and outside as long you can put yourself in the direct path of the sun’s rays. Palming your eyes is the act on standing in direct sunlight with your eyes closed, interlacing your fingers and placing your palms over top of your eyes while focusing on your breathing. Sunning is the act of standing in the direct sunlight with your eyes closed, swaying your heard from right to left while focusing on your breathing.

The sun has been proven to be both good for your health and happiness, while the process of focusing on slowing your breathing supports the act of relaxation and relieving anxiety.

Listen to “Weightless” by Marconi Union

Weightless by Marconi Union is considered to be the most relaxing song on earth. The song has carefully arranged harmonies and bass lines, has an absence of repeating melodies and a constant of 60 beats per minute. The song has been proved to reduce blood pressure and anxiety by slowing a persons heart rate and breathing

Here is a 10 hour version of the song you can play on repeat to help you relax.

Look Up Cute Animals

I know, I know. You’re probably thinking I’m absolutely crazy for including this, but looking at pictures and videos of cute animals has actually been researched. Hiroshi Nittono, a researcher from a Hiroshima University studied the impacts of spending time looking these up. Hiroshi found that these pictures and videos not only improves a persons mood but also increases their productivity.

Fill Your Environment With Plants

Multiple studies conducted by Washington State University found that people performed better when they were surrounded by plants. On top of that, plants have been proven to reduce people’s blood pressure while also clearing air pollutants, reduce carbon dioxide, increase oxygen and creates a restful ambience.

This is also a great reason to take up gardening and/or take part in horticulture therapy. During the cold months, set up a window sill with your favourite indoor plants or succulents to keep this get the benefits year round.

Pick or Surround Youth With Flowers

To keep the topic of plants going, flowers have their own benefits. Dr. Jeannette Havilland-Jones is a professor of psychology at Rutgers and the lead researcher on flowers and emotional health. She and her team have found that flowers increase life satisfaction, trigger happy emotions and have long term positive effect on mood.

Time to go flower picking!

Listen to Music

While stereotypical, listening to music has some great relaxation benefits. While it doesn’t actually influence a persons mood, it does alter the way a person perceives time. Listening to music makes people believe that time is going by quicker, which is why music is often played while you are put on hold. Playing music during an activity an individual doesn’t enjoy or tries to speed through can help them to relax and take their time, reducing anxiety and producing relaxation.

Exposure to Blue Light

The University of Granada researched the relation between blue light and relaxation. The study found the blue light is proven to aid relaxation after an argument and completion as well as aid completion of a stressful-time limits task 3 times quicker than white light.

With this said, please keep in mind that blue light exposure should be limited before bed as it inhibits your body’s production of melatonin, the chemical that makes you feel sleepy.

Laugh Like You’ve Never Laughed Before

Do anything and everything you can to laugh, even if its forced. Laughing has been proven to have so many benefits, including ones that help with both anxiety and relaxation. This is why laughter therapy is so popular and why individuals enjoy taking part in it so much.

Laughter massages the abdominal muscles, boosts the immune system, reduces blood pressure by expanding the inner walls of your arteries, decreases levels of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, boosts the feel-good neurotransmitter serotonin, exercises the face and acts as a natural pain killer. It’s not joke, laughing can seriously benefit everyone!

Soak Your Feet

Did you know that your feet are filled with nerve endings? By soaking your feet in warm water and relieving some of the tension that is built up within them, helping to relax your entire body.

5-4-3-2-1 Technique

This technique has been tried and tested for years, being a popular model in supporting individuals in easing anxiety while promoting relaxation. While its popular for working, it also is beneficial for everyone as it can be done anywhere at anytime.

5-4-3-2-1 can be done by simply taking deep breaths while looking for 5 things you can see, 4 things you can hear, 3 things you can feel, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste. Looking for and focusing on these things allows for an individual to slow their breathing while focusing on being in the moment and taking in the surrounding around them. It can become something that individuals add to their list coping mechanism as well.

Power Poses

Power poses have been studied extensively, with the results always being positive. Psychologist, Amy Cuddy, is one of the people that have studied the powers of power poses. She found that power poses not only boost a persons confidence, but also increases testosterone and decreases stress hormones.

Make a Lavender Pillow

It is a known fact that lavender has a lot of both calming and relaxation effects. These pillows are great as they can be both an activity and they will last, having extended benefits.

To make a lavender pillow all you need is thread, a sewing needle, fabric cut into whatever shape/size you want and dried lavender. Put whatever side of the fabric you want on the outside on the inside. sew the majority of the pillow shut, keeping a small opening. Flip the pillow inside out now, putting the stitching on the inside to hide it. Fill the pillow with the lavender, sew it shut and you’re done! Now you have your own personal relaxation pillow. They can be made small enough they can even fit into a pocket or purse so they can stay with you.

Watch Fish Swimming

Also called Aquariam Therapy, is a technique that falls into the category of Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT). AAT is a form of therapy that involves the use of trained animals with benefits including an increase in happiness, a decrease in stress and a reduction in anxiety.

Studies have shown that Aquarium Therapy and has been found to have a lot of positive health benefits. The benefits include a decrease in heart rate and muscle tension, an increase in relaxation and helps to reduce both anxiety and stress. This is why fish tanks can be found in nursing homes, retirement homes, group homes and even some hospitals.

Don’t have a fish tank, or a budget to make it happen? Watching visuals of real fish tanks or aquariums have been proven to have similar results. You can find ton of these videos on YouTube. Here is a link to a live stream of a fish tank from the National Aquarium.

Disable All Non-Important Phone Notifications

While not an activity, this is a great technique for helping you relax. Phone notifications have been shown to cause people stress and by limiting them to only the ones you need, you can allow yourself to focus on being in the moment.

As someone who has done this, limiting a lot of social media notifications and even emails, I find myself to be less anxious. On top of that, it allows me to focus on living my life rather than feeling the constant pressure of scrolling through twitter or instagram.

Whether these activities and techniques were new to you, or whether you knew them before, I hope this post opened you eyes to some new ways of reaching relaxation. Some of you may choose to use these for yourselves, while others may use this as a starting point for helping support others. Some of these may even becoming coping mechanisms that you use long term. No matter what, I just hope that you enjoyed this read and that you found something thats worth trying for the first time or maybe even the second.

“Your calm mind the ultimate weapon against your challenges. So Relax” – Bryant McGill