There is no question about it: Americans are more stressed than ever before. There are many reasons for this, including work and school, health concerns, world events, and politics. However, whatever the reason, it’s clear that Americans need to work on some serious stress management. Thankfully, in this regard, no one is helpless. There are many relaxation techniques that we can all use to relax better. Here are three such examples.
Yoga
Yoga is an ancient form of relaxation and exercise. It involves bending and stretching your body in a manner that is shown to have numerous positive effects, and, as Beyond Yoga points out, it is great for restoring your peace of mind and for getting your stress levels down to manageable levels.
It is important to remember that there are many different methods of yoga. Some are great for beginners whereas more advanced routines can be more physically demanding and can give you a better workout. For example, using the Strala yoga style can help you feel relaxed. These methods incorporate a variety of healing styles and are explicitly designed to help reduce stress.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback is a technique that makes you more conscious of various physical sensations (such as your breath and heart rate) and that gives you more control over them. It does so by setting up an electronic feedback display—such as a feather floating or building blocks being stacked—and encouraging you to breathe easier and slower. Doing so will then make the feather float or the blocks stack more easily. Biofeedback involves some technological use, as you must be connected to a machine that can monitor your heart rate or breathing. However, it’s a great way of learning how to gain control over bodily sensations.
Meditation
Meditation is many centuries old and involves concentration, enhanced awareness, and reducing your stress via deep breathing or visualization. Like yoga, there are many different types of meditation. Some are meant to be more relaxing, and others are more intense. What is clear is that many studies have shown that meditation has numerous positive benefits, including stress reduction.
Stress can dramatically reduce the quality of all of our lives and significantly damage our physical or mental health. However, it is within all of our grasps to reduce our own stress levels. Any number of physical or emotional techniques—including the ones listed above—can help us reduce our stress levels and live happier and better lives.
