Relaxation and Rest: Health For Your Mind
Daily issues such as routine, work, the environment and the fast pace of life cause what is commonly known as “mental saturation”. However, there are many other personal problems or situations that can also endanger our mental well-being.
When we feel overwhelmed, a good method to help in this situation is mental relaxation as a psychological technique. The Spanish Society of Clinical and Health Psychology proposes breathing and relaxation training as a way to help solve everyday problems.
Relaxation techniques
The stress caused by the accelerated pace of life, as well as the different problems or personal situations that may happen in our environment can be relieved through different kinds of relaxation.
The first thing you should know is that in order to be able to relax your mind is to spend enough time with constant training and effort. You should also know that it is very important to learn how to breathe and relax your muscles.
Relaxation techniques not only allow you to enjoy peace of mind, but it is a whole process that reduces the effects of stress on the mind and body.
Here are some useful mental relaxation techniques:
- Autogenous relaxation: this is the relaxation that comes from within, you can use visual images to relax, reduce muscle tension and reduce stress.
- Progressive muscle relaxation: with this technique you have to try to tense and relax the muscles of your body by groups, the fact of differentiating between tension and relaxation will make you aware of the physical sensations of your body.
- Visualisation: you can make mental images by imagining a peaceful and calm situation by sitting or lying down somewhere quiet and closing your eyes.
Other relaxation techniques are also quite effective:
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- Deep breathing.
- Massage.
- Meditation.
- Yoga.
- Music therapy.
- Aromatherapy.
- Relax with music
Relax with music
Relaxing through music is another technique that is effective in clearing the mind and achieving inner balance. Through relaxation we can provide our body with a serotonin supply that will help us to relieve stress.
There are many benefits of listening to music to relax the mind, among them:
- It reduces stress.
- It is recommended to listen to sounds of nature, as they improve concentration.
- It improves rest.
- Improves brain function, as music helps brain development.
- It reduces blood pressure and heart rate, making the heartbeat more regular and rhythmic.
- Helps the release of serotonin and endorphins.
Relaxation for sleep and promoting good sleep
Relaxation and meditation techniques are very effective for falling asleep. Having our body and mind relaxed will help us sleep better and improve our quality of sleep.
Relaxing music and the use of essential oils are the perfect complement to relaxation techniques. It is important that our senses are receptive to these stimuli. To do this, relax all the muscles and concentrate your mind on the changes taking place in your body to help you relax completely and fall sleep easily.
Aromatherapy with essential oils to help you relax
According to the US National Library of Medicine, aromatherapy is defined as the use of plant fragrances and essences to affect a state or behaviour of a person to improve physical, mental and emotional well-being.
The medicinal and therapeutic benefits that essential oils offer have an immediate effect on the emotions, which is why one of the main applications of this kind of products is to balance moods. Thus, they are commonly used to relax the mind and achieve emotional balance.
Create a calm atmosphere anywhere
In order to be able make use of the tips we have given you and use essential oils to relax your mind, you should also know that it is important to set up a calm and suitable environment.
Essential oils can be used in different ways, you can either use them for a massage to relax your muscles, or you can use them in an aroma diffuser, which will create the right atmosphere for you.
As we have seen, there are many ways to relax the mind, however, to have a successful result it is necessary to spend time, pay attention to our body, to know its needs and to relax, both physically and mentally.
