We all live with stress every day. We face stressful situations daily that can ignite our ‘stress response’ which is a perfectly normal reaction and can be positive (this is often referred to as eustress). It is when this response becomes chronic and long-term that it can be detrimental to our health. Long-term stress can lead to harmful changes to our body, suppress our immune system & ultimately lead to exhaustion mentally and physically, commonly known as burnout.
One of the best ways to combat and even prevent this long-term stress building up into something detrimental, is to initiate the ‘relaxation response’ consistently and regularly. Tonic Wellbeing has many effective relaxation techniques in the tonic toolbox that can help you do just this.
Below we list five you should be doing right now.
1. Breathing
We do it every second of everyday day but spending a few minutes abdominal breathing is a fantastic relaxation technique that can help lower your blood pressure and stop feelings of anxiety. Breathing techniques, such as box breathing, are one of the simplest relaxation strategies and can effective and immediately calm your stressed body and mind, anywhere at any time. We offer group and 1-2-1 sessions that include breathing and mindfulness techniques. Read more HERE.
2. Pilates
There are huge benefits to Pilates including better posture, muscle tone and most importantly, helping to relieve stress and anxiety. Pilates is an exercise that has become popular as a way for people to develop all round body strength which compliments their training plans and lifestyle. Not only that but it can help with joint mobility leading to a fuller and longer life. If you are interested in 1-2-1 or group Pilates, or even mindful movement, in your workplace then please DROP US A LINE.
3. Listen to Music
There is nothing better than listening to music to relax, as it will take your mind off stressful thoughts and anxious feelings. Many people like to listen to music to help them drift off to sleep, anything around 60 BPM can induce alpha brainwaves. It’s not only music that can help with relaxation, but soothing sounds such as falling rain can be very relaxing. TRY THIS PIANO MUSIC
4. Meditation
Meditation is a great way of relaxing the body and clearing the mind – and it only require a few minutes out of your day. Daily meditation can make you more resilient by altering the brains neural pathways. Whether you take 10 minutes in the morning or last thing at night, spending time meditating has a multitude of health benefits, stress relief being just one. TRY THESE BREATHING FOR RELAXATION MEDITATIONS.
5. Massage
Having a massage can reduce the stress and tension in your body as well as alleviate anxiety and depression. There is a huge list of benefits associated with massage. The most common physiological effects that occur include increased endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine, and decreased cortisol. A massage will leave you feeling less stressed, more energised, and ready to attack the day! Our Massage Reward Days are a great way to show you care about your people’s wellbeing and offer immediate & lasting benefits. FIND OUT MORE HERE
Summary:
Relaxation techniques take practice. As you learn relaxation techniques, you can become more aware of muscle tension and other physical sensations of stress. Once you know what the stress response feels like, you can make a conscious effort to practice a relaxation technique the moment you start to feel stress symptoms. This can prevent stress from spiralling out of control and decreasing your quality of life.
Be patient with yourself. Don’t let your effort to practice relaxation techniques become yet another stressor. If one relaxation technique doesn’t work for you, try another technique.
In short, relaxation techniques are a great way to increase your wellbeing. They reduce stress and anxiety levels, improve concentration, and generate effects that have a positive impact on you and those around you. They can help with long-term stress and stress related to various health problems, such as heart disease and pain.
Get in Touch
At Tonic Wellbeing we have a dedicated team of highly experienced practitioners ready to help you, and your people, with optimising health, and wellbeing.
If you would like to know more about how we can help then why not contact our team today. Call us on 0333 444 7 365 or email hello@choosetonic.co.uk.
