When was the last time you really relaxed? Our society places a huge premium on productivity. One must be ambitious; one must be productive; one must always be on their grind. Having goals and a strong work ethic is a good thing, but part of what makes life worth living is leisure. Taking time out to kick back, relax, and blow off some steam has proven mental and physical health benefits. If you’re the kind of person who’s always on the go, here are a few reasons why it can pay lifelong dividends to slow down every now and then.
Stress Reduction
The No. 1number one reason why relaxation is important is that it gives you a moment to de-stress. Think of yourself as a computer that’s over-heating. You need time to cool off; trying to work your way OUT of stress will just make you even more stressed. Stress can have a snowball effect on your overall health, afflicting you with a series of symptoms and conditions that can compound in severity over time. If you find that you’re experiencing any of the following on a regular basis, that is a major warning sign you need to de-stress.
- Anxiety
- Persistent feelings of fatigue
- Sleep deprivation
- Depression
- Panic attacks
- Headaches
- Indigestion
- High blood pressure
- Muscle aches and tension
- Increased heart rate
- Hives and skin rashes
- Labored or rapid breathing
When your body enters a relaxed state, your cortisol levels decrease. Cortisol is a hormone your body produces that regulates blood pressure, converts glucose into energy, decreases inflammation, and helps control your body's sleep-wake cycle. When you feel anxious or threatened, your cortisol levels increase, which triggers a domino effect of your blood pressure increasing, which in turn triggers other stress reactors. Cortisol is an important part of your body’s fight or flight response to dangerous situations; unfortunately, cortisol has trouble telling the difference between a deadly encounter like stumbling onto a grizzly bear in the woods or something mundane and stressful like getting a deadline at work pushed up.
This is why it’s so important to relax. The more stressed you feel, the higher your cortisol levels; the higher your cortisol levels, the more you’ll feel stressed out when faced with some bad news or inconveniences. It can have a cumulative effect, turning molehills of stress into mountains.
Improved Cognitive Function
It can be hard to think straight when you’re overwhelmed. A stressed mind can quickly box itself into a corner. You become so fixed on whatever’s causing you stress that you can’t see solutions that could exist beyond it. Stress makes you look so closely at the trees you forget you’re in a forest. Relaxing gives you time to process information, reflect on your situation, and recall key details that the memory impairment stress can cause would prevent. Relaxation practices like meditation, mindfulness, and breathwork can improve your ability to concentrate.
Better Sleep
A major health benefit of relaxation is that it can have a positive impact on your sleep. A relaxed body and mind is less prone to sleep deprivation and insomnia. Getting 7-9 hours of sleep is vital for maintaining your health. Sleep deprivation can be a stressor on its own, and lead to other health issues if it isn’t corrected. If you have the time, taking a quick nap every now and then can be quite restorative. A 10 to 30 minute power nap can elevate your mood, alleviate stress, and improve memory retention.
Ways to Relax
We’ve explored some of the why’s, but it’s also important to talk about the how’s. What are some effective ways to kick back and relax that will give you all the cortisol-decreasing, stress-lowering benefits?
- Meditation: Sit down for 3 to 10 minutes and try not to think about anything. Focus on your breathing, empty out your mind, try to just be in your body living in this moment.
- Breathing exercises: Doing sets of breathing patterns can ease muscle tension and promote a state of relaxation.
- Progressive muscle relaxation: This technique involves tensing up different muscles in your body, and then releasing that tension one muscle group at a time.
- Walk in nature: Take a stroll in beautiful natural surroundings. The goal isn’t to push yourself physically, so avoid steep climbs and rough trails.
- Massage: Getting a massage can be a great way to relax and undo knots of tension in your body.
- Yoga: There are several different styles of yoga- some more more physically taxing than others- but all of them offer similar stress-killing and flexibility-boosting benefits.
- Tai Chi: The slow, flowing movements of Tai Chi are a great alternative to meditation if you want to do something more active while you empty your mind.
- Creative pursuits: Making art can trigger deeply relaxing flow states. Whether your art is writing, visual art, playing music, or cinematography, creating something can be a calming and relaxing experience.
Article by Austin Brietta
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