Sometimes the stress of everyday life, the constant hustle and bustle can get all too much and result in stress, anxiety and even depression. You only live once so life should be worth it and what’s the point of hard work and absolutely no play? To live a long, happy and fulfilled life you should make time for yourself on a regular basis to reflect and refocus your energies. Here are a few things you should do on a regular basis to make your life more calm and relaxed.
Breathe
We all need to breathe every day, because breathing is essential for life! But I’m not talking about the essential breathing though, I’m talking about the deep breathing that calms the mind and allows worries to simply float away. When we stress and worry constantly our breathing becomes rapid, shallow and quite frankly does nothing to ease our stress. Make a habit of taking at least 5-10 minutes every morning and night as well as anytime in the day you feel particularly stressed to focus on your breathing.
Try this: Find a quiet place to sit with no interferences. Cross your legs and allow your hands to rest gently on your knees. Close your eyes and breathe in deeply through your nose for a count of five before slowly releasing the breath through your mouth. Repeat this until you feel more relaxed.
Relax Your Eyes
Just because you might work at an office doesn’t mean you can’t take some time for yourself throughout the day. In fact the workplace, which is usually the biggest cause of stress for most people, is the perfect place to practice your relaxation techniques. Most of us will sit in front of a computer screen for hours straight without any break. Make sure to take time out every 45 minutes to rest your eyes and refocus your mind.
Try this: Sit back comfortably in your chair and close your eyes. Place the palm of your hands over your eyes and gently roll them over your eyes in a circular motion. Do this for at least 5 minutes at a time. This will not only make you feel instantly more relaxed, but it’s good for your eyesight too as this exercise also strengthens your vision.
Spend Time Outdoors
Nothing rejuvenates the mind and body like time in nature does. Try and take an early morning walk everyday along a scenic route that will relax you and prepare you for the day ahead. When you are at work opt to take your lunch break outdoors rather than in the lunchroom. You will restore your energy levels and the rest of the work afternoon will just whiz by allowing you to go home and enjoy more time outdoors!
Keep Your Cool
When you are stressed or anxious, tensions may run high and you might feel as if you are on a permanently short fuse, meaning that you can lose your temper at any second. Whenever stressful thoughts start churning around your mind ask yourself: ‘Is this really worth worrying about? Is the situation going to get better by me constantly going over and over the problem in my mind?” The answer is almost always a big “NO” and once you recognize the pointlessness of worrying about things that are beyond your control you will soon start to relax.
Don’t forget your breathing exercises when a particularly stressful situation arises. Also try to reroute your thoughts to something else if your mind won’t seem to relax. Take in a quick game of Sudoku or listen to your favourite song. This confuses your brain and you will find that the problem soon becomes insignificant.
Bonus Tip: Valerian Root
The naturally occurring herb Valerian not only helps you sleep better, but it reduces anxiety as well. It’s available in most chemists and healthfood stores (our
marketing director Mike is a big fan!). Other herbal suppluments like Theanine and St. John’s Wort, as well as vitamins/healthy fats like B complex, Zinc, and Omega-3?s can also help reduce anxiety levels.
Don’t Forget Diet & Activity
All of the above when combined with regular exercise and good nutrition (including sufficient omega-3?s – eat that fish!) will help you reduce your anxiety level.
Protect Your Skin!
You’ll want to make sure that you Exfoliate, Moisturise, and Hydrate your face and body! Stress produces a hormone called cortisol which accelerates aging, so fight the wrinkles with LAMAV – all of our products contain clinically proven anti-ageing Bio-Actives™. Take a look at our Skin Care, Body Care, and Mineral Makeup ranges, as well as our new customer specials for extra skin protection next time you’re feeling not-so-chill.
What are your home anxiety remedies? Comment below and let us know your thoughts (and be automatically entered to win a free gift!)
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