Relaxation Tips For Uncertain Times
Our world is currently in one of the most uncertain times we have faced in quite a while. Between the pandemic, racial tensions, protests, riots and the presidential election, it’s completely normal and valid that you may be feeling a little uneasy.
This time has been especially challenging for people who struggle with mental health issues, like anxiety and depression. Our mental health should be a top priority; however, due to our busy schedules, it is often overlooked. Taking time for relaxation or finding ways to decrease your stress can help you get through the more difficult days. In this article, we are going to offer some relaxation tips that you can use to help keep peace of mind during these turbulent times.
Limit News Exposure
While it is important to stay informed, too much exposure to the news can cause unnecessary stress. There are ways that you can stay informed, but not fully immerse yourself in the negative parts of our current news climate. For example, you can read headlines or summaries, where you read a short sentence or so describing the event.
Depending on your personal preference, you may find that written news outlets don’t affect you as much as visual ones. There is a lot happening currently on a global level, and immediate access to everything on such a large scale can be overwhelming. Additionally, it’s important to not get too stressed out towards things that are out of our control.
Finally, it's important to remember that bad news sells. So, keeping in mind that some articles may be exaggerated to increase viewer interest may help you stay balanced in your thinking as you follow current events. We are certainly not saying to ignore all news outlets as a whole, but limiting exposure can help limit our stress levels.
Incorporate Meditation, Breathing Exercises Or Yoga
One of the most helpful things you can do to help yourself relax during stressful times is to incorporate some sort of breathing exercises, meditation or yoga. There are many resources online, including YouTube and various apps, if you are new to meditation.
Another way to get started with breathing work is to attend a yoga class in person or virtually. The great thing about taking yoga classes is that an instructor is guiding you through how you should be breathing to get the best benefits. There are many free yoga routines on YouTube if you aren’t sure you want to invest in paying for a class.
Self-Care
Self-care is always incredibly important for our well-being. Unfortunately, self-care is often neglected with our busy lives. Self-care doesn’t have to be massages and luxury baths (although those can help), it can be simply thinking about what you need in a certain moment. This can be some quiet time alone, exercise, cooking, some time in nature or a lazy evening watching your favorite television show.
Self-care can also just mean basic ways of taking care of yourself. Making sure to make time for yourself can help reduce or prevent chronic anxiety and stress. Regardless of what form of self-care works best for you, taking care of yourself is necessary. You should always remember this truth: You cannot pour from an empty cup!
Visualization
Visualization exercises and guided imagery can be a wonderful way to train your body (and mind) to relax. There aren’t many rules for visualization, but there are some general guidelines you can follow to make sure you are getting the most benefit from the exercises. For example, if you have a stressful work presentation, you can spend time before the presentation closing your eyes and visualizing it going well.
It may feel strange at first, but does help improve your mood and self-confidence. The two main types of visualization are outcome visualization and process visualization. Outcome visualization is when you visualize a specific outcome coming out of some situation. On the other hand, process visualization is when you visualize specific details (and steps) that you will need to take to achieve a specific goal. With both types of visualization, being as detailed as possible will bring the best results.
Music Or Art Therapy
Depending on your preferences, doing something with your hands (usually creative) can be a great way to relax. You don’t need to have any fancy equipment or supplies to do this either. If you love a specific musical artist, go on a hike while listening to them with your favorite beverage. Or if you enjoy painting, set up a place to work on your art and carve out some time each day to do it. Doing things that you truly enjoy and will truly look forward to, can do wonders for your stress.
Therapy And Medication
Talking to a therapist can be an excellent way to work through stress and anxiety. With everything that is happening, it may seem that things are out of control. Talking to a trained professional can help you to let go of the need to control or know exactly what will happen. This work is easier said than done because you have likely thought this way for a long time. If you have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, you can meet with a psychiatrist to talk about medications that will help with anxiety. Medication is not a “cure all” for stress, but it can help if your anxiety is becoming unmanageable.
While things in the world are quite uncertain right now, we can find peace in allowing ourselves to relax in whatever ways work for us specifically. When we don’t know what the future holds, it is expected that we will feel extra stress or increased hopelessness. Whatever you can do to hold on to the hope that things will get better, you should do as often as possible. Things will eventually get better and there will be brighter days. In the meantime, take a deep breath and let yourself relax. We promise you probably need it more than you think.
