How to Relax

There are a myriad of ways to relax and they can each be effective or not so effective based on the person we are as an individual. 101 relaxation suggestions below and more in the further exploration section. Remember that it can take time and practice to properly relax so make sure to put adequate time aside each day to just take it easy.

4 Ways to Prepare to Relax

1. Put on Some Comfy Clothes: Everything is more relaxed in comfy clothes.
2. Have a Relaxation Space: Have a sacred space where you can just take it easy and relax.
3. Have Relaxation Time: Whether it be a few hours in the evening or a couple of 30 minute slots at different times in the day. Set aside some time each day to unwind. 
4. Set the Mood: Light some candles. Put your feet up. Get yourself in the mood to relax.

9 Relaxation Techniques

1. Meditation: Calm the mind and relieve the stress. Meditation is scientifically proven to help reduce stress levels. Close your eyes for 10 minutes and focus on your breathing. Allow thoughts to come, observe them and let them go, bringing the focus back to the breath. Peaceful Soul guide to meditation here.
2. Muscle Tension & Relaxation: Try tensing and relaxing your muscles. Start from the top of your body and work your way down. Really concentrate on each and every muscle as you tense and relax.
3. Visualisation: Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a calm and relaxing space. The mind can’t tell the difference between imagination and reality so get a good feel for how you look and feel in that space and your body will relax as it would if you were there.
4. Practice Gratitude: Think of (and write down) all of the people and things that you are grateful for. Relive the gratitude and happiness… and relax.
5. Massage: Whether it’s back, neck, foot or head, invest in a good massage. they can be incredibly relaxing.
6. Do the Things That You Need To: Paradoxically, doing the things that are stressing you out can help you relax e.g. if you need to do the cleaning, just get it done and then you can relax properly.
7. Think About Your Problems & Solutions: Actually noting down your problems and writing out the solutions can take the sting out of any stress you have with them and help you to relax.
8. Try Positive Affirmations: Positive affirmations (or positive self-talk) can help to re-program your mind, giving us a better view of our self and relieve any negative thought (and in turn the stress they create). Peaceful Soul guide here.
9. Mindfulness: Be present. Be focused on the now. By focusing on ourselves in the present moment, we can realise that there are very little problems that are happening to us now.

10 Places to Go to Relax

1. Go to the Beach: Preferably a quiet one. Listen to the sounds of the waves and watch the beauty of the sea.
2. Go to a Sauna: Steam the stress away.
3. Get Some Fresh Air: Get outdoors and go for a walk in the fresh air. The exercise and sunlight along with the change of scenery will have a calming effect.
4. Go for a Drive: Pick a quiet time, put some music on and go for a short drive.
5. Go the Park: Take a stroll around the park and unwind.
6. Get Out in Nature: Immerse yourself in it. Shin-rin Yoko (forest bathing) is a corner stone of Japanese health care and has been proven to reduce stress level. Peaceful Soul guide here.
7. Go to an Art Gallery: Relax while taking in some culture.
8. Go to a Museum: Relax while taking in some history .
9. Go on Vacation: Take some time away from the busy stresses and strains of life.
10. Find Somewhere with a View: Get comfortably perched up and just admire the scenery.

10 Active Ways to Relax

Below are some ideas for light exercise that you can try to help relax. Exercise releases natural chemicals including endorphins that can put us in a great mood and help to combat stress. Remember, we’re trying to relax so don’t over exert yourself!

1. Stretching
2. Yoga
3. Gardening
4. Go on a Bike Ride
5. Tai-Chi
6. Pilates
7. Jogging or Running
8. Have a Light Workout
9. Go for a Walk
10. Rest Your Legs up on a Wall

7 Ways to Relax With Others

1. Spend Time With Loved Ones: What is more relaxing than putting your feet up and spending time with our friends and family.
2. Talk to a Good Friend: Chatting to our good friends can be a massive stress reliever. They know us well and can help us to relax at the end of a long day.
3. Play Games: Get the board or video games and play with friends or family. A nice wholesome way to relax (just so long as it doesn’t get too competitive!)
4. Forgive Someone: Relieve the tension of holding a grudge and forgive. Guide here.
5. Say Something Good to Someone: Similarly, providing honest and positive feedback to someone can help lighten both their and your day. See Peaceful Soul guide to helping others here.
6. Spend Time with Animals: It has been scientifically proven that spending just 10 minutes with animals or pets can significantly reduce stress levels.
7. Get Help: If you’re having trouble with being able to relax, are over-stressed or under a lot of pressure and finding it difficult to cope. get help. There are plenty of counsellors and therapists who can help to ease your situation.

6 Things to Watch to Relax

1. Stargazing: Find a relaxing place and watch the stars.
2. Watch the Sunset or Sunrise: Get up early and watch the beauty of nature at work.
3. Watch a Film: Stick one of your favorite films on and put your feet up .
4. Watch TV: Get comfy on the soda and put your favorite TV on.
5. Watch Videos on Youtube: So many videos, such little time. Put your feet up and get scrolling.
6. Watch Comedy: Put on something that makes you laugh.

48 Things to Do to Relax

1. Get Creative: There are a myriad of creative things that can be done to relax. Some suggestions below and more in the further exploration section.
2. Paint: Whether it’s creating a masterpiece or messing around with finger paints, try a bit of painting to help you unwind.
3. Take a Break at Work: When you can do so, take some time out at work. It will help you to de-stress and will also mean you are more focussed when you come back.
4. Do a Crossword: Keep the mind active and get lost in a crossword or word puzzle
5. Draw: Get pencils or crayons out and get the creative juices flowing.
6. Smile: Smile more, it feels great and even a fake smile can help reduce stress.
7. Play Video Games: Preferably relaxing ones that aren’t too intense.
8. Play an Instrument: Get musical.
9. Take Part in a Hobby: So many too chose from and such little time. Find a hobby and get engrossed to take your mind off of daily stresses and strains.
10. Take Some Pictures: Find some beautiful scenery and take some pictures (or take some fun pictures of family and friends).
11. Do a Random Act of Kindness: Helping others is a great way to feel good about life and de-stress. Peaceful Soul guide here.
12. Do Some Colouring In: Adult colouring in books. You’ve probably heard of them. Get one and give it a go.
13. Try Blogging: Think of something that really interests you, buy an associated domain name and get blogging.
14. Let Go of Negative Thought: Understand that you are not your thoughts. Let go of any repeated negative thought and get help if you find it difficult to do so (through a counselor or therapist).
15. Clean: Doesn’t sound like a lot of fun but it can be cathartic to do and once done, you can fully relax.
16. Turn the Phone Off: Take some time away from being glued to your phone. 202 things to do instead of looking at your phone here.
17. Turn Off All Electronics: Go one step further. Turn off all electronics and enjoy the peace.
18. Write: See what your imagination can come up with and just write.
19. Write Your Thoughts: Writing down your thoughts is a powerful way to see in black and white anything that may be causing you stress and why
20. Write a Poem: Get creative and write a poem whether on a particular subject or to a loved one.
21. Make a Journal: Writing down what we do each day can help us with our thoughts and feelings and to get everything out on paper. It can be fun to look back at too.
22. Learn: Find a subject that you enjoy and start learning. Peaceful Soul guide to learning here.
23. Feed the Birds: Plot up on a park bench and feed the birds.
24. Make a To-Do List: Plan Your day/week/year and relax knowing that you have a plan in place.
25. Make a Cup of Tea: Who doesn’t relax with a nice hot cup of tea.
26. Avoid the Media: The media is there to sell stories so is generally sensationalist and often stressful. Avoid it.
27. Sleep: Sleep is the best form of meditation and is also very good for our general health and decreasing stress levels.
28. Plan Some Time Off: Just the act of planning time off will help you to de-stress and realise that relaxing times are coming.
29. Be Alone if you Need to be: It can be very peaceful to be alone.
30. Be Affectionate: In whatever form it might take, being affectionate with those close to us is a great way to unwind.
31. Observe New Things: Take a mindful walk, notice the objects and colors on the way. Take in the sights and sounds that you may not have noticed before.
32. Have a Squishie or Stress Ball: Physically take out any stress. Squish that stress ball! 
33. Aromatherapy: Many essential oils (such as lavender) can aid with relaxation and help relieve stress.
34. Learn to say No: Saying yes to everything can make us stressed, overloaded and always busy. Learn how to say no.
35. Do What You Want to Do: Do the things that you enjoy doing.
36. Daydream: Daydream about the things that make you happy (and relaxed!)
37. Listen to Music: Put your feet up and put your favorite tunes on  
38. Dance and/or sing!: Have fun and dance to or belt out your favorite number.
39. Lie Down: Simple, just lie down.
40. Have a Nap: Have a quick relaxing snooze.
41. Read a Book: Get a book out, put your feet up and get engrossed.
42. Laugh: Whatever makes you laugh, do that.
43. Take a Long Shower: Relax in the shower.
44. Take a Bath: Take a long warm bath and melt the stress away.
45. Do Some DIY: Nothing too strenuous but a light bit of DIY and making the home look good can be very relaxing.
46. Move (Slowly): Try moving at half the speed you normally would. Slow things down. 
47. Eat some dark chocolate: Researchers have found eating dark chocolate regularly can reduce the stress hormone Cortisol. It tastes good too!
48. Just Be: Take some time to just be. No pressure to do anything. Just relax and be.