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increased irritability and overreaction to small annoyances. loss of interest in punctuality and appearance. crying spells and feelings of depression, sometimes with thoughts of suicide. increased use of drugs, tobacco, and alcohol. increased or decreased appetite, often with weight gain or loss. sleeping problems, such as insomnia or nightmares. frequent headaches and pain throughout the body. Some of the negative effects of not relaxing enough include: Risks of too much stress Stress from work, family, social obligations, and even exercise will wear you out over time if you don’t set aside time to relax. Relaxation doesn’t just feel good, it’s also important for good health. The same helpful “fight-or-flight” instincts we get from these small stressful events in our life can backfire on us if we don’t take time to relax. Most stresses we experience are small, like getting caught in traffic on the way to a party or losing an earring on the train to work. It can be a helpful thing that motivates people to act, and can even save your life in a dangerous situation. This can help encourage self-regulation and relaxing behavior in your child. Better yet, get involved in these easy relaxation exercises with your child. If you sense your child needs to relax, help him or her through these exercises. Relaxation isn’t just for adults: It’s important for kids and teens too. So, thanks to technology, even people living and working in big cities far from nature can still experience its calming effects. Scientists have found that simply looking at images of nature with greenery for five minutes on a computer screen can help calm you down. But you don’t necessarily need to be in nature to feel its stress-reducing effects. When you’re feeling stressed, take a step outside and go for a short walk, or simply sit in nature. Spending just a few minutes in nature when you feel stressed may help you relax. The more you get into your visualization, the more you can relax. For example, if you think of the beach, you might imagine calm waves, the sound of children playing in the sand, the smell of sunscreen, the taste of cool ice cream and the feel of gritty sand under your feet. Close your eyes and imagine all the details linked to that place: the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and tactile feelings. Have you ever heard the expression “find your happy place”? Sit in a quiet and safe place, such as your bedroom, and begin to think about a place in the world where you feel most calm.
Try to think of three good things that happened to you today and write them down, even if they’re small things like getting to work on time or eating a delicious lunch. Thinking about the positive parts of your life and writing them down may help you chill out. Experts say that when we’re stressed, we tend to focus on the negative parts of life rather than the positive. Making a list about what you’re grateful for can help some people feel relaxed. Just focus on expressing yourself to help release some of your stress. Don’t worry about being poetic or spelling everything correctly.
You might do this in a notebook or in a notes app on your smartphone. When you feel stressed, take a few minutes to write down some short notes about how you’re feeling or how your day is going. Getting things off your mind by writing them down may help you relax. Many people start either with the muscles in their face or those their toes, and then work their way through the muscles across their bodies to the opposite end. As you do this, notice how your body sensations change. Tense up one part of your body at a time, and then slowly release your muscles. Lay on a soft surface, such as your bed, a carpet, or a yoga mat. Releasing any physical tension can help relieve stress in your body and mind. When we feel mentally stressed, we often feel physically stressed as well. Repeat five times, or as long as you need to feel relaxed. Feel your belly rise and fall as you breathe in and out. Breathe in to a slow count of three, and then breathe out to the same slow count of three.
Sit or lay down in a quiet and safe place such as on your bed or the floor in your home and put one of your hands on your belly. Breathing exercises are one of the simplest relaxation strategies, and can effectively calm your stressed-out body and mind anywhere at any time. When it comes to relaxation strategies, the easier the better! If you can find five minutes of your day for yourself, you can easily slip in a simple relaxation strategy.