Feeling wired? Need to short-circuit your stress and just relax already? Here are a bunch of science-based strategies to help you relax and feel less anxious. Relaxation techniques include any strategy that you can implement in your life to have greater relaxation and lower stress. There are actually tons of things we can do to relax and induce a sense of calm in our bodies. So in this article we’ll talk about a variety of relaxation techniques so that you can choose the ones that you think will work best for you.
Need a “quick calm” before we start? Try this 3-minute relaxation video.
Why Might We Need Relaxation Techniques?
We’re glued to our phones 24-7, overwhelmed by work, and nervous about the future of our country and the planet. For these reasons and more, stress has become an epidemic in America. Stress is the full-body response that occurs in response to what we call a stressor—or some event that we perceive as threatening.
Stress includes activation of the sympathetic nervous system, the release of cortisol, and the release of the catecholamines norepinephrine and epinephrine. The adrenal glands then must turn off cortisol to help us get back to normal.1 But when we’re chronically stressed, our bodies have a harder time turning off the stress signals. So many of us are in great need of strategies to help us relax.
21 Relaxation Techniques to Induce a Sense of Calm
1. Try mindfulness.
2. Do positive visualizations.
