We are forever on the go, always moving. It could be running an errand for your mother or making last minute fixes to a presentation for your boss, cramming for an exam the next day or just losing patience over your wedding to-do list. Amidst this chaos, we yearn for a few days or hours of escape. However, running away to a far off island is neither possible nor the answer. It would be a blessing to even find five minutes of space to breathe. Since five minutes seem easier and more feasible to get our hands on than a ride to the beach before an important meeting or running an errand; here is a list of ways to relax within those five minutes.
1. Close Your Eyes
This is the most effective and easiest way to relax. Just leave whatever you are doing and close your eyes. If you are sitting at your desk, then just let your hands loose and rest your head. Don’t think, just breathe. It is the closest you can come to meditation within five minutes. It will calm you down and decrease stress level. Five minutes of peace is all you need to clear up your head and stop yourself from being flustered.
2. Sip Green Tea and Relax
Yes, sipping green tea can actually be relaxing. Besides the obvious, that sipping green tea is quite calming; it actually has medicinal qualities to lower stress levels. So, the next time you have too much to do and too less time then all you need to do is, make time for a cup of green tea.
3. Relax to Your Favorite Song
Go through your playlist and play the song that you relate to the most. It doesn’t have to be a specific genre. Playing your favorite song will take you to an entirely different world and will help soothe your nerves.
4. Just Breathe to Relax
Breathing exercises have been popular for quite a long time now. They aren’t popular because they are cool, but because they are actually effective. Just sit and focus on your breathing, once you are able to focus on it, then breathe in from one nostril and breathe out from the other. After a minute, change the direction. This is not only helpful to lower stress levels, but also healthy for your entire body.
5. Collect Your Thoughts
There is no point in having your head scattered with different thoughts at one time. What you need to do is, be alone and find a corner. Just stand or sit there and collect your thoughts. Think about all that has been bothering you and stop running away from it. Organize your thoughts by prioritizing them. You need to know what is more important and what isn’t. If something can be dealt with later, then why fret over it right now.
6. Learn How To Massage Your Hands
We all love getting a massage, but there isn’t always time to visit a spa or find someone to help us with it. No need to worry, because you can easily reduce your stress by massaging your own hands. Just get your hands on a bottle of lotion and pour a little on your palms. Evenly spread it all over your hand and with the help of thumb of one hand, massage the muscle below the thumb of the other hand.
7. Day Dreaming
Day dreaming has been a favorite past time of all of us for ages now, this is no big secret. Five minutes is all you need to close your eyes and quickly visualize something special or what brings a smile on your face. It could be how you will look on your wedding day, or how you end up running into your favorite celebrity.
8. Got Some Gum
Just get yourself a pack of gum and whenever you think there is too much stress and you need a break, start chewing. It can take away anxiety, lower cortisol levels, help you regain focus and make sure that you don’t have a bad breath.
9. Walk Around
If you are in a small room, then just walk its length, but do walk. Silent walking is credited for mindfulness. It is extremely helpful before making a decision, because it helps you evaluate the rationality.
10. Drip Water Right Where the Stress Is
This is for times when your whole body is tired, you are frazzled and the difficult day is taking a toll on your blood pressure. Get up, rush to the bathroom and run the cold water tap. Wet your fingers and place them on your wrist, then slowly place your wrist underneath the tap. Do this for both hands. You can also, with the help of your fingers, drip water behind your earlobes. Cooling the arteries of these two major areas can have a strange calming effect on your entire body.
