Your Guide to Daily Relaxation
When was the last time you reflected on whether you’re getting enough daily relaxation? Whether you’ve got a lot on your plate or you’re simply looking to optimize your well-being, daily relaxation is an essential component of personal wellness. Just as exercise, diet and sleep are critical to our health, so too is relaxation, which allows us to rejuvenate mentally and physically.
Our guide to daily relaxation will help you explore ways to infuse more R&R into your daily life, no matter the time or place. Learn four different ways to make time for relaxation so you can feel your best throughout the day.
Importance of Daily Relaxation
Many of us know the importance of getting enough sleep. But did you know that regular, non-sleep relaxation offers just as many health benefits as restorative sleep? When we don’t take time to recharge our batteries each day, we’re prone to increased stress, illness and, eventually, even burnout.
Daily relaxation offers vital mental and physical health benefits to help us combat the effects of stress on the mind and body. Not only does relaxation have preventive health benefits, but it’s also a way to take our well-being from good to great, setting a foundation for high performance and optimal quality of life.
Some of the critical mental health benefits of daily relaxation include:
- Builds stress-management skills
- Improves concentration and motivation
- Increases self-awareness
- Boosts mood and alleviates negative feelings
In addition to these positives for mental health, relaxation also provides advantages for physical well-being, including:
- Reduces blood pressure, heart rate and breathing rate
- Alleviates muscle tension and may relieve chronic pain
- Restores physical energy and reduces fatigue
- Improves immune system function
Research has found that daily efforts to reduce stress and increase relaxation can help decrease your risk of serious health conditions like heart disease and stroke. It’s even been shown to have a positive effect on blood circulation, digestion, cancer and headaches.
4 Ways to Relax Throughout the Day
Like work, vacations and social commitments, relaxation is something you must make time for regularly. As with any other skill, the more you make time for it, the easier it will become and the more benefits you’ll derive from it.
Below are four ideas on how to incorporate relaxation throughout your day so that you can feel your best any time.
1. Morning Relaxation
The morning is a great time to add more relaxation to your day. Mornings are often busy and sometimes frantic, with lots to do to get the day started on the right foot. Taking time to center yourself before the daily rush begins can help put you in an optimal frame of mind so you can enjoy your day and feel accomplished rather than overwhelmed.
Some benefits of morning relaxation include:
- Sets a positive tone for the rest of the day
- Reduces the amount of stress you may experience during the day
- Provides time to become more present and intentional about your day
Meditation, journaling and gentle movement are three ways to begin your day in a relaxed and focused state of being.
Meditation benefits include helping to increase your concentration for the day, while journaling allows you to get clear on your goals to prevent feeling scattered. Light movement, such as yoga or tai chi, boosts circulation after a night of sleep and increases energy so you have enough stamina to take on the day.
Morning Relaxation Product Recommendation
For a relaxing but invigorating start to your morning, try a self-massage. Relax The Back’s collection of handheld massagers provides you with the ideal wellness tool to start your day on the right foot.
Self-massage devices, like the iPuffy Massage Cushion, help boost morning mood and energy levels, while relieving you of any overnight stiffness, aches or pains.
2. Midday Relaxation
You never know what the day may bring, so be prepared to overcome any challenge with a midday relaxation practice. By having time set aside in the middle of the day to refocus, you can help reduce stress or other negative emotions that arise during the day.
Taking time to relax midday can offer benefits like:
- Recharge for the rest of the day and avoid afternoon fatigue
- Reconnect with your plan or goals for the day
- Address any emotions or aches and pains that arise
Breathing techniques and stretching are two types of mind-body wellness practices you can perform midday to help you manage stress or boost your mood.
Deep breathing helps calm the mind and energize the body while stretching helps to reverse the effects of prolonged sitting. Both of these practices can also be done at your desk in as little as five minutes. You can also perform them throughout the day whenever you need a quick break.
Midday Relaxation Product Recommendation
Incorporate more relaxation breaks throughout your day with fitness and therapy tools from Relax The Back. Increase circulation, relieve muscle tension in the neck or low back and boost midday energy levels with a variety of stretchers, percussion massagers and heating pads from our collection of therapeutic recovery solutions.
Inversion tables, like the Fitspine XC5 Inversion Table by Teeter, offer a natural way to relieve low back pain, improve mobility and reduce stress, providing the perfect midday break from working at a desk.
3. Evening Relaxation
Everyone experiences a certain degree of stress throughout the day, especially those of us working demanding jobs and facing a lot of pressure. By not taking time to offset daily stresses, we run the risk of getting sick or developing stress-related medical conditions. Our mental and physical well-being suffers without a proper work-life balance.
Having a post-work relaxation ritual is an important part of harmonizing your work role with your personal health. Relaxing after work has many benefits, including helping you remain productive and focused day in and day out.
Some of the reasons why it’s good to take time to relax after work include:
- Decompress physically and mentally after a day of work and effort
- Reflect on the day in a state of calm and composure
- Spend time in solitude and quiet after a busy day of interacting with others
After-work leisure time is a great way to practice self-care and spend some me-time doing whatever it is you enjoy doing. Whether it’s reading a book, listening to a podcast or following a guided meditation, try spending time in stillness for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Evening Relaxation Product Recommendation
Deepen your after-work self-care routine with massage chairs, recliners and zero-gravity chairs from Relax The Back. Sink into your personal oasis of comfort and serenity with a therapeutic recliner designed to relieve physical and mental stress.
The Perfect Chair® Zero Gravity Recliner is Relax The Back’s doctor-recommended ergonomic recliner. Designed to cradle your body in the restorative neutral posture, the Perfect Chair helps relieve built-up tension and spinal strain.
4. Ways To Relax Before Bed
Just as morning relaxation helps you to gradually transition into the day, before-bed relaxation allows you to naturally shift out of activity and into a deep state of rest. How you spend the 30 to 60 minutes before you fall asleep can significantly affect the quality of your rest.
Without taking time to relax before bed, your sleep quality may suffer, which can lead to physical and mental health risks.
Spending time relaxing before falling asleep can help in the following ways:
- Transitions your nervous system from an alert state to a relaxed one
- Helps you to feel tired so you can fall asleep sooner
- Increases the quality of your sleep, including the amount of deep sleep you get
Taking a hot bath, listening to music or reflecting on your day in gratitude are all ways to create a sense of calm before bed so you can get the rest you need. Powering down and putting away devices before bed can also help to prepare your mind and body for sleep by reducing the mind’s activity.
Before-Bed Relaxation Product Recommendation
Find new ways to unwind before bed with Relax The Back’s collection of sleep support solutions. Our ergonomic mattresses and contouring pillows fully support your spine, allowing you to release tension so you can experience more restorative sleep.
The PureFit Adjustable Wedge System is a four-piece pillow set designed to give you a customizable way to get the comfort and support you need. Rearrange the pillows in the ideal position for your body shape and size so you can relieve spinal pressure and promote full relaxation.
Shop Relax The Back for Daily Relaxation Tools
Discover daily relaxation tools for every aspect of life at Relax The Back. Shop with us for self-massagers and massage chairs, fitness and therapy products, recliners, ergonomic sleep solutions and more. Our total body wellness solutions help you build the relaxation toolkit you need to rest and recharge any time of day.
Browse our collections online or visit a store near you.
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