Spa visits are expensive, and not everyone can afford to have a personal massage therapist. But absolutely EVERYBODY needs to be able to unwind and relax their bodies as well as their minds.
Here’s a list of 10 ways to relax… that don’t cost a dime!
1) Take a walk through a forest. You won’t be distracted by advertisements or tempted by storefronts.
2) Use stress balls (you can order samples from a promotional products web site) to relieve tension in your hands, shoulders, wrists, and arms.
3) Close your eyes, sit in front of a fan, and pretend you’re on the beach. Play sound of ocean waves quietly in the background.
4) Look through old picture albums. Remembering fond memories can take your mind off current problems and bring you back to a time when things were simpler
5) Download a sound file of white noise or go to a white noise generator website. At a low volume, white noise can keep annoying (and tension-causing) sounds from interrupting your thoughts.
6) Do a simple, repetitive activity that doesn’t require your attention, but don’t watch TV or listen to music while you do it. Something as simple as copying down recipes from a book or sorting beads can occupy your hands while your mind is free to relax.
7) Read an honest-to-goodness book: not a blog post on your laptop or the latest best seller from your e-reader. Get an old favorite out, worn pages and all, and read it in a quiet, comfortable place.
8) Breathe deeply and evenly. Count your breaths all the way up to 100. Start over if you let your mind wander into something that causes you anxiety.
9) Take a bath. Okay, this one costs money if you pay for water, but you’ve got to bathe yourself somehow! As long as you keep your electronics away from water, being in the bath prevents you from checking your email, making phone calls, or surfing the web while the hot water soothes your muscles.
10) Talk to yourself. Although this particular strategy can start out stressful, studies have shown that merely verbalizing a problem gives you a better understanding of where the conflict is and may boost your ability to solve those problems. By not involving another person, you don’t have to worry about defending yourself or explaining irrelevant details.
Do you have any free relaxation tips you’d like to share? How have these worked for you?
