Proper preparation for relaxation requires making space for relaxation, nourishing your body, connecting with others, and most importantly, connecting with yourself. You will find that as you take control of each part of your life, your stress will decrease and your energy will grow. Let’s begin your journey to relaxation now.
Related: Self-Meditation: Meaning and Techniques
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What do we mean by making a relaxation space in your life?
By making a relaxation space, you are making a conscious decision about how you spend your time and the environment in which you do it. You are creating space for the things that are important to you. This may be a challenging step as you may not always feel like you have a choice about how or where you spend your time. You have control. This is your life. You are the only one that gets to decide what is good for you.
Others may tell you what you need, but it is up to you to listen to yourself and decide if they are right. Sometimes they are not right about what is right for you, and you may have to draw a line by saying: “No.”
These lines are not divisions. These lines are boundaries. They do not cut you off from others, but instead protect your energy and allow you to grow as a person. By claiming ownership of your choices, you are strengthening yourself while showing others their potential by embracing yours.
Drawing lines is how you will find your space. Lack of time, lack of sleep, lack of control, and lack of breath ‒ may overwhelm you at times. When you acknowledge your limits and your needs, you will break free of the cycle of stress, and your feelings of inadequacy will diminish.
In this article, we will guide you through organizing your time and relaxation space by creating healthy boundaries and environments.
How to Prepare for Relaxation?
Time is a valuable commodity, and many complain that it is in short supply in their life. However, you can make time for relaxation and for the things you care about by committing to a schedule. A clear routine will help reduce the ambiguity in your day, and with it, a large amount of stress.
Remember: you control your schedule, and you can make changes when you need to.
Your schedule may vary by day or week. Find a notebook and pen. Take a seat and start with today. Write down everything you expect to do today, then write the times you expect to do each activity, including things like eating and sleeping.
Be honest about the way you spend your time. If you spend the first two hours of your morning reading articles online, be sure to include that. Now, once you have completed today, write your expected schedule for tomorrow.
When you are finished, hang onto your written schedule for today and tomorrow, and as you go through your days, take moments to pause and compare your actual actions against your expected ones.
- Are there any surprises?
- Do you feel that your time is well spent?
- Are there any changes you would like to make?
At the end of the second day, look at how you spent your time, and then write your ideal schedule for the next day. Do your best to follow your schedule the next day. Once you feel ready, create a schedule for the coming week.
As you prepare your schedule, remember to set aside time for sleep, food, and exercise.
Sleep, food preparation, and exercise are three activities that often get cut short in our busy lives. All are crucial to your physical and mental health, and you should expect to feel immediate benefits from their regular inclusion in your schedule.
Develop a plan for your daily meals.
Know where your food is coming from, and if possible, prepare it ahead of time yourself. For example, you may take some time on the weekend to chop up vegetables or precook ingredients that you can use throughout the week ahead. This way you will be able to throw quick meals together that you know are homemade and nutritious. You will likely save money with this planning.
If this seems like a big step for you, try and start with something simple like packing your sandwich for work the next day before you head for bed in the evening. You are still allowed to go out to eat, but this method of planning can help you avoid inadequate or missed meals while taking away the stress of finding food for each meal.
Sleep is essential to life and a healthy mind.
Not everyone sleeps on the same schedule, so recognize what feels natural to you. You may have to accommodate other demands such as your work schedule, but try to identify what makes you feel the most rested.
You are not bound to the traditional eight-hour night, though we recommend you set that amount of time as a minimum goal. Instead, you may benefit from two four-hour naps with a break in between. Prepare yourself for bed by taking a break from the TV, phone, or computer screen. Light from these devices may keep you awake.
Find an activity that soothes you as you prepare for bedtime. It may be having a cup of herbal tea, reading a book, or listening to some calming music.
With your time managed and sources of stress reduced, you are ready to begin your week of relaxation.
Always feel free to seek out other resources to guide you in reducing stress from relationships, finances, or other possible sources of concern.
Also Read: Mindfulness Exercises to Improve Your Mental Health
FAQs
Relaxation Music/ Relaxation Sounds
Relaxation Music by ZakharValaha from Pixabay
Relaxation Music by Olexy from Pixabay
Relaxation Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Relaxation Music by ZakharValaha from Pixabay
Relaxation Music by John_Kensy_Music from Pixabay
Define Relaxed?
People are described as relaxed when they have no worries or stress. Being relaxed is one of the best feelings there is, and it usually leads to other good feelings like happiness and confidence. Restrictions and rules are relaxed when they become less strict.
How to Relieve Stress?
- Eat and drink to optimize your health.
- Exercise regularly.
- Stop using tobacco and nicotine products.
- Study and practice relaxation techniques.
- Reduce triggers of stress.
- Examine your values and live by them.
- Assert yourself.
- Set realistic goals and expectations.
Calming Definition
To stop someone from feeling upset, angry, or excited. For example, He tried to calm the screaming baby by rocking it back and forth.
How to Relax Your Mind?
- Breathe it out. Breathing exercises are one of the simplest relaxation strategies, and can effectively calm your stressed-out body and mind anywhere at any time.
- Release physical tension.
- Write down your thoughts.
- Make a list.
- Visualize your calm. Connect to nature.
Relaxation Synonyms
- Enjoyment
- Leisure
- Loosening
- Mitigation
- Pleasure
- Recreation
- Relief
Relaxation Music for Sleep
Autumn Sky Meditation by NaturesEye
Relax in the Forest background music for the video by Life
Trip to Home – Relaxing Acoustic Guitar Background Music by Lesfm
I Wish I Could Sleep (Acoustic Version) by madirfan
Music for Relax, Yoga, Meditation by BluBonRelaXon
Relaxation Quotes
20 Relaxing Quotes You Need When You’re Feeling Stressed.
Note: If you’re experiencing a lot of stress in your life — or even a little, these wise words will help keep you grounded.
Take a breather. Or two. Or more. Here are 20 quotes that will lead you to relaxation during times of stress.
1. “Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations. The best is yet to come.” — Zig Ziglar
2. “Trust yourself. You’ve survived a lot, and you’ll survive whatever is coming.” — Robert Tew
3. “Act the way that you want to feel.” — Gretchen Rubin
4. “I promise you nothing is as chaotic as it seems. Nothing is worth diminishing your health. Nothing is worth poisoning yourself into stress, anxiety, and fear.”― Steve Maraboli
5. “There is more to life than increasing its speed.” — Mahatma Gandhi
6. “Your mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer.” — William Burroughs
7. “Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.” — Chinese Proverb
8. “Keep walking through the storm. Your rainbow is waiting on the other side.” — Heather Stillufsen
9. “Our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it.” — Kahlil Gibran
10. “It’s not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it.” — Hans Selye
11. “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes…Including you.” — Anne Lamott
12. “The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.” — Sydney Harris
13. “Surrender to what is. Let go of what was. Have faith in what will be.” — Sonia Ricotte
14. “Calm mind brings inner strength and self-confidence, so that’s very important for good health.” — Dalai Lama
15. “Slow down, and everything you are chasing will come around and catch you.” — John De Paola
16. “Your calm mind is the ultimate weapon against your challenges. So relax.” — Bryant McGill
17. “Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.” — Thich Nhat Hanh
18. “It is nice finding that place where you can just go and relax.” –Moises Arias
19. “Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.” –Chinese Proverb
20. “Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths.” –Etty Hillesum