Prolonged stress can be harmful to both our physical and mental health. And with our fast-paced lives, the stress and its load are increasing day by day and thus, the impact on our health is also multifold. Fortunately, the recognition of stress and stress relief is gaining attraction. We are now getting serious about stress relief. That is where the concept of relaxation comes in. Sometimes, when people hear about relaxation, they talk about how they can’t fit it into their busy schedules. Well, it is all the more reason to do that since relaxation is one of the healthiest activities that you can incorporate into your daily lives. Before we understand the benefits of relaxation, we need to understand what relaxation actually means. The meaning of relaxation is to calm down, both physically and mentally. In order to do that, you need to shirk away from the worries from your body and mind. The Oxford English Dictionary defines relaxation in lots of different ways, including ‘recreation and rest’ and ‘the state of being free from tension and anxiety. It also describes relaxation as “the restoration of equilibrium following disturbance”. There are different ways to relax and each way can be personal to the individual. For instance, it could just be a stroll in the park for someone, and for someone else, it could be an afternoon nap. However, there are some techniques that not only reduce our stress but also reduce many chronic health concerns. These relaxation techniques provide us various benefits, such as:· Decreased heart rate and respiration rate· Decrease in anxiety· Improves quality of sleep· Relaxes muscles of the body· Increased energy and activeness· Decreased blood pressure· Brings about a state of calmness in the mind

There are different relaxation techniques that differ in their procedure, total time of activity but the ultimate benefit derived is the reduction of stress. Some of these techniques are:

• Belly breathing- In this technique, you breathe in and out by forcing air into your stomach and while focusing on your breath, you push the air inside your stomach and breathe. It’s a short and effective exercise that you can use any time of the day, even when you’re sitting at your desk at work.
• Meditation and mindfulness- These are exercises that involve paying attention to the present moment- especially your own thoughts, emotions, and sensation- whatever it is that’s going on.

• Progressive Muscle Relaxation- This exercise aims to achieve relaxation by tensing and relaxing different muscle groups of the body. It is a 20-minute long exercise that relaxes both your body and mind.

• Yoga- Yoga is a structured exercise which includes breath control, relaxation, posture formation and meditation aimed at developing a healthy body and mind. 

• Creative Visualisation- Creative Visualization is a technique that involves using mental images to achieve a relaxed state of mind. This technique requires you to imagine places that are relaxing for you and gradually imagine yourself in that situation, and thus attain peace.

• Exercise: Doing physical activity purposefully helps to attain better physical health as it improves blood circulation and your body releases chemicals called endorphins, which uplifts your mood.

There are so many different ways to relax, you can try different techniques and use the one that suits you the most. And it is always best to use different techniques in combination. Whatever the technique may be, everyone should definitely incorporate them in their daily lives.