FACT: According to a recent study, 74% of Indians were found to suffer from stress, while another 88% experienced anxiety.

Call it the after-effects of the Covid-19 pandemic or the trend of delineating mental health over the years, today, more people are suffering from varied mental disorders. All rooting back to the increasing stress levels, wouldn’t it be wise to learn to deal with it through appropriate natural, self-care techniques?

Yes, you heard that right! From taking a quick break to taking a few deep breaths, we must practice relaxation techniques that best work for us. Helping you feel productive, happy, and relaxed while maintaining good health like lowering blood pressure, relaxation exercise boasts many benefits.

In fact, did you know that aromatherapy works wonders in restoring relaxation? Read on to know more! 

 

The traditional age-old practice of aromatherapy uses essential oils that are extracted from herbs and botanicals known for their healing properties. Mixed with a balancing base or vegetable oil called carrier oils, essential oils harmonize your body and mind through their captivating whiffs.

Using diffuser blends or directly applying them to your pulse points evokes feelings of deep tranquillity. This happens because the smell is the only one of our five senses that is directly connected to the brain. Sending electrical signals to the limbic system, the seat of memory, and emotions, these therapeutic aromas pose a powerful influence on your overall wellness. Some natural ingredients used in essential oils to help with anxiety are:

1. Lavender: A relaxing favourite, lavender reduces anxiety by instilling a sense of serene calm, thereby affecting the body’s aroused fight or flight response when in distress.
2. Chamomile: Popularly known as a flowering plant, chamomile instantly transports you to a zen-like state, reducing anxiety, sadness, or depression. Helping you relax completely; it helps you to recharge.
3. Ylang Ylang: Apart from alleviating your anxious behaviours, ylang ylang boosts your mood, and reduces blood pressure and heart rate.
4. Rose: Studies have proven that its alluring sweet aromas fight anxiety and restore normal bodily functions such as breathing rate, oxygen flow, and systolic blood pressure. Consequently, it also helps in boosting your self-esteem and mental strength.
5. Sandalwood: A natural sedative, sandalwood oil helps you to sleep effectively even during stress by imposing calmness. Known to transpose you to a meditative state, it opens your chakras, further elevating your well-being by stabilizing emotions.

Connecting with your deepest self, are you ready to let go and completely relax whilst in a heavenly rapture? Let’s understand more about the same.

JUST BREATHE: EXERCISES TO HARMONIZE YOUR MIND AND BODY

Being the very reason for our existence, breathing solves everything. Clearing our mindset, and breathing helps us to think and behave rationally, serving as efficacious coping skills when faced with a stressful event. However, certain mindfulness and grounding activities also known as relaxation techniques may work better on a particular individual, and luckily for you, there are various types that you could try.

• Deep Breathing: A simple, but powerful technique, you must engage in abdominal breathing by taking long, slow, deep breaths. As you proceed, gently waver out the distracting thoughts and sensations as you inhale a surge of positive vibes. With several guided styles of practicing such breathwork, get ready to deal with everyday stressors with ease. Aligning your mind-body paradigms, experience a sense of elevated well-being as you exhale all your worries.
• Massages: Enjoy a spa-like treat as you receive a refreshing massage. Using essential oils, a massage helps to relieve any soreness, tension, or spasms in the body, while keeping you calm, grounded, and stimulated. They also enhance your fitness levels by making your muscles and joints more elastic. Furthermore, it uplifts your mood, energy levels, and quality of sleep.
• Meditation: Empirically proven to be the most relaxing, meditation involves sitting comfortably, concentrating on your breath, and focussing your attention on the present moment, while actively trying to keep the negative thoughts from entering. Reducing stress, meditation helps to foster your immune system and promotes emotional health, including a healthy outlook, positive self-image, and enhanced self-awareness. Adding a visualizing exercise has testified to have great results.
• Yoga: Dating back over 5,000 years, yoga is a popular calming exercise with myriad benefits. Increasing your flexibility, yoga helps you to feel one with your mind, body, and soul by breathing effectively. Helping you stabilize your emotions and gain balance; this body movement exercise helps you to stay physically and mentally healthy.
• Consecutive Prayer: A spiritual favorite, this entails silently repeating a prayer while focussing on your breathwork. Whether you choose to replace it with positive affirmations or gratitude, start your day on a high note as you soak in those essential blends.

Now, now! Are you ready to go stress-free? Read on to know how to incorporate these techniques into your daily lives!

ADIOS ANXIETY: TIPS TO MAKE RELAXATION A ROUTINE

Embracing self-care, prioritize your wellness every day. Shower yourself with the love you deserve, for you’re worth it! Therefore, it’s important to take care of your physical, emotional, mental, social, professional, and spiritual needs. In an all-encompassing approach, these are a few tips that will help you flourish:

• Stay hydrated and eat a balanced meal.
• Try waking up earlier to start your day positively
• Exercise daily to remain active, fit, and energetic
• Treat yourself with a break whenever required
• Pursue a hobby to enhance your self-image
• Spend time outdoors
• Meet people who empower you
• Connect to a higher power enabling you to have faith
• Practice gratitude and affirmations
• Smile and laugh more often

Lastly, a secret mantra to remember is that ‘this too shall pass, and it’s time to emerge victorious as you work through life’s challenges.

SA RECOMMENDS: TIME TO RENEW, RELAX, AND ROLL-ON

As India’s first holistic wellness and aromatherapy brand, our essential oils help to instill a sense of deep relaxation, while awakening your senses, healing your body, and balancing your mind, as you experience synergy to the core. Enveloped in the aromas of self-care, try out our Relaxation Range to experience innate peace, while fighting symptoms of stress.

• CALM-Anxiety Reliever Oil: Infused with calming ingredients like Lavender and Sandalwood, Calm helps to reduce stress, uplift your mood, and relax your mind and frayed nerves.
• DREAM-Sleep Inducing Oil: Filled with natural sedatives like Juniper and Marjoram, this synergistic blend enables you to enjoy a dream-like slumber. Calming your frayed nerves, it relaxes the mind and restores the body with energy.
• BREATHE- Cold Reliever Oil: Also, a probable effect of stress due to a weaker immune system, the aromas of Eucalyptus and Lavender help to fight your allergies and clear your airways, whilst reducing stress.
• SOOTHE-Migraine Reliever Oil: Filled with Basil and Lavender, migraines are often stress-induced. Alleviating symptoms, Soothe helps to calm your nerves and ease anxieties.
• SELF CARE-Relaxation Oil: Eponymously, this Ylang-Ylang-infused blend helps to relieve stress and rejuvenate you from within.

Signing off, quoting Joan Borysenko, “Every day brings a choice: To practice stress or to practice peace,” are you ready to meet a healthier, relaxed you?