The more relaxed you are, the better you are at everything: the better you are with your loved ones, the better you are with your enemies, the better you are at your job, the better you are with yourself – Bill Murray

^{We all know stress in our everyday life and up to a certain amount it is very useful for us as it can help us to deal with difficult situations. But when stress omnipresent and we’re constantly in a state of high alert it can be damaging for our health.}

^{Stress manifests itself in different ways. It can show physical symptoms like headaches, tension in neck and shoulders, dizziness, fatigue, poor sleep or stomach problems.
You can also experience mental symptoms due to the high cortisol levels in your body that come together with stress. Those symptoms are constantly worrying, poor concentration, difficulty in decission making, uncontrollable thoughts and being forgetful.}

^{Stress also effects your emotions. You can feel overwhelmed, experience anxiety and/or depression, you can show aggressive or defensive behaviour, trying to avoid situations and suffer from poor communication. You can eat/sleep too much or too little.}

^{All those symptoms can cause even more stress which can bring you into a vicious circle.}

​Relaxation is Paramount

But, there are good news! 

There are ways to manage stress and the number one thing you can do is to learn to relax!

While we’re relaxed the flow of blood increases which lowers the blood pressure which in turn gives us more energy. Our minds are calmer and clearer which aids positive thinking, concentration, memory and decission making. Relaxation slows our heart rate and can help to relieve tensions we might have. It also helps our digestion. In fact nutrients are more efficiently absorbed when we are relaxes. This can also help our body to fight diseases and infections.

It doesn’t take much

It can already be very beneficial to refresh for a short period of 5 – 10 minutes throughout the day. When it comes to the best technique you will really have to find out what works best for you. There are different things that are worth trying, for example:

• Meditation

• Focus on your breathing

• a nice walk through your favourite Green

• our soothing and calming Storysmeller and enjoy the combination of scent and stories

Finding out what is best for you, what works best for you and what you truly enjoy can already be helpful and empowering.

So I think the question how important relaxation is can be easily answered now. It’s just crucial for our health and well-being and contributes to a healthy body, mind and soul. It doesn’t take much time for us to practise relaxation. It can be done throughout the day in 10 Minutes and it doesn’t have to be expensive. Think about what gives you joy and go from there.

If you like for example audiobooks and the lovely smell of a scented candle you could try our soothing and calming Storysmeller. If you love being outdoors why not go for a nature walk with open eyes and enjoy the green and the fresh air. If you like exercise you could try a short workout. The options are endless!

References:

https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/feelings-and-symptoms/stress/

https://www.mentalhelp.net/stress/emotional-impact/