15 Five Minute Relaxation Techniques

We don’t always have the luxury of vacation time to straighten out frazzled nerves, stressed souls, and disturbed psyches. But even the busiest people have an available 5 minutes in the next 3 hours.

Snag that 5 minute break and forget the world, even if just for a moment.

Calm your senses and find your quiet… read on to learn how.

1. Steep tea and take a long sip. Green tea is rich in L-Theanine, a substance that has been known to calm anger.
2. Lick a spoonful of honey. Honey has components that reduce inflammation of the brain, preventing depression and unease.
3. Eat a juicy mango fruit. Mangoes contain linalool, a compound that reduces stress.
4. Enjoy a square of chocolate (about 1.5-oz) to calm your mental and psychological strains.
5. Chomp on minty or fruity chewing gum. The repeated action reduces cortisol levels and anxiety.
6. Be quiet and meditate. Meditation involves quieting of your senses, thoughts, anxieties, and depression.
7. Take a nap on a soft pillow. Think of the pillow as a sponge that can absorb all of your worries.
8. Breathe properly. Take slow, long, and deep breaths through the nose. Release air slowly through the mouth. Repeat as many times as your 5 minute break allows.
9. Contract, relax; do repeatedly. Deliberately contract your muscles, hold it for a few seconds, then slowly release. Do this one body part at a time.
10. Count down from 20 to 1. This encourages you to focus on backward counting and occupies your mind with something that does not involve you emotionally.
11. Daydream to relax your mind. This was the secret of Peter Pan – happy thoughts! Lighten up your mood by thinking about things that make you smile, even when the air is tense.
12. Lower the visual stimuli and close your eyes. You can also put on ear plugs to deaden the noise. It’s your quiet escape until you get your composure.
13. Massage your palms. The palms and soles connect you to your energy zones. Stimulate them if there’s no reflexologist in sight.
14. Bring a discarded golfball to the office. You can run your sole over it back and forth for instant massage benefits.
15. Rub cold water on your wrist and behind your earlobes. This will cool the major arteries there, and make them throb less wildly.
16. Sitting tensely and waiting for the bomb inside you to explode is definitely not the thing to do. Instead of pulling your hair or someone else’s, try brushing your hair. It will not only reduce your dishevelled look, it will also calm your nerves. Repetitive movement relaxes the body and clears the head.

Head over to Women’s Health Mag for more tips like this.