2014 is now upon us and as with the coming of every New Year, it can be a stressful time for professionals with tax deadlines approaching and the backflow postponed from the holidays. The ability to calm your mind and collect your thoughts is a necessity this time of year to keep you from becoming overwhelmed and needing of another vacation. With flus and colds in the air around this time, stress can adversely affect your immune system making you more susceptible to any viral or bacterial infections you come in contact with.
If you’re already feeling the January blues, here are some treatments you can try to unwind and decompress.
A Good Massage
Massage therapy does wonders for relaxation. Even simple human touch can have incredible physical and emotional benefits, but a good massage can go even deeper.
Stress creates tension throughout the body, causing mild to major physical discomfort, which can lead to more stress. Aside from loosening tense muscles, a massage can also help those that suffer from high blood pressure and elevated stress hormone levels.
In this day and age, we are experiencing incredible advances in technology and massage therapy is not immune to this. As more and more people are putting massage tables in their homes, companies like Earthlite are creating elegant tables with advanced features like towel warmers and electric lift massage tables without sacrificing comfort.
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is an alternative form of medicine that uses the aromatic compounds in essential oils to relieve stress and cure certain ailments. Aromatherapy comes in various forms, such as bath products, candles and oil diffusers. There has even been some promising research showing that aromatherapy can help dogs that suffer from severe separation anxiety.
If you are feeling tense, try heating lemon oil in a diffuser to lower your stress levels a prop up your mood.
Herbal and Mineral Baths
There are few things more relaxing than a warm bath. Immersing yourself in warm water loosens tight muscles and supports better circulation, but a bath can have even further benefits with the additions of certain minerals and oils.
Epsom salt soaks have been used for generations to speed the healing process of sprained joints, but research has proven that Epsom salt baths have other benefits, like detoxifying the body and supplementing magnesium for those whose diets may be deficient in the mineral. Many essential oils also have different healing properties and adding milk to a bath can help you relax and revitalize your skin.
Meditation
Meditation can be as simple as closing your eyes and picturing all of your worries going into a wastebasket or if you are willing to commit to the practice, you can learn the transcendental meditation technique.
Transcendental meditation is a form of meditation, practiced daily through the quiet vocal repetition of a mantra with eyes closed for about 20 minutes a day. Celebrities like Mia Farrow, Paul McCartney and Howard Stern swear by TM’s effectiveness in decreasing stress and providing mental clarity and self-realization. Unlike other forms of meditation, TM must be learned from an instructor. You can find out more about transcendental meditation and find an instructor near you at TM.org.
A Warm Cup of Tea
In our busy lives, we occasionally take the simplest relaxation methods for granted. Stress reduction can come from something as simple as a good cup of tea. There are many “sleepy time teas”, made with herbs like chamomile and valerian root that are great for preparing you for bed, but if you need a quick pick-me-up in the middle of a stressful workday, skip the coffee or energy drink and grab a cup of green tea. Green tea contains the amino acid L-Theanine that can improve your mood and give you a heightened but relaxed and jitter-free state of alertness and clarity.
…Or Just Stop and Breathe
Sometimes, all it takes is a few deep breaths to clear your mind and compose your thoughts when you’re feeling overwhelmed. There are many ways to relax and clear your mind, but sometimes we get so busy that we forget to breathe. If the New Year’s workload is already starting to get to you, try stopping for just a second and think things through. Figuring out a plan for completing tasks efficiently could be the best way to avoid New Year’s stress in the first place.