6 Pillars: Chill time. Why it’s essential to relax and unwind
Relaxation comes in many forms and is key to stress management. Find out why you need to make time to chill daily.
There are many wonderful things about modern life, but it is not without its stressors.
These are the things that activate our fight or flight mode and cause us to feel... well, stressed.
Finding strategies to help us manage our stress is really critical for wellbeing.
This means ensuring that there are times when we are able to fully unwind and truly chill - not just when we’re on holiday or at the weekends, but in small ways every day.
Research has shown that the key to stress management is to strengthen communication between the reflective brain (the prefrontal cortex) and the amygdala in the reactive brain. This helps to calm our flight or fight response and triggers rest and digest instead.
When we employ the Chill techniques below, we’re telling our systems that it’s safe to relax.
And that’s a really good thing to do.
Let it go
Needless to say, holding on to worries doesn’t get us very far when we’re trying to relax and unwind. There are some useful strategies we can use to help us release those nagging negative thoughts. Recognising what we can and can’t control can help to alleviate anxiety. You can use the Worry Map tool to do this - it’ll help you to separate out what you can and can’t change, resolve to take action on the things in your power and then set those worries free.
Ease the tension
When we’re feeling stressed or tense we can start to carry that around with us in the way we hold our bodies. Having a massage - even if it’s just asking a friend or loved one to give your neck and shoulders a good rub - can help to ease that tightness and make you feel more relaxed.
You may even sleep better afterwards as massage can help to lower our levels of the stress hormone cortisol and activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which acts to calm the body and brain during stress.
Take note
Our minds can’t keep ruminating on the past or the future when we’re fully tuned into the present moment. There are a few simple but really effective techniques we can use to do this and the beauty is we can do them anywhere and anytime. Try using the 5-4-3-2-1 technique to connect with the five senses of sight, touch, hearing, smell, and taste. Find a quiet space, take a deep breath, then follow the steps to help you feel more calm.
Go bush or beach
Immersing ourselves in the natural world can have a profound effect on our wellbeing and help to decrease our stress levels. Being in blues spaces (think the beach, rivers or lakes) or green (bushland or reserves) can help us unwind and feel more peaceful.
Suggested reading: 7 incredible benefits of being in nature
Put the brakes on
Instead of rushing through the day try to have some parts of your routine where you deliberately move a little slower. Maybe it’s that every morning and evening you do some stretching exercises. Perhaps the process of cooking dinner can be your moment to really tune in to what you’re doing and enjoy those sensory pleasures (here’s how to make mealtimes a moment to savour).
It could be in the shower, having a cup of tea or when you’re walking outside, try to adopt a gentler pace at various points throughout the day so you’re not always rushing.