Relax

There are many ways to relax. Find out why it is so important and how you can best relax here.

Everywhere people talk about relaxation, but what is it actually? Relaxation refers to a state of rest for the body, but also for the mind. It is the prerequisite for recovering from exertion and building up new reserves of strength. It relieves anxiety, puts you in a good mood and makes you feel good.

Either or…

You can only be either tense or relaxed. This can be put to great use. Especially when you are afraid of something. Because when we are afraid, we are always tense. If we succeed in relaxing the body, the fear is automatically reduced.

Nothing works without relaxation

It is incredibly important to be able to relax physically and also to switch off mentally. Anyone can do this. However, some find it easier and others find it more difficult. Sometimes it takes a little training, for example, if you are no longer used to relaxing on a regular basis.

Can you still do it?

Relaxation can happen in passing, e.g. when listening to quiet music, when you just lie down on your bed and do nothing, or after exercise. But some people find it increasingly difficult to relax. Text messages, comments from Facebook and WhatsApp messages keep coming in, and there is still a lot to do for school and music playing at the same time. More and more people get really restless when they have nothing to do for a short time or can no longer concentrate on just one thing. Even at the toilet, the mobile phone is with them. Yet relaxation is incredibly important for performance and long-term health.

Too little relaxation

A lack of relaxation often leads to physical symptoms: you can’t fall asleep or sleep through the night, you’re constantly nervous and irritable, you have headaches or backaches, stomach aches or even anxiety.

Only those who relax remain productive

In order to be able to store something, i.e. to learn, you need periods of rest in which what you have learned can be “stored” in the brain. Many psychological experiments clearly show this! To be creative, you also need moments in which you do nothing at all.

Relax, but how?

How and where you can relax best varies greatly from person to person. It also depends on the situation. Find out for yourself what type of person you are. Are you more able to relax by moving (e.g. doing sports, going for a walk)? Or does concentrating on your body and breathing help you to really switch off? Test yourself through different possibilities!

TIP:

Relaxation on

• Get into the bath: A full bath in which you simply enjoy the warmth automatically relaxes you.
• Put on some music: Turn on some quiet music, turn off your mobile phone and go to the couch or to bed. There is also special relaxation music, e.g. on YouTube.
• Slumber away: Simply close your eyes and forget everything around you. When we snooze, we relax all by ourselves.
• Lie on your back and consciously watch the clouds change.
• A cup of tea or cocoa, which you prepare in peace and quiet, smell and taste consciously, can also help you to relax. Many people also find cooking or baking relaxing.
• Laugh: Laughing automatically loosens your muscles, releases happy hormones and helps you relieve stress. That’s why spending time with friends can also help you relax.
• Get going: If you’re more the active type, clear your head with sports. Get on your longboard and get out into the fresh air, or just start running or dancing or singing in your room with the window open. After sports, enjoy a shower, consciously feel the warmth of the water and allow yourself a few minutes afterwards to lie down on the couch or in bed without your mobile phone or anything else.
• Paint: Drawing and painting can also help you relax. Coloring in mandalas has a calming effect. You can find templates on the internet.
• Animal friends: Petting and cuddling your own pet can also reduce stress. Especially if you go out together, e.g. for a walk.

Relaxation through conscious breathing

Another great way to relax is to influence your breathing. The easiest way to do this is to breathe in and out consciously. You can place one hand on your belly and observe how your belly rises and falls. Or you can imagine butterflies dancing in your belly and how they are pulled back and forth by the inflow and outflow of air.

TIP — 6-3-6 Breathing

There are also many special breathing techniques. One you can easily try yourself. Simply inhale for 6 seconds, hold your breath for 3 seconds and then exhale for 6 seconds. Then start again from the beginning.

Relaxation through fantasy journeys

Especially when you want to put your problems aside, a fantasy journey can be really nice. It’s like a cinema in your head. You can try this yourself by imagining a place where you would really like to be. What does it smell like? What sounds do you hear? What do you observe? Or you can imagine a place where you were totally relaxed the last time. Maybe at a lake or the sea, in your bed or in a flower meadow. You can also do guided fantasy journeys. If you feel like it, you can find lots of videos on YouTube with the search term “fantasy journey”.

TIP:

Progressive muscle relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation can also help you let go. Individual parts of the body are first strongly tensed and then loosened up again, one after the other. It feels really good. For example, while sitting or lying down, you can tense the following muscle groups one after the other for 5 to 10 seconds and then let them go completely. Enjoy loosening up for about 30 seconds before moving on to the next part of your body.

• Start with the hands, first clench the left hand into fists, hold for 5 seconds and then release. Then switch to the right hand.
• Then tense the right forearm followed by the right upper arm for 5 seconds each and then release completely for 30 seconds. Repeat with the left arm.
• Squint your eyes press your lips tightly together and also press your teeth together. Hold for 5 seconds, then release again for 30 seconds.
• Pull the shoulders up strongly, press the chin to the chest, hold again, and then release.
• Pull the abdomen in firmly, hold and release.
• Press the upper (and then lower) back firmly against the back of the chair or the floor on which you are lying, hold and release.
• Pull the toes towards the body, hold and release.

This exercise also helps you to control exam nerves. At school, you can use parts of your body that you can tense inconspicuously, such as your fists under your desk.

Relaxing in the Far East

Many relaxation techniques originated in India or Asia, but are also available here. For example, yoga, Tai Chi or Qui Gong. There are courses where you can get a taste of these techniques. Maybe you would also like to try out exciting relaxation techniques with friends. There are also “yoga games” for many game consoles.

Convince parents

Parents sometimes overlook the importance of relaxation in addition to learning and doing chores. Tell your parents honestly when it gets too much for you and you don’t have time to do anything in between. Talk to them about the fact that you can only perform at your best if you have time to switch off. You can also use articles like this one to make your case.

For further help and support  — Speak with a licensed therapist today.