Stress Relaxation Techniques:
25 Ways to Relax in Midlife

Figuring out how to be happy in midlife is pretty easy once you discover some basic stress relaxation techniques.

Relaxation is a very personal thing. What relaxes one person may stress out someone else. My mother relaxed by listening to opera music, but it had the opposite effect on me. Some can relax by sipping a steaming cup of coffee while it gives others the jitters. A day of relaxing by the pool is a dream for some and a nightmare for others who get edgy just sitting still.

The next time you are stressed and worried about anything remember this - there is absolutely no benefit to worry; it won't help you in any way shape or form. The only thing it does is compound the problem.

So your job is to find stress relaxation techniques that you can make a habit in your daily life. Good health, relationships, financial success, joy, and freedom can all be found once you release your negative, limiting, anxious thoughts.

So, how do you do that?

Find what works best for you. Here are suggestions for 25 ways to relax. There's sure to be something on the list to help you get calm and release your worry and tension.

1. Meditation. The benefits of meditation. cannot be underestimated. This is one of the best and easiest stress relaxation techniques. You can reap all these benefits in as little as 3 to 10 minutes a day. That’s time well spent!

2. Learn health benefits of yoga for relaxation. Yoga combines various physical poses and stretches with breathing exercises so that your mind and body are in harmony. While there are many physical gains by practicing yoga, one of the greatest overall benefits is that it creates a sense of calm and helps promote a positive outlook.

3. Self Hypnosis: Hypnosis has become so mainstream that it is now taught in most medical schools. You can learn simple self hypnosis techniques in minutes a day that can work immediately.

4. Aromatherapy: This is another one of the easy stress relaxation techniques providing instant results. For example, lavender is one of the most relaxing scents and has been used for years to reduce stress. That’s why you’ll see many spa products scented with lavender. Learn more about the advantages of aromatherapy.

5. Massage Therapy. The effects of anxiety, tension, and depression can be greatly reduced by getting a massage. It relaxes muscles, increases endorphins, lowers blood pressure, and can alleviate pain which is often the cause of stress.

6. Utilize relaxing images: Put relaxing photos on your phone, your computer, or framed throughout your office and home. Seeing these images periodically throughout your day will have a calming effect. This is one of the easiest stress relaxation techniques.

7. Purchase a sound machine or a relaxation fountain: It’s been proven that certain sounds create a sense of peace and harmony. Nature sounds can calm the mind instantly and provide instant relaxation. The sound of water is one of the best ways to bring us to that feeling of tranquility.

8. Biofeedback relaxation: Biofeedback uses computers to monitor stress signals from your own body to improve a condition. This is especially beneficial for anxiety, tension, hypertension, headaches, and ulcers. By seeing or hearing activity in your body, you can make adjustments and see an immediate response.

9. Listen to relaxation music: This is one of my favorite ways to relax and it ALWAYS works for me. Music has been scientifically proven to reduce stress and it’s an easy way to relax throughout your day. Put on relaxing music when you get up, when you’re cooking, gardening, driving to work, or any time you feel tension.

   

10. Surround yourself with relaxing colors: Did you know that blues and greens make us feel calm and balanced? It makes sense that the colors of the ocean would give us that sense of calm. If you can’t get to the ocean, fill your space with the colors of the sea.

11. Relaxing Vacation Spots: This may seem obvious, but have you ever felt like you needed a vacation after returning from your vacation? So many times we feel like we have to cram so much in on our holidays that we overdo and get more stressed. Avoid vacations where you're waiting on long lines, or adhering to a tight itinerary. How about a relaxing resort, a bed and breakfast where you are catered to and pampered, or a cruise where you have access to anything you could possibly need?

12. Go to the beach: Anyone who’s ever been to the beach doesn’t have to be told about the healing power of the ocean. The sounds, smells, and feel of the beach can take you to a calm place in an instant. Don’t live near the beach? How about a lake, river, or pond? What about just going to the pool? Water of any kind has calm healing power.

13. Breathing and relaxation techniques: Stress relaxation techniques that focus on breathing are very effective and work instantly.

14. Take a walk in nature: Leave your mp3 player at home and JUST BE. Go to a park or a low traffic area in your own neighborhood. Pay attention to the beauty all around you - the trees, birds, butterflies, and the sky. Feel the air, smell the flowers, take it all in. Appreciate the beauty of Mother Nature.

15. Make time for your hobbies: Do you have a hobby you can just lose yourself in? Does crocheting, gardening, painting, or hiking give you a sense of peace and contentment? Make time for it!

16. Find a relaxing resort or spa: Spas and resorts are experts in getting you to relax. Whether you go on a spa getaway for a week or just get a spa treatment for an hour or two, you will feel rejuvenated from head to toe.

17. Have a cup of tea: We’ve all heard that Chamomile tea is a natural stress reliever. But did you know that even regular black tea can have the same calming effects? Green teas and herbal teas also help you relax the body, calm your mind, and reduce stress. Drinking tea combined with one or more of the other stress relaxation techniques on this page can supercharge your stress relief efforts.

18. Reflexology: Pressure applied to certain parts of your hands and feet can relieve tension, promote relaxation, and improve your quality of life by improving the function of your body.

19. Go for a long car ride: Young children know this - how many of you have seen your kids use the motion of the car to soothe them right to sleep? Stay away from high traffic highways and take a drive on a long and windy scenic road, down a beach road, a beautiful mountain path, or just a long stretch of highway during non rush hours.

20. Read a good book in a cozy place: Find a place where you won’t be disturbed – a hammock, a big comfy chair, under a shady tree, by the pool or on the beach. Get lost in a story that takes you into another world.

21. Get enough sleep: If you’re consistently depriving yourself of a good night’s sleep, you will pay the price in your overall health and sense of well being. Make this a priority. This is one of the most important stress relaxation techniques that gets ignored.

22. Set up a relaxation room in your home. If you have the luxury to turn one room in your home into a zen-like sanctuary, fill it with candles, soft pillows, and calming colors. Get rid of the clutter and unwind.
    
23. Take a relaxing bath: Feel rejuvenated after soaking in a hot tub. Shut out the world, light some candles, breathe deeply, and just melt the tension away.

24. Play: Do something just for the fun of it. Forget your To Do list and play with your kids or grandkids, go out for a fun day with your girlfriends, or host a casual movie night. Laughter is one of the most enjoyable stress relaxation techniques.

25. Pet your cat or dog: Don’t underestimate the power your pets have on your well being.

Choose any of these stress relaxation techniques and do them consistently to see amazing results. Combine several of these ways to relax for even greater results.