Posts Tagged ‘Relaxation tips’

I’ve mentioned aromatherapy a few times here on Relaxation Haven but I’ve yet to discuss it in depth…until now. Aromatherapy is considered to be a form of alternative medicine. The theory is that certain aromas can

Enjoy the relaxing aroma of lavender.

be used to aid someone’s health or mood. Now I don’t know from personal experience how well aromatherapy works directly in improving a person’s health. However I do know that it is a useful therapy in aiding relaxation, which indirectly does aid both physical and mental health.

Not only does lavender produce a relaxing aroma but it is also both antiseptic and anti-inflammatory. However before you use it in the manners I am about to suggest you should take care as lavender is an allergen, so start by using a small amount.

3 Ways of Relaxing With Aromatherapy

1. After a stressful day (and what day doesn’t contain stress?) take a nice, warm bath – complete with a few drops of essential oil. Not only will the warm water loosen any tension but the aromatherapy oils will also help to recharge you physically and mentally. Even after your bath you will be able to smell the oils on your body – relaxing you and relieving you of any stress.

2. If you have to drive often you are probably familiar with the stresses that driving brings. Gridlocked roads, inconsiderate drivers and a host of other problems can ruin any car journey. To combat this what you can do is dip a cotton wool ball in essential oil and place it near to an air condition vent. This will circulate the relaxing aroma all over the car and relieve any road rage you may be feeling. You will probably need to replace the cotton ball every two or three days.

3. Pour several drops of essential oil onto a tissue (or handkerchief). Carry it around with you, and whenever you begin to feel stress or tension build hold the tissue to your nose and take several deep breaths. Now you have your very own portable relaxation system!

As I mentioned earlier lavender is the most common aroma used for relaxation but if you aren’t keen on the smell or are allergic there are many other aromas you can use. Eucalyptus, lemon oil and peppermint are all commonly used to aid relaxation and are well worth trying.

Aromatherapy is a very affordable form of relaxation; a bottle of essential oil should only cost a few dollars and it will last you a good month or two is used sparingly. A number of websites sell essential oils, candles, vaporisers etc or if you have an alternative healing store in your local area drop in and you’ll be able to find everything you need.

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With a new year around the corner it is time to think about the year behind us as well as to plan for the future. Most people typically do this in the form of New Year’s Resolutions. There are a bunch of common resolutions of course, such as “lose weight”, “quit smoking”, “get fit” and so on. Unfortunately these resolutions are often forgotten about by February. What I plan on teaching you in this article is not only how to make New Year’s Resolutions but how to successfully achieve them as well.

Before we go any further though I would be remiss not to mention what I consider to be the most important resolution of all, and that is to relax more often. If that’s not on your list already it should be, so go on and add it now!

Start the new year with a bang!

I’m going to use the goal of relaxation to show you how to achieve any New Year’s Resolution. It’s not good enough to simply write down “relax more” on a piece of paper, or mentally and then just expect it to happen. Not only do you need a goal, you also need a plan.

So take a minute to think about it. How exactly can you relax more? Well first of all you need to find time. If you are a busy person then you need to think about how to make more time for yourself. Are there activities you do that you don’t need or have to do? Maybe you could drop a night class that you aren’t finding as enthralling as you first expecting or perhaps you could turn the TV and internet off for one night a week.

Now that you’ve found the time, all you have to do this relax. Even that though raises further questions. How do you relax? Well that is really a subjective question. What relaxes you personally. Some people like to curl up with a good book while others relieve stress by hitting the gym. Maybe you could spend your newfound time meditating or improving yourself with self hypnosis. Whatever the answer, as long as the result is relaxation then you are achieving your goal.

This is the sort of mental process you have to go through if you really intend to be successful with your New Year’s Resolutions. This thought process can be put to any resolution whether it’s spending more time with your family, lowering your golfing handicap or becoming more well read.

From Relaxation Haven we wish you a happy and prosperous 2010!

Like most things in life there are no hard and fast rules to how much sleep a person needs. Some people need nine hours to fresh in the morning, while others only require four hours. Generally it is recommended for a person to get between seven and eight hours of sleep. But what if you struggle for hours every night to drop off to sleep? Not only do you lose hours of sleep but it also can negatively effect your health.

Enjoy a deep sleep every night.

Sleep deprivation can result in irritability, poor memory, attention deficiency, weak immune system, diabetes, heightened risk of heart disease, muscle aches as well as an increased risk of obesity. That covers nearly all worst things that can happen to your health! After reading all of those symptoms you might be feeling a little anxious, but this is exactly the opposite of how you need to feel to get to sleep in a timely fashion.

That is why I’m going to teach you a few ways that will help you to relax yourself to sleep.

First of all you should avoid drinking caffeine and alcohol for at least three hours before you got to bed. Both these drugs act as stimulants. Instead try drinking a warm, milky drink such as a cup of Horlicks. Similarly if you are hungry don’t eat a big meal, take in a light snack such as some fruit and yoghurt. This prevents your digestive system from being overworked and should help you be more comfortable in bed.

If possible you should exercise early on in the day rather than at night. Exercise helps to tire you out so that you’ll need to rest later on at night, however if you exercise at night this increases your temperature and heart rate which makes it difficult to fall asleep. To relax your body at night try taking a nice, hot bath. This releases any tension from your muscles and allows you to reflect on the day behind you, rather than doing so in bed.

My final suggestion is to listen to some relaxation music or hypnosis audio just before you go to bed. You could even do this while you are in the bath. This will ease away any mental chatter and lull you into a sleepy state.

By following this advice you should find yourself falling to sleep much more quickly and enjoying a deeper, more restful sleep.