10 October, World Mental Health Day

You are constantly running. From the moment you get up you are racing and sometimes you don’t realise you haven’t stopped until it is night time. Work, the children, the house, the grandparents, shopping, the dentist, the gym, but…

When is there time to stop and relax?

Here are a few ideas:

• Breathe deeply. Breathe in through your nose and breathe out through your mouth. Especially before saying something that will cause problems.
• Smile. Even though you don’t feel like it. Your brain will interpret the gesture as something positive and will segregate serotonin, which will make you feel better.
• Dance. Even if it is only for the three minutes that the song lasts, with the volume turned up full. It will help stretch your muscles and release endorphins.
• Prioritise. Not everything has to be done immediately. If you organise yourself, you will feel less stressed.
• Delegate. You are not the only one who knows how to make beds or do the shopping. If you share out tasks you will have more free time.
• Keep some time for yourself every day. Just 10 minutes in the bath, or meditating or brushing your hair.
• Improve your self-esteem. Repeat like a mantra: “I am important; I am special”. If you believe it, your actions and how you deal with them will not make you feel insecure and anxious.

When you have time, relax your body and mind with progressive muscle relaxation. Consider this:

• Play soft music and lie on the floor, face up. Make yourself comfortable.
• Legs stretched, arms at your sides.
• Breathe deeply and slowly through your nose and you will notice how your belly swells. Hold your breath for 3 seconds and breathe out gently while your belly flattens. Repeat five times but be aware of the air entering and leaving your body.
• Start tensing your muscles following an order, and keep them contracted for 10 Note the tension that is being released.
• Start with your toes. Then continue with your feet, calf muscles, quadriceps, buttocks, stomach, fists, forearms, biceps, shoulders, neck and face.
• End up by repeating abdominal breathing three times.

Try it. It really works and you will feel tension free and much more relaxed.

This post is also available in: Spanish