Stress and Relaxation is a balancing act for sure.  Because everyone gets overwhelmed and stressed sometimes. A lot of people struggle to manage stress in life. It is important to have balance in your life, so here are some ideas to consider trying to help reduce your stress by taking the time to relax.

Here are 10 easy ways to practice relaxation:

1. Read a book or magazine. Reading can help take us out of our present worries and into a new frame of mind.
2. Any type of exercise can help to burn of stress – run, walk, take a yoga class or lift weights.
3. Take a moment to just focus on your breath. Try to breathe in counting your inhale and breathe out counting the exhale. Try to exhale for twice as long as you breathe in. For example, breathe in, two three; breathe out, two, three, four, five, six.
4. Hang out with a friend.
5. Have a cup of tea or go out for your favorite coffee drink. Then enjoy drinking it while being in the moment.
6. Do whatever you may be doing one-mindfully. One mindfully is when you focus all of your attention on whatever it is you are doing, if your mind wanders, you notice the thought and then go back to whatever you were focusing on. You can do this while doing homework, while cleaning, while doing the dishes or while moving your body.
7. Do a craft or hobby that you enjoy. Whatever you enjoy – take time to do what you love most!
8. Take a nap. You may be amazed what taking a 15-20 minutes snooze can do to your mood.
9. Take a bath or hot shower. Try doing it one mindfully (see #6).
10. Change your mindset. Focus on thinking about all of the good things in your life. If you feel grouchy, take time to make a list of all the good in your life.