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Switch Off And Relax

Sometimes, when we feel like we should be switched off and relaxed, we can feel stressed, and anxious about the very fact that we are not feeling relaxed or “switched off”. It is important to allow our minds to transition from the pace and mental load of school to the relaxation and alter pace of…

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Sometimes, when we feel like we should be switched off and relaxed, we can feel stressed, and anxious about the very fact that we are not feeling relaxed or “switched off”. It is important to allow our minds to transition from the pace and mental load of school to the relaxation and alter pace of the weekend or holiday.

The way we deal with the transition is unique to each to us but it may include :

  • Using strategies to switch off.
  • Using strategies to keep your mind busy with other thoughts.
  • Completing some work tasks but in a more relaxed mode or at a more relaxed pace.
  • Mapping out when you will complete work tasks, so you can let go of the mental load of trying to remember these. Completing some work might actually be beneficial in helping you to completely switch off and relax.

Strategies to Switch off & Relax

  • Exercising – Exercise is known to relieve stress, boost your mood and help you sleep better. This will assist you in switching off and relaxing.
  • Breathing techniques – Breathing techniques slow down your heart rate and relax your muscles to help you switch off and relax.
  • Offloading – By sharing your experiences (good and bad) with other people, you can offload these thoughts, this means they no longer have to be carried by your mind. This allows you to switch off and relax.
  • Mindfulness – Mindfulness activities allow you to pay attention to the present moment and accept you own thoughts and feelings. This helps you to recognise your needs and look after yourself better.
  • Yoga – Yoga is linked to lower levels of stress, depression and anxiety, it increases feelings of wellbeing and happiness.

Reference : http://www.twinkle.co.in

30 responses to “Switch Off And Relax”

  1. A Curious Mind

    Good one! I will definitely try one of these strategies 🙏

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Garima

      One thing you can do is Edit (and ideally ditch) your smartphone. Do you need access to your emails on your phone? Is social media adding value to your life? Do yourself a favour and delete anything that relates to work, and put your phone on charge in another room. If someone wants to speak to you, they’ll call you – and you’ll hear it. Otherwise, you do not need the constant merry-go-round of Google, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Email, etc.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
      1. A Curious Mind

        Yes! 😇 i have been up on phone for longer time now given the lockdown. Certainly need to reduce that. Thanks for your wonderful words!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Garima

        You are most welcome. Glad you liked it.

        Liked by 1 person

  2. Belladonna

    This is the perfect time for this to take place!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Garima

      Yes exactly. It’s important to accept your limits. No matter how much work you have, there are never enough hours in a day to achieve everything. There will always be something else that needs to be tackled. Accept that you will have to down tools and go home. And that the world won’t end. That clients will still be around. You’re not a superhero. Just do your best every day.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Belladonna

        Amen to that!! Learning balance is so difficult but once you get it you can enjoy life to the fullest!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Garima

        Yes 🙌🏼🙌🏼

        Liked by 1 person

  3. Dragthepen

    Love this post💖🙏

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Garima

      Switching off is very important. Live in the NOW. Our lives feel as though they take a linear path, but in reality, everything that has ever happened to us or will happen to us occurs now. Appreciating that all we have is this moment can help us realize the pointlessness of worry, with its projection into a future that may never be. Think Positive. Try it the next time the “what ifs” start to pile up. Worrying keeps you stuck in a negative thought loop. You’re much more likely to be able to relax and let go or stress with a positive mindset. Surrounding yourself with positive people also helps – worry can be contagious.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Dragthepen

        Hi. thank you for stopping by dragthepen and for this thoughtful comment.

        Liked by 1 person

  4. TheBookWarrior

    Great advice. When one suffers from mental disorders , switching off is tricky. But few of these tricks do work for me.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Garima

      If you are feeling anxious, scared or panicked there are many things you can do to help yourself cope. A common – and natural – response to anxiety is to avoid what triggers your fear, so taking any action might make you feel more anxious at first. It can be difficult, but facing up to how anxiety makes you feel can be the first step in breaking the cycle of fear and insecurity. Focus on your breathing. Try active relaxation. Try some medication apps and choose a music or Mantra that you like and start from there. Start small and then be consistent. 15 minutes per day is a good start.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  5. Lynh

    I do these things you mention and then use the do not disturb button on my phone. It’s a solid plan 👍

    Like

    Reply
  6. potatosandwich

    Some very good strategies Garima. I feel before we look to adopting these, one needs to overcome the common barrier that stops us all in ‘putting our tools down’. The very fact that we feel ‘guilty’ in relaxing is the problem. We are so on the ‘go’ that if we relax, a number of tasks/jobs will get left, even if we schedule these in, there is always something else. Eradicate the ‘guilty feeling’, tell yourself the world won’t end and maybe you can relax with a mind that’s like a blank canvas.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Garima

      Ah yes, I suffer from this. In a recent survey, 39% of U.S. workers said they feel guilty about taking time off from work because of pressure put upon them by their bosses, or because of the burden it creates for the colleagues who have to pick up the pieces in their absence. And 43% of employees don’t feel right taking time off given their existing workloads.

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      1. potatosandwich

        Sad times

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Garima

        Yup

        Like

  7. Art_Nomison

    This spoke to me

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Garima

      What keeps the tension going is a side-effect of stress. The stress response is triggered when demands overload your ability to cope with them, switching on a part of the ancient brain that believes there is a threat to your life and limb. As a result, it constricts your brain to the perceived emergency of the moment, causing that loop of worry to spin round and round in one of the telltale byproducts of stress, rumination.

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      1. Art_Nomison

        Wow! I guess I found the antidote to stress💪

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Garima

        Excellent. Glad this helped.

        Like

  8. Mahendra Kapadia

    One of the very effective methods is Relaxation is meditation, especially Rajayoga meditation.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Garima

      For most of us, stress is an unpleasant part of our daily existence. However, just because stress is unavoidable doesn’t mean it has to dominate your life. Relaxation meditation — which typically involves cultivating calm by using an object of focus, such as your breath or a visualization — can be one effective tool to help manage and ease stress. The best part? It’s available to all of us, anywhere and anytime we need it. In fact, many people find learning to consciously relax the mind and body through basic meditation techniques leads not only to reduced stress, but also to better mental and physical health, and a better quality of life.

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  9. thebabblingbrook

    Hi Garima,
    While this is a nice post, several of the techniques you mentioned involve a learning curve and when a mind is stressed, that is something we do not need. As a person who is yet to warm up to yoga and mindfulness (despite my therapist trying it with me for over a year), I would suggest more accessible things.
    Reading is one of the great stress-busters and switching off techniques. Especially poetry.
    Another that is often overlooked but is quite helpful for relaxation is video gaming. Throughout my toughest phases, I have found video games to have helped me calm down and also to avoid exacerbate an anxiety phase.
    For a longer term, I have found exercise to be the best medicine, of course, Getting into a routine where the focus is on the self and on the body is a great way to come out of anxiety. It is something that never really goes, so having instant alternatives instead of scheduled acts like exercises and yoga are definitely required.
    On offloading, I have a completely different personal experience. Over time, I have realized that every person has his or her own issues to deal with and might not be always available for talking when needed. One of my best places to offload is my therapy sessions. Every person has a different relationship circle, some more fortunate or less than others. While it is great to have a supportive circle, oftentimes that circle becomes unavailable. Strengthening personal coping mechanisms goes a long way in this regard. I say this since I live all by myself in a town with no family members and few friends.

    Overall, this is a great topic for writing as well as discussion and extremely important in these times and there so many ways to switch off and relax and it differs widely from person to person. Perhaps we can include them too.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Garima

      Hi, those are some great pointers. Thank you for sharing. Simplicity is the key 🙂

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      Reply
  10. رمزيات انستقرام

    its informative article thx

    Like

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  11. طيف

    that was amazing article

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    Reply
  12. T Marie

    This is very good topic! And you give some nice pointers. I have actually used some of them and they work. And the way things are now, we really need to find positive ways to release our stress

    Like

    Reply
    1. Garima

      Try Guided Imagery for release stress. Guided imagery is like taking a short vacation in your mind.1 It can involve imaging yourself being in your “happy place”—maybe picturing yourself sitting on a beach, listening to the waves, smelling the ocean, and feeling the warm sand underneath you. Guided imagery can be done with a recording where you listen to someone walk you through a peaceful scene. Or, once you know how to do it yourself, you can practice guided imagery on your own. Simply close your eyes for a minute and walk yourself through a peaceful scene. Think about all the sensory experiences you’d engage in and allow yourself to feel as though you’re really there. After a few minutes, open your eyes and return to the present moment.

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