“Modern life is full of stimulation, information and choices,” says Suzy Reading. “We need regular intervals in our day to rest our senses to avoid overload and burnout.”
This also paves the way for a good night’s sleep: “Stress has a cumulative effect and we need a commitment to activities that prime the mind and body for rest.“ Read on for Suzy’s super simple relaxation techniques…
1. Get an early morning nature hit
Time needed: 5-15 minutes
“A morning walk in nature’s beauty offers a dose of sunlight to boost our circadian rhythms,” Suzy says. “This helps us feel more alert during the day and drowsier when it’s time to sleep at night. Research shows that ‘green movement’ or exercise can dial down anxious thinking and alleviate depression.”
2. Breathe with your hands
Time needed: 1 minute
Got a stressful day ahead? Just 60 seconds of calm, relaxed breathing can boost the healthy functioning of your nervous system. “Elongating the exhalation and encouraging diaphragmatic breathing moves the nervous system into ‘rest and digest’ mode, the antidote to stress,” explains Suzy.
Here’s how: place your palms upwards and as you inhale and extend your fingertips out wide, stretching the skin of your palms. Allow a tiny pause and then as you exhale, make a gentle fist, allowing another little pause. Repeat as many times as necessary.
3. Do some green gazing
Time needed: 2 minutes
Beat the mid afternoon slump without resorting to a sugar or caffeine fix. ”Watching a moving canopy of trees in the distance where we can enjoy ‘panoramic gaze’ is the opposite to narrow focal vision, which we engage in when reading screens”, Suzy says. And if you haven’t got a forest view, looking skywards works just as well:: “Look for the horizon
or open spaces, or just dilate your gaze to take in the peripheries, which deeply soothes the nervous system.”
4. Legs up the wall
Time needed: 5 minutes
Instead of the post-work slump on the sofa, try the ‘legs up the wall’ pose, which helps to improve circulation and relieve tension. According to Suzy, “It’s deeply restorative because it redistributes blood flow from the legs to the vital organs.”
5. Move into ‘being’ mode
Time needed: 15 minutes
“Prior to bed we need to disentangle our minds and bodies from the busyness of our day,” Suzy says. She suggests trying journaling to organise your thoughts and express your feelings.
Not your bag? Try swapping tech – whether that’s scrolling through your phone or watching your favourite show – for a relaxing music playlist every so often to get you in the chill zone.
6. Create a sleep friendly environment
Time needed: 15 minutes “An hour before bedtime, spritz some calming scent, dim the lights and pop on soothing PJs. Blackout blinds and a super comfortable eye mask also help to create an environment to support your sleep health.”
Not ready for a bedtime phone ban? We recommend giving a sleep meditation a go. The Headspace app has guided sleep meditations, relaxing sleep music and ‘sleepcasts’.
Head over to Suzy's Instagram - @suzyreading - for even more inspo and advice.