4 Ways to Relax After Work
There are ways to relax after a long day at work, from taking some personal time on the weekend, getting an ice cream sundae, or just going out with friends. Regarding relaxation techniques, though, there is only one technique that works best: meditation. Meditation has been shown through years of research as a technique that can relieve stress and anxiety and produce positive health benefits such as improved sleep quality and reduced depressive symptoms, among other things. Dr. Jordan Sudberg has studied meditation for years. The benefits of meditation are well-documented in the scientific literature in many areas, says Sudberg. Purpose. To examine the effectiveness of meditation for stress reduction and relaxation.
4 Ways to Relax After Work
1. Meditation
The practice of meditation has been widely used for centuries in Eastern philosophy. Recently, the practice has become more widespread in Western cultures, with research showing that meditation can be an effective relaxation technique. Sudberg examined four techniques to see which one worked best for stress reduction and relaxation: guided imagery, progressive muscle relaxation, body scan, and sitting meditation. The researchers found that sitting meditation was the most effective method for reducing stress and anxiety and improving quality of life.
2. Yoga
Yoga is another form of relaxation that uses physical poses and breathing techniques to improve overall health and physical well-being. The exact benefits of yoga are still being studied, but researchers have learned that specific postures and breathing techniques can help people deal with stress. It has also been shown that specific yoga poses and breathing exercises can reduce anxiety and stress.
3. Exercise
Even moderate aerobic exercise in brisk walking or other forms of exercise after work can reduce stress and improve well-being. A growing body of research shows that certain types of exercise can reduce stress by increasing self-esteem, improving moods, reducing anxiety and depression, and improving sleep quality. Exercise can also produce other positive effects, such as improvements in cardiovascular health, bone density, and insulin sensitivity.
4. Guided Imagery
Guided imagery uses guided visualizations to relax. The visualization is often a relaxing scene or environment, something a person might be familiar with, like a beach or forest. Still, it does not need to be specific because the mind will create the image based on what it associates with relaxation. Guided imagery differs from progressive muscle relaxation because people choose their own pace for the imagery in progressive muscle relaxation, whereas guided imagery is not under voluntary control.
Dr. Jordan Sudberg has been studying for years. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of meditation for stress reduction and relaxation. Dr. Sudberg’s team studied four different types of meditation, guided imagery, progressive muscle relaxation, body scan, and sitting meditation, to see which worked best for stress reduction and relaxation. To test the effectiveness of each meditation, the researchers had participants take baseline measurements for psychological distress and then gave them a high-stress task to see if they relaxed after the meditation. They tested these techniques to determine which one was most effective.