Have you ever been in a situation when you want to relax and past time doing your favorite hobby but you couldn't because somehow you feel tense and irritated? Here are a few things you can do to initiate a relaxing mood:
- Drink a hot cup of coffee or tea. It's nearly impossible to gulp a hot drink. The few minutes you spent blowing to cool the coffee and alternatively sipping it will calm you down without even knowing it. Avoid the commercial coffee; drink only the exotic variety or those with herbal extract like Ganoderma lucidum. For tea, try chamomile, ginger root, chrysanthemum or the Radix glycyrrhizae.
- Breathe deeply. When you are highly stressed and irritated, you tend to sigh, gasp or sputter. To slow your breathing, focus on each breath - in through your nose, out through your mouth. Concentrate on nothing but inhaling and exhaling. Start with vigorous deep breath, then slow tone it down.
- Make yourself smile. Smiling can do wonders to your toughts, even though you're all alone and it looks silly. Think of funny and beautiful moments, and re-collect the joy of the experience. Remember that when you smile, you use only 15 facial muscles while when you frown, you use 43.
- Focus on your hobby. If you are gardening, try to marvel at the colorful flowers or fruits of your plants. If you are fixing your coin collection, browse through the beauty and intricacies of the designs of the coins. The feeling of satisfaction will overwhelm or somehow minimize the stress that you have.
- Sit in a rocking chair. It's not only for the old folks. Whenever you are feeling irritated or worn-out, try the rocking chair. Close your eyes as you glide to and fro for about 15 minutes. Ah, that certainly works!
