Chill Your Way to Real Being (by Sheila Olsen)

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The benefits of exercise are no secret. It burns calories, builds muscle tone, and lifts your mood by unleashing a healthy dose of endorphins. But it’s easy to do overdo it with the jogging, cycling and tennis, which leave your tissue damaged and your mind frazzled when done in heavy doses. Balance is the key to total self-care, so you need to add some relaxation to your routine. Here are some ways to do just that.

Meditation

This could be the missing link in the total fitness regimen, as it offers a whole host of benefits for the mind and body. To start with, it’s a proven way to relieve stress, lifting your thoughts up and away from whatever is causing you trouble at work or at home. If you’re worried about setting aside long hours of your day to sit in a dark room and think about nothing, stop. Sessions as short as five minutes can be squeezed in between exercises at the gym or built into your daily routine at home. That’s even easier if you have a dedicated space. Just find a quiet corner, throw down a mat, and you’re ready to go … or sit, actually.

Yoga

This ancient Indian practice is similar to meditation, but with a twist. It has an emphasis on breathing and calming your thoughts and contains a series of poses that each have their own specific benefits. Some ease digestion, others relieve back pain, and many focus on relieving stress and anxiety. They accomplish all of this by drawing a connection between the mind and body that isn’t there in everyday life, says one practitioner from DoYouYoga, adding that when done regularly, the practice encourages living in the present in a more mindful and conscious way. ​

Tai Chi

Much like yoga, this traditional Chinese practice fits somewhere between exercise and relaxation, and one of its main benefits is — you guessed it — stress relief. This comes through slowly advancing through a series of movements that gently stretch, rotate and twist muscles, ligaments and tendons, releasing tension throughout the body. Moreover, its focus on whole-body coordination makes you stronger, an added bonus for bodybuilders and weightlifters, while providing an excellent transition from workday hustle to quiet family life. And like meditation, five minutes is enough for a quick session.

Hobbies

Almost everybody has a favorite playlist to put on when it’s time to relax, but what about strumming a guitar yourself? Studies have shown that making music can be highly therapeutic, as it takes your mind off whatever’s causing you stress and onto the movement of your hands and the sounds of the strings. For those who aren’t tuned into rhythm and tempo, the visual arts provide a similar creative outlet, and you do not have to be Picasso to get in on the action. Coloring books have been gaining ground as a way to wind down after work, along with knitting and quilting. All of these provide an excellent source of accomplishment as you gain a new skill in addition to an improved sense of well-being.

Sleep

None of these methods are a substitute for a good night’s rest. It sounds simple enough, but you may not be doing it right even if you hit the hay for the recommended eight hours each night. That’s because you need to sleep soundly rather than wake up in the middle of the night tossing and turning. Time you spend doing that doesn’t count. A sleep expert at MindBodyGreen recommends eating the right foods throughout the day to get your 40 winks. You should also think about comfort. Relieving stress through the activities above will get you on the right track, as will the soothing sounds of a noise machine and keeping your room as dark as possible — and don’t forget a nice pillow.

Feeling sleepy yet? If not, now might be the time for your first five-minute meditation session. Get ready, get set .... and chill.