If you’re totally relaxed and at peace every second of every day, ignore this post. If you ever feel  stressed and overwhelmed, keep reading. The Wellness Institute at the Southampton Hospital offers a weekly stress management class to discuss and aid the art of relaxation. While stress is a natural reaction, part of our humanity, it can have a negative effect on us both physically and emotionally. Our sense of reasoning is not clear when we’re stressed, we’re not able to put things in perspective, and we often feel physically drained or even experience stress-induced illness. Nowadays, we rarely take the time to rest and rejuvenate. There’s always something to do, 24/7. Some of their suggested relaxation strategies include:

• Remember that it is not the goal to rid your life of stress, its learning how to manage stress that is important.
• The more positive your outlook, the better you will manage stress. Learn to re-frame your stress by thinking about the big picture and prioritizing.
• Living in the present moment is half the battle. If you’re living in the here and now, you can’t stress out about something next week.
• Although we no longer celebrate a universal day of rest every Sunday, pick a time and make up for it. Since the world never stops, the hustle and bustle never shuts down, and time does not stand still, we have to create and prioritize the time to rejuvenate. Choose a time each week that is family time or alone time. Put aside all of the latest technology and chill.
• Learn how to say NO sometimes! It will help you to avoid lots of unnecessary stress.
• Utilize all five senses (visualization, scents like candles or oils, touch like massage, taste your favorite foods, listen to calming sounds, music, or silence.)
• LAUGHTER is the best stress buster. Laugh, a lot.
• Relaxation techniques should be practiced daily in order to master the strategies for when they’re most needed. Just like a muscle, our stress-management skills need to be worked to stay in shape.

One Healthy Breakdown: Destress and decompress for your wellness!