After intense work, I use these 5 methods to immediately relax my mind

In today's article, I would like to share with you 5 very simple and immediately effective relaxation methods.

They are all habits that I have been practicing for a long time and have scientific basis. They can not only quickly eliminate the fatigue accumulated from work and study, but also clear the mind, eliminate distractions in the background, and make you feel refreshed.

I hope today's push can help you take good care of your body and mind amidst your busy work schedule.

Let's breathe slower and deeper

In daily life, many people's breathing is actually very shallow, especially when they are nervous and focused. But in fact, consciously slowing down and deepening your breathing is a very effective way of relaxation and recovery. Why is this happening? One reason is that the human respiratory center is directly connected to the arousal system. Specifically, the brain regions that regulate respiration interact with areas such as the locus coeruleus, limbic system, and prefrontal cortex. They will affect respiration through a top-down pathway, and in turn, regulating respiration can also affect these brain regions from bottom to top.  

I have shared the limbic system and prefrontal cortex many times. What is the locus coeruleus? Simply put, the locus coeruleus is the main switch regulating norepinephrine in the brain. When the locus coeruleus is stimulated, a large amount of norepinephrine is secreted, and we enter a highly alert state; On the contrary, when the locus coeruleus is at rest, the secretion of norepinephrine decreases, and we feel calm and comfortable. This is the principle of deep breathing: slow and continuous breathing can calm the locus coeruleus, reduce its stimulation, and thus lower the alertness level of the whole body.

Not only that, slow breathing can also create a high coupling between breathing rhythm, blood pressure fluctuations, and heart rate, reducing sympathetic nervous system excitability and activating parasympathetic nervous system, thereby allowing the whole person to enter a smoother and more comfortable state. How to do it specifically? Generally speaking, research has found that a breathing rhythm of around 6 times per minute is most effective.

Take 6 breaths per minute, which means a breathing process is performed every 10 seconds. Specifically, there are two simple ways. The first method is 5:5, which means inhaling for 5 seconds and exhaling for 5 seconds; The second type is 4:6, which means inhaling for 4 seconds and exhaling for 6 seconds. What is the difference between these two? The former is more effective in regulating heart rhythm, while the latter is more effective in subjective relaxation. But overall, the difference is not significant.

So, if you want something simple, easy to remember, and stress reducing, you might want to try a 5:5 breathing rhythm. If you are in a relatively tense state and want to relax better, you can appropriately extend the exhalation time to 4:6. After about 15 minutes, you will see the effect. Usually, you feel less nervous, your mood calms down, your brain becomes clearer, and you regain that sense of peace and comfort. Try to develop this habit and do it occasionally, you will better get rid of anxiety and stress.

Try this deep relaxation technique

I usually use this method to help myself relax when I am tired from work and study. It can be understood as a combination of napping and mindfulness, which can effectively soothe the mind. How to do it specifically? Go to a quieter place, find a comfortable chair, sit down, and lean against the back of the chair. Relax your body, don't tighten or exert force. Then, close your eyes. Try it out: Open your ears and let them listen to the sounds around you.

Firstly, focus your attention on the farthest sound, block out the interference of other sounds, listen to the farthest sound, feel its distance, position, direction... You don't have to pursue really clear hearing, just be able to concentrate your attention on it. Maintain this state for a while, then gently shift your attention back from the farthest sound to the closer one. You may hear the wind, human voices, and the sound of cars and horses. Without thinking or analyzing, just listen quietly and try to distinguish their sources, angles, and positions... Similarly, maintain this state for a while, then shift your attention to the sounds around you. As mentioned above, listen quietly and continue to do so. After completion, start from the first step and focus your attention on the farthest sound, the medium distance sound, and the nearby sound in a loop. Just repeat it a few times like this. If you just want to relax briefly, a few minutes are enough. If you want to take a good rest, you can take a little longer, such as 20-30 minutes. You can also incorporate it into your daily studies and work, taking a break between busy schedules. Its advantage is that it can have a nap like effect, but unlike sleeping, it may not cause headaches (some people may have headaches while sleeping during the day) and affect their sleep at night. At the same time, it can also relax the tense nerves and better prepare for the upcoming work.

Practice progressive muscle relaxation

This is a very classic method. Psychologically, it is considered a way to aid sleep, but not just for sleep, it is also a great way to relax in itself. Sometimes, you may feel like this: after working at a desk for a long time, you feel sore back, stiff muscles, and very tired. There is actually a very core reason behind it, which is that we often become overly tense unconsciously, leading to muscle strain. When we are focused on work and study, our attention is highly concentrated, and at this time, the brain temporarily shuts down internal perception of the body. So, it's actually difficult for us to notice that our bodies are already in a highly tense state: leaning our necks forward, leaning our bodies forward, tilting our shoulders, and constantly exerting force... This not only makes us feel tired, but also very detrimental to our health. So, a very effective coping strategy is to practice autonomous and gradual muscle relaxation when you have free time in your daily life. Through this training method, one can better perceive bodily signals and learn how to relax.

How to do it specifically? Firstly, find a quiet and comfortable place to lie down, or if conditions permit, sit comfortably. Then, starting from the feet to the head, try to tighten firmly for 5-10 seconds, then slowly relax and stretch without exerting any force for 20-30 seconds. For example, the sole of the foot: curl the toes tightly, apply force to the sole, and then slowly unfold; Calf: Hook the toe upwards to tighten the calf, then slowly stretch it; Thighs: Actively exert force, tighten muscles, and then slowly relax; ... Eyes: Close your eyes tightly, furrow your brow, and then completely release your entire face. After finishing, don't get up immediately, but lie down (or sit down) in a relaxed state for a while. Take slow breaths, then quickly scan your entire body to see where else is tense and exerting force, and try to consciously relax it. A crucial point is to observe and feel the contrast between tension and relaxation. This is the core of this method. Let the brain observe this feeling, remember it, and recognize it. Therefore, it is easier to perceive one's own tension in daily life and to relax it independently. This can help you better control your body and avoid overexertion.

Go out and take a walk in a green place

I have a habit that has been practiced for many years and has been very helpful to me, which is taking a walk. It can be said that walking is the most cost-effective and lowest threshold way among all sports. You don't need any conditions, just go out anytime, anywhere, and take a walk to relax your brain and improve your thinking ability. When we take a walk, the reaction force of our footsteps on the body creates subtle turbulence in the blood vessels. It can allow more blood and oxygen to enter the brain, thereby improving its working ability. At the same time, walking can promote the release of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), improve synaptic plasticity, and thus make our brain spin faster and our thinking clearer. Walking, a highly rhythmic and rhythmic activity, can keep the brain in a balanced and comfortable state, tune brain wave activity, and make cooperation between different brain regions more closely and efficiently. Walking is beneficial for promoting the release of serotonin, regulating serotonin levels in the body, and helping us maintain a stable and peaceful mood, becoming clear and refreshed

So, why emphasize going to places with greenery? Because research in the field of psychology in recent decades has found that we always have a habit of "getting close to nature" in our genes: as long as we stay in nature for a while, we can feel more relaxed. One reason is that we have been using a top-down attention pattern in our daily life and work for a long time. The brain is highly nervous and constantly engaged in complex calculations, planning, thinking, and analysis... This can easily make the brain feel exhausted and require rest. In nature, we adopt a bottom-up attention model. We have temporarily closed our minds and fully mobilized our senses and perceptions. The immediate feeling is that you will feel more peaceful, calm, and soothing, and the noisy sounds in your mind seem to have disappeared temporarily. So, if possible, try taking a walk to nearby parks, green spaces, forests, etc. It doesn't take long, it can take 15-20 minutes to achieve results. Alternatively, finding a place with better air quality where you can take a slow walk can also have a great effect. This is a habit I have been practicing for many years, and I hope it can also be useful to you.

Switch to different sensory systems

This is also a very simple habit, but it can also have good effects. When we focus our energy on work, we mainly rely on vision and use brain regions related to abstract computing, planning, decision-making, and so on. Over time, these brain regions will become fatigued and produce more metabolic waste. At the same time, our attention system will continue to be called upon, becoming more exhausted and less likely to regain vitality. At this point, an immediate solution is to activate different sensory systems, avoid looking and thinking, and try to touch, caress, sniff, and listen. For example, touching something with obvious texture, such as wooden products, paper, or models; Find a clean place, put on socks and step on the ground to feel the power of your body; Do a gentle stretch and focus on stretching your body; Smell something with a distinct odor and remember its scent; Identify the odors of different things, associate their shapes, colors, textures, etc; This can bring our attention back to the body and slowly restore its vitality.

Another thing worth mentioning is the sense of smell. In ancient times, all the sensory cortex in the brain was directly connected to the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory. But with human evolution, the cerebral cortex continues to fold and become more complex, and the pathways between other sensory cortices and the hippocampus have been elongated, with only the sense of smell remaining unchanged. So, the scent associated with positive memories can quickly awaken our positive feelings, making our emotions light and comfortable, and driving away our stress and fatigue.

Try internalizing the switching of senses into your workflow. Get up and move around every hour, without looking at your phone or computer. Smell the scent of tea, coffee, or other items, stretch your body, feel the contact between your palms, feet, and body with the table, chair, and floor. Walk slowly for a few minutes, which can help your brain become calm again.