3 Intuitive Ways To Relax in 2 mins or less

Life in 2023 is busy. I don’t know about you, but I feel like I’ve been so kept on my toes in the last couple years, sometimes I forget what it even means to relax!

Sometimes we just don’t have time to drop everything and take that bubble bath or go for that walk that we know would help to unwind. And sometimes we get so overwhelmed, we forget about the simplest ways to take care of our mental health!

For those times when you are feeling tense, overwhelmed, or anxious NOW and just need some relief, here are a few really simple ways to get out of your cotton-stuffed head and back into your powerful body.

These are deeply intuitive solutions, sometimes we’re just too smart for our own good.

Soak Up the sunshine

We are vibrational beings on a planet that is sustained by the power of the sun. This is evidenced in our ability to “read the vibes” in a room and that we “just have a feeling” about things on the daily.

So, as vibrational beings, it only makes sense that we naturally feel empowered and nurtured by the sunshine. It’s just power radiating from that enormous ball of energy we call the sun. (For more about tapping into the power of being vibrational beings, check out this article on the Law of Attraction.)

Plus, sunshine creates serotonin in your brain which is a happiness hormone.

There is a reason that seasonal depression exists: lack of exposure to the sun. Sunshine allows the synthesis of vitamin D in our bodies and vitamin D is proven to help your keep your mood bolstered! Plus, it keeps your bones healthy and your immune system working.

Why not take a few seconds or a few minutes to let the sun hit your skin today and see for yourself if it helps you relax?

Breathe into your belly

Have you ever watched a baby sleep? If you pay close attention you’ll notice that when babies breathe, their cute, chubby little bellies rise and fall pretty dramatically with each inhale and exhale.

Now, feel yourself breathing. Or even better, put one hand on your belly and the other on your chest. You’ll notice that when YOU breathe, it’s your chest that rises and falls with every breath. We start training ourselves to breathe this way as soon as we become the self-conscious little creatures that we all morph into around 4.

Because we don’t breathe from our bellies anymore, we’re sacrificing a lot of air we could be breathing!

So try this: Put one hand on your belly and one hand on your chest, and be intentional about taking a few breaths from the place in your body that makes your belly rise rather than, or at least before, your chest does.

Even if this feels totally unnatural and you’re not able to breathe from your belly on your first few tries, just focusing your attention on your breath can be super relaxing and a good anti-anxiety trick. If you’re focusing on your breath flowing in and out of your body, you’re taking your attention away from the chaos of the outside world—at least for a few moments.

Drink Water

Okay, okay. Hear me out on this one.

Did you know that 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated? Our bodies are at least 60% water—our brains are 85%! Can you visualize what that means for our internal functioning when we refuse to replenish that source?

When the system that is our body is not running optimally, all parts suffer—including our mental health and our ability to relax.

And if that’s not enough of a reason for you to give hydration the respect it deserves, here’s an alternative: anything can be turned into a mindfulness practice—even drinking water. And mindfulness leads to more peace and relaxation.

Practice Mindfulness

You don’t have to become a person who meditates for 45 minutes every morning and night in order to reap the benefits of being mindful. (For tips to become more present and how it can help you feel better, click here.)

In fact, if you’re new to this idea, becoming mindful of something simple and easy like drinking water is a great place to start!

Next time you need a quick 30-second reset to relax, try doing any of these three activities with total focus. For example, if you’re drinking water, focus on the way the water tastes, the way it feels in your mouth, the way it feels going into your body, the way the glass feels in your hand. Any and every thing to do with the glass of water.

It’s like a tiny meditation you can do anytime, anywhere, and no one will have any idea what you’re up to.

Sound strange? Maybe. But if you can feel some relief in 30 seconds, what’s the harm in giving it a try?

Bonus tip: All three of these activities can easily be done together. Do you have 5 minutes instead of 30 seconds? Fill your favorite glass with some water, walk outside, breathe into your belly, and allow your senses to bring you some peace.

And then, thank me later ;).