Physical Health

We are always associating stress with our mental health, failing to realize that it can take its toll on our physical health as well. How many times have you felt stiff, experienced back pain or a sore jaw? Probably more than you wanted, and everything is simply the result or being stressed out. And you cannot be blamed – life today can be so difficult at times that stress is the only thing we have left. However, it’s very important to try and do whatever we can to alleviate the stress and relax our muscles and our bodies. But how to do that? It’s easier said than done, right? Take a look at some of the easiest ways how to relax your body, regardless of where you are at that precise moment:

Nothing like a good massage

Yes. There’s definitely nothing like a good massage, and if you have the possibility of booking one, make sure you do that immediately. The good thing is that you can nowadays find so many good masseurs who also offer mobile massages, so you don’t have to go to them – they can come to you. It’s very important to know who your masseur is, as you definitely want someone who knows what they’re doing. Opt for a relaxation or deep tissue massage, as these are the ones that will help you relax in the best possible way.

Comfort before anything else

Next up, you should pay attention to what you’re wearing. No, we’re not going to lecture you about the trends and must-have of the season, but on the fact that you should always wear whatever’s comfortable for you. Discomfort can also be a great trigger for stress, so you can minimize it by wearing pieces of clothing that make you feel comfortable. If you have to dress up for your office, make sure that you wear shoes that are comfortable and a suit (or a shirt and pants) that both look good on you and are comfy. If you can rock athleisure in your office, you can always opt for men’s Adidas clothing and shoes as they are both extremely fashionable and comfortable. Most importantly, you can combine them with a suit without any problem – it’s the latest fashion y’all! Don’t forget to wear comfortable underwear, though. This is something that many take for granted, but it turns out that wearing the wrong underwear can definitely break our day.

Be mindful

It is said that, in order to relax your body, you need to relax your mind. Believe it or not, it’s worth trying, right? The best way to do this is with mindfulness meditation – a practice that has been scientifically proven to decrease anxiety and stress levels, and also increase the grey matter in the brain. Just allocate 15-20 minutes every day to meditate just a bit, and you will feel much more centered in the morning and throughout the following day.

The thing with shoulders

The stress that you carry can certainly take its toll on your body. But what body part will suffer the most? Definitely your shoulders and your neck, and this can result in stiffness and in pain. What you need to do to prevent this from happening, is simply drop your shoulders, and stop the unnecessary tension from building up there. Drop your shoulders and take a deep breath. You will see the difference in no time, and just imagine how it will feel if you did this throughout the day. Be conscious of the posture of your shoulders and grow a habit out of it. What you can also do is practice the occasional shoulder and neck stretch, as it wouldn’t hurt at all.

The thing with feet

The top of your body (basically your shoulders and your neck) can be full of stress, but as much as this body part is important, so is the lowest point of your body – the foot. Relaxing your feet can definitely help you a lot with relaxing your entire body. Every part of your body is connected by nerves to your feet, so you can effectively relax your entire body if you opt for a foot massage or stretching your toes out.

As you can see, it’s not that difficult to help your body relax from time to time. Not only will you be doing your mental self a favour, but you will see the benefits it has on your physical health as well. Try them out and you will see. We will be expecting your thank you cards.

Peter is a health writer at Essential Men's Clinic blog. Follow Peter on Twitter for more tips.