Finding ways to relax long-term has been something I’ve been working on for a while now and I think I’ve finally found some solid ways that have helped me relax long-term and be happier in my every day life.

The first thing that I’ve been doing for about a year and a half now is listening to Andrew Johnson’s guided relaxations.  There are a few free apps and I have Relax Lite which is 15 minutes and Relax + which you can customize so much.  There are a few paid apps which I am considering investing in but the free ones pretty much cover all your bases.  These have helped me learn to control my breathing and relax my whole body.  It’s such a great skill to know how to go about relaxing when you’re feeling anxious. I use the shorter one during the day to relax and have some time to myself and I use Relax+ at night when I’m falling asleep.

Next is to find a phrase that calms you down, something like “everything will be okay” or “you’re alright” that you can repeat when you need to.  Super helpful to have that little voice in your head when there’s no one around to take that role for you.

Finally, figure out what’s stressing you.  Then divide into two categories, things you can control, and things you can’t.  After that, decide what steps you can take to do something about the ones you can control and the steps you can take to accept  the ones you can’t.  This might involve doing some things you don’t want to do but getting stressors out of your life is always a good thing.

Let me know how you relax!