How To Relax Your Mind

Finding time to slow down and take care of our mind is just as important as looking after our body. But it can be hard to know where to start, and if we have a lot going on in our day-to-day lives it can sometimes feel like we don’t have the time for it.

In this article, we’ll explain why relaxing our mind is important, give some tips for how to do it, and let you know where you can go if you need more support.

If you’re looking for some ideas of how to relax, you might want to try some of these. It’s good to keep in mind that relaxation is personal. Different people find different things relaxing, and what we find works for us might change over time. So it’s OK if not all of these work for you.

This is a quick technique you can try if you don’t have a lot of time. Sit or lie down somewhere comfortable in a space you won’t be interrupted. With eyes closed, clench your toes for a few seconds then release, noticing how different the two feelings are. Move up your body, tensing and untensing different muscles as you go. It can help to time this with your breathing. The NHS has an audio guide to help you.

Being active can help you relax, and it doesn’t have to be intense. Gentle walks, yoga, stretching or seated exercises can help clear your mind and feel less tense.

Exercises that focus on slowing your breathing and taking deep breaths can help you relax and feel calm. You can try these exercises if you notice you’re feeling overwhelmed, or as part of a daily calming practise. The NHS has a breathing exercise guide if you need help getting started.

This can be a helpful exercise if you start to feel panicked, overwhelmed or stressed. It involves noticing what each of your senses are experiencing, which can bring you back to the present and make you feel calmer. Look around you and name 5 things you see, 4 things you can feel, 3 things you hear, 2 things you can smell and one thing you can taste. If you can’t cover all your senses, just engage the ones you can.

Music can be a very helpful distraction, as well as an outlet for our emotions. When listening to the music try to really focus on different elements, like what instruments are being played, the rhythm, or the lyrics.

If you find something that works for you, practising it regularly can also be more beneficial than doing it every now and then.

Mind has other relaxation tips and exercises on their website.

Relaxation is often easier said than done. Many of us would like to relax, but feel we don’t have things like the time, money, or energy to do it.

If you’re finding it very hard to relax, either because you can’t find the time or because everything you try doesn’t seem to help, you might need some other forms of support.

Mind has information on different types of support you can access for different things, such as:

• Seeking help for a mental health problem
• Housing and mental health
• Money and mental health
• Stress
• AI and mental health
• Climate change and mental health
• Coping with distressing events in the news

Browse more relaxation tips on the Mind Relaxation Hub, only on Dreams’ Sleep Matters Club.