Meditation is a great way to relax and unwind at the end of a hectic day. It can reduce stress and anxiety and help with insomnia. However, a lot of people might find it difficult to do.
Are you one of those people who can’t sit still long enough to meditate? Do you find yourself fidgeting or do you just get bored? Fortunately, if you do there are many other ways you can relax.
The first thing you should try if you’re one of these people is guided meditation. Sometimes, having someone to talk to you through it can help you stay focused. There are hundreds of videos on YouTube for you to choose from and you can flick through them all until you find one that suits you. If that’s still not for you, don’t worry there are lots of things you can do to unwind.
Going on long walks can be a great way to destress and a good alternative to meditation. Going on a leisurely stroll is easy, you just need to decide where to go. Ensure that you allocate enough time so that your walk isn’t rushed, and you can peacefully enjoy the outdoors. Try switching up your location every now and then so you don’t get bored. Listen to peaceful, relaxing music or skip the earphones all together and just listen to your surroundings.
Colouring is a great way to meditate if you tend to fidget. There are special adult colouring books you can get in most bookstores, some of them specifically made for mindfulness. I recommend you get with intricate patterns, so you have to really focus and spend time on it.
Listening to music is another thing you can try to relax instead of meditating. Sit somewhere comfortable but not somewhere like your bed as you could possibly end up falling asleep. You can listen to any kind of music you like but I recommend you try to listen to a relaxing playlist on Spotify or music you don’t already know so you just listen and unwind without feeling the urge to sing along.
The last thing you can try is Yoga. This might seem like an obvious one, but a lot of people think it might be too hard for them or they don’t want to go to a class. I thought because I’m not very flexible that I would be able to do yoga but as long as you know that you don’t have to be perfect at it, yoga can be very enjoyable and a great way to loosen up. If you’re still too nervous to go to a class, you can always do yoga in the comfort of your own home. There are handy YouTube videos to guide you through this as well.
Meditation is a great way to relax but even if it’s not for you, don’t give up. There are loads of ways and things you can try to loosen up.