It can be really difficult to fathom how to reduce stress and promote relaxation. In fact, the art of relaxation seems to be lost. We live in an age of go, go, go, where stress rapidly accumulates in our need for constant stimulation. This stress does not create an ideal environment for fertility, pregnancy, or postpartum as it creates inflammation within the body.
Stress can be detrimental in a woman’s fertility journey, as the body does not feel safe to conceive. It can create greater symptoms in pregnancy, and create a less-optimal environment for a woman’s baby to grow in, as the baby receives its mother’s hormones. Stress can also lead to many different issues in the postpartum period, as the go, go, go mentality of society along with isolation can contribute to things such as postpartum depression, anxiety, and so on.
No matter where you are in your motherhood journey, today I want to provide you with some simple tips to aid in stress reduction and help with relaxation. These tips are not going to solve everything, but they can make a big difference in regulating the nervous system of the body.
My goal is to provide you with easy to implement tips in a world where it is very difficult to implement relaxation.
Follow Your Body’s Signals to Reduce Stress and Promote Relaxation
This one may sound odd but the signals our bodies send are something that many people have lost trust with in the modern era. When I speak of following signals in order to boost relaxation within the body, what I mean is that you can reduce internal stress simply through learning to listen to the cues of your body.
If you have to use the restroom, don’t wait, get up and go. If you have a tension headache, lay down and close you eyes. If you are hungry, eat a nourishing snack and don’t over-stress about what time of day it is.
If you need to cry, allow yourself to cry. Do not hold back your smiles.
Learn to listen to your body and follow after what it needs. This will naturally lead to more relaxation as you become more in tune with the language of your body.
Do a Body Scan to Reduce Stress and Promote Relaxation
I know the words body scan may sound “woo woo” but they are not necessarily. Doing a body scan runs perfectly along with the theme of following your internal signals.
A body scan is a simple mindfulness exercise that can reset your mind and put you into a state of relaxation. You can do a quick body scan at any time throughout the day, and it can take as little or as much time as you need or have.
A body scan will allow you to become more in tune with the needs of your body, so that you can better follow your impulses, or what your body is saying that you need. This can greatly reduce stress within the body.
Here is a good 10 min body scan practice to guide you.
Myofascial Release to Reduce Stress and Promote Relaxation
Fascia is a continuous layer of connective tissue that runs from head to toe. It plays a very big role in how the body internally communicates, and how the body responds to stress.
Learning how to do myofascial release on yourself, or finding a specialist near you who does myofascial release can play a very big role in putting your body in a state of relaxation. It can even attribute to life longevity.
Lymph Massage to Reduce Stress and Promote Relaxation
The lymphatic system is your first line of defense in your immune system. Involved in the lymphatic system is lymph, the fluid that circulates thought the body, ridding it of waste, transported white blood cells, aiding in blood circulation and more.
The lymph system does not have direct pump to move lymph fluid, but relies on other actions of the body such as breathing or exercise to move. Flow can become sluggish when there is not enough movement occurring, creating an environment where detoxification is not happening well.
This can put a lot of unneeded stress on the body. While daily movement is key to lymph flow, lymphatic drainage massage is an amazing practice to do on yourself (or hire out for an even better massage) in order to promote relaxation and health within the body.
Take a Walk in Nature to Reduce Stress and Promote Relaxation
Going for a walk can do wonders for your body. It is an incredible way for your hormones to regulate, along with many other systems in the body, promoting greater rest.
Fresh air and sunshine have so many benefits to the body. Implementing 30 minute walks (TECHNOLOGY FREE) into your days can be a game changer in the way that your body handles stress.
Do Simple Movement to Reduce Stress and Promote Relaxation
Whether you are doing yoga, scrubbing kitchen floors, lifting weights, or going on a walk, movement is so important to promoting relaxation and reducing stress in the body.
Movement regulates digestion, promotes lymphatic drainage, boosts mental health, supports healthy metabolic function, hormonal function, and so much more.
All of these things are huge components in reducing stress and promoting relaxation.
Breathwork to Reduce Stress and Promote Relaxation
Breathwork is a wonderful way to reduce stress and promote relaxation in the body. Breathwork involves consciously manipulating breathing patterns in order to regulate systems within the body.
Often, breathwork is associated with yoga, but it does not just have to be part of a yoga practice.
Practicing deep pelvic floor breathing is an amazing way to implement healing breathwork into your life, and can be an incredible way to connect to what the body is saying, while releasing tension held within the body.
I love this video for my breathwork.
Mindful Eating to Reduce Stress and Promote Relaxation
Mindful eating involves consciously eating your food. Often, we are in a state of rapid pace, swiftly moving from place to place. We get into the habit of eating on the go, or mindlessly eating while watching TV or scrolling through our phones.
However, by sitting down and slowly chewing food, and conversing during meals, stress can be reduced and digestion can be improved.
If you want to learn more about why this is, check out my post on the stress-gut connection here.
Journal to Reduce Stress and Promote Relaxation
Journaling is one of my favorite ways to reduce stress and promote relaxation. Journaling allows us to process through emotions, reflect on our days, think on what we are grateful for, document our experiences, and so much more.
Dumping everything inside of your brain onto paper can be very beneficial in reducing stress as emotions are processed, and gratitude is applied.
Eat Nutrient Dense Meals to Reduce Stress and Promote Relaxation
If you know me you know how important I believe nourishing your body is.
Eating nutrient dense meals can play such an important role in reducing stress and promoting relaxation in the body as it is fueled in such a way that it has enough to handle what each day brings.
Check out my post here to learn more about the importance of nutrient dense meals.
Open Your Windows to Reduce Stress and Promote Relaxation
This one may seem silly, but by simply letting the sunlight hit your eyes and skin, your hormones will begin interacting in a way that better supports your body, reducing stress and promoting relaxation.
Try to work by an open window to promote the health of your body and set it up to relax more easily, or do what I do and roll out a picnic blanket, grab an ottoman to set your computer on, and work outside in the sunshine!
Take 20 minute breaks to Reduce Stress and Promote Relaxation
Throughout your day, learn to pause and take breaks.
Whether you take a break and try one of the practices above, or simply take a break and do something that you love, this can make a big difference in the way that your body handles stress. You can do this at the top of every hour, or for every 3 hours spent working take 10 minutes.
Put this into practice in a way that works for you.
Disconnect to Reduce Stress and Promote Relaxation
We live in an age of information overload.
Take at least 20 minutes each day to disconnect from it. This means you disconnect from all technology. You disconnect from books that fill your head with knowledge.
Go sit outside with a cup of herbal tea, and simply be.
Use this time to pray or reflect, but learn to not let your mind get swarmed by millions of to-do’s or stressful thoughts. Think on what is good, and think on what you are grateful for. Even if you can only disconnect for 5 minutes, this could dramatically change your day.
Read Scripture to Reduce Stress and Promote Relaxation
I have to put this one in there simply because I do not think there is a more important antidote out there for reducing stress than digging into God’s word.
The words of Jesus can water a soul which has run dry and can replenish a heart that’s burdened and overwhelmed. Reflecting on scripture can center us in life and lead us where we are called.
Jesus says, “Come to me all you you who are weary, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” -Matthew 11:28-30
If you cannot find rest in anything else, I hope that you will find rest in this.
Reduce Stress and Promote Relaxation Recap
I hope that you are pumped to try out some of these techniques so that you can relax no matter what stage of motherhood you are in, whether try to conceive or in the midst of pregnancy.
As a review, these are my top tips to bring more relaxation into your life!
- Follow Your Body’s Signals
- Do a Body Scan
- Myofascial Release
- Lymph Massage
- Take a Walk in Nature
- Do Simple Movement
- Breathwork
- Mindful Eating
- Journal
- Eat Nutrient Dense Meals
- Open Your Windows
- Take 20 minute breaks
- Disconnect
- Read Scripture
