WHAT DO WE MEAN BY REJUVENATION?
The action or process of making someone or something look or feel better, younger, or more vital is called rejuvenation. Due to increased activity in our daily lives, people tend to be more stressed both physically and emotionally. In the 21st century, most of us live with a sense of urgency, panic, and competition and completely forget about stopping and rejuvenating ourselves. Stress can cause physical symptoms such as headaches, insomnia, and fatigue, and it often contributes to mental conditions such as anxiety, depression, or irritability. To deal with such symptoms people undergo various therapies to relieve themselves of the stress and live happier and fuller lives.
WHAT ARE THE THERAPIES FOR REDUCING STRESS?
There are various therapies that help reduce stress levels of patients and boost their immunity and aura.
- MEDITATION- When we meditate we focus our attention on the things happening in the present. Mindfulness-based meditation is one of the best methods of reducing stress and rejuvenating. It helps in the individual focus on the positive aspects of life, such as their achievements, their happy moments, blessings etc.
- YOGA AND EXERCISES- Yoga is a combination of physical, mental and spiritual exercises that improve not only your physical well-being but also your mental wellness. Many studies around the world show a positive relation between yoga and stress reduction. Doctors advise that people should do yoga daily for at least 30 minutes.
- CATHARSIS- It is an emotional release which helps the feeling to open up and talk about the feelings and emotions that they had kept bottled up for so long. This not only helps in stress reduction but also helps your psychologist to understand the reason behind your stress and ways to reduce it. It helps people to have an emotional insight into their sub-conscious mind and find closure with themselves so that they can live happy, stress-free lives.
- GUIDED IMAGERY- This is a subtle but a powerful instrument for stress reduction and rejuvenation of the patients. Guided imagery requires efforts from the entire body to create a positive and impactful image in your mind using simple symbols or metaphors. It requires a certain set of skills including concentration, visualization, imagination etc. for a person to create an image in his/her mind. For example- a swimmer can visualize the perfect dive and use the energy and the positive force created in the body to actually accomplish the visualized image.
- PROGRESSIVE MUSCLE RELAXATION- It is a therapy in which the patients progressively relax all the muscles in their body. Patients contract or tense muscles when they breathe in and relax the muscles as they breathe out. The therapy is done in a progressive manner, moving either from top to bottom or bottom to top.
- BIOFEEDBACK- It is a procedure to monitor and reduce the psychological effects of stress by providing feedback about current biological activities. It is often accompanied by relaxation training and procedures. It has 3 stages- (1) Developing awareness about the biological activity. (2) Learning ways of controlling it and (3) Transferring control into everyday life situations.
HOW CAN WE REJUVENATE OURSELVES? –
People can follow the simple steps mentioned below to rejuvenate their mind and replenish every cell in their body.
- Relaxing massages and/or bubble baths.
- Power naps (15 minute naps to attain inner peace, tranquillity and balance of mind and body).
- Jogging
- Dancing
- Self- Appreciation
- Read positive stories/quotes/thoughts/poems or any other piece of literature.
- Share your feelings (People who are not comfortable sharing their feelings with others can simple write them down in a diary but it is advised that you chuck the shyness and discover your true, inner self through interaction with humans).
WHICH FOOD ITEMS HELP REDUCE STRESS AND REJUVENATE THE BODY AND MIND? –
For all those who love food, exercising is not the only way to reduce stress and rejuvenate your mind and body. Here is a list of food items that increase the serotonin production in the body which in turn alleviates stress.
- Turkey
- Spinach
- Salmon
- Nuts and seeds
- Oatmeal
- Citrus fruits
- Sweet potatoes and carrots