As an online business owner, you get to reap the positive rewards of working from home. As a rule, workers are happier and more productive at home than working in an office setting. Although the positive role owning an online business plays in your efficiency and productivity, various mental health problems can arise with at-home work. These effects include increased stress levels, feelings of social isolation, loneliness, and even depression. While it’s impossible to avoid stress altogether, chronically high stress levels can lead to a host of mental and physical health ailments. Relaxation techniques can help you to reduce stress levels and prevent the adverse outcomes of stress. Let’s first look at some of the benefits of relaxation for online business owners.
The Role & Benefits of Relaxation
The practice of relaxation techniques has been found to improve a variety of mental and physical health conditions. Some of the benefits of relaxation are felt almost immediately:
- Decreased heart rate
- Lower blood pressure
- Improved digestion
- Reduced stress hormone activity
- Increased blood flow to the body
- Reduced muscle tension and pain
- Improved mood and concentration
- Better sleep quality
- Less fatigue
- Decreasing levels of anger and frustration
- Increased confidence to tackle problems
Tips and Techniques for Relaxation
When introducing a new relaxation technique, take some time to learn the method and evaluate how you feel during and after engaging in the activity. If you feel relaxed, then you’re doing it right. If you’re not, try and determine the reason. Not every relaxation technique will work for everyone. Take the time to explore what works for you and what doesn’t.
De-Stress The Environment
Take a look at how you are spending your time. If you constantly feel stressed, there’s a good chance your immediate environment is part of the problem. Re-establish your workspace so it is free from noise and distraction. The smell is important too! Essential oils are a great anxiety reducer.
De-Stress Your Daily Life
Blurring the lines between your business and personal life can be stressful. Take the time to develop a sustainable schedule and a daily routine that creates boundaries. Morning rituals, such as yoga or meditation, are an excellent place to start.
Make sure you schedule time for relaxation as well. Finding something you enjoy doing in your personal life that you find relaxing can help, and you can use it as a reward for sticking to your schedule.
Breathe
Shallow breathing is our natural reaction to stress. This type of breathing limits the oxygen supply to our bodies and makes us feel even more stressed. Learning some breathing techniques will help reduce anxiety and regulate your body. Focus on breathing in and out for five counts each. Repeat this several times, and you will find your body starts to relax.
Be Present
Focusing on the past or the future robs you of enjoying the present moment. The easiest and fastest way to calm yourself down is to focus on your immediate environment.
Benefits of Meditation
Meditation has a fundamental purpose of providing you with relaxation and stress relief. It doesn’t have to look the same for everyone. Mindfulness meditation is the most common form a simply refers to the practice of being aware in the present. Focusing on your surroundings at the moment without judgment is the practice of mindfulness meditation.
Meditation has been shown to have many physical benefits, including lower heart rate and blood pressure, increased productivity levels, improved sleep quality, improved memory function, and improved impulse control. There are also several emotional benefits.
- Having a more positive perspective on stress
- Improving stress management skills
- Increased self-awareness
- Increased focus
- Fewer negative emotions
- Improvement in imagination and creativity
- Increased patience and tolerance for those around you
FAQ
What Does Relaxation Do to the Brain?
Inducing a relaxation response in the body decreases metabolism, decreases heart and breathing rates, lowers blood pressure, reduces muscle tension, and calms the brain's activity. The body’s immune response is increased, along with attention and decision-making abilities.
Why is Relaxation Good for Stress?
When you feel stressed, your body releases high quantities of hormones that control your “fight or flight” response. These hormones raise your blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing rate to allow your body to escape the stressful situation. Relaxation techniques reduce these hormone levels, allowing your brain and body to relax into a calmer state.
What Happens to Your Body When You Relax?
When you relax, you tell your body that it no longer needs to be in a reactive state and that it is okay to save energy for later use. Your digestion improves, your heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rates lower, and you feel fewer aches and pains. In a relaxed state, you have enhanced immune function and sleep, which will help you stay healthy and get sick less often.
Recommendations to Help Online Business Owners With Relaxation
There are more than a few apps available to help you with relaxation techniques. Let’s take a look at some worth trying.
Headspace
Headspace is a meditation app. It starts with the basics and a beginner’s course on the fundamentals of meditation, so it’s not required that you have any previous experience or knowledge. You get to move at your own pace with 10 minutes a day of meditation.
Insight Timer
This meditation app from Insight Timer has over 70,000 free music tracks and guided meditations. You can follow numerous meditation teachers and listen to live streams. The app tracks what you’ve completed and helps you build calming daily habits.
Calm
Calm is a multi-purpose app. It contains sections on meditation, sleep, calming music, video lessons for stretching, mindfulness masterclasses, and nature scenes and sounds you can play while working.
Conclusion
Relaxation for online business owners is key to being successful in business in the long term. It will help you to more productive and enjoy the benefits of remote work. Try different techniques to find one that works for you and find one you can regularly stick to. Relaxation will help you to maintain your mental and physical health and maintain high-performance levels.
