With the way things are these days--folks working multiple jobs, trying to make ends meet, and the general stresses of the world around us--it can be difficult to relax. If you’re even slightly empathic, being around other people right now can difficult if they are radiating stress and negativity. It’s so easy to pick up on their anxieties and worries. Even if you are not an empath, just turning on the news can be enough to keep you stressed the rest of the day.

Feel free to try any one of these–any of them that resonate with you–as that is likely that voice of your subconscious directing you for your highest good.

1. Meditation

This one is a given. Any time you can carve out 15 to 30 minutes or an hour to meditate, it will relax you. I know that we don’t always have time for that, but it really is worth doing if you can. For me, I prefer guided meditations. I have a terrible time getting my mind to shut off, and focusing on the words in a guided meditation helps me to relax without the mind popping up with phrases like, “Hey, did you pay the water bill? Did you leave the oven on?”

There are many guided meditations on YouTube, so please feel free to check some of them out until you find one that you connect with. The meditation below was just released recently in response to the pandemic.

2. Arts and Crafts

This is one that I really connect with. I love drawing, painting, and just about anything crafty. It is a great way to keep your mind distracted from overthinking, while at the same time providing relaxation. I think this is likely a major reason that coloring books for adults have become so popular.

So, if you’re at all artistically inclined (and even if you’re not) break out some crayons, markers, or colored pencils and get busy! This site, Monday Mandala, has a number of mandala coloring pages that are free to download and print. You can visit them here.

3. Essential Oils

I use a number of essential oils for all kinds of things, but they can be incredibly handy when trying to relax. Aromatherapy is a wonderful tool that can be used any time of day. You can use an electronic diffuser, dab oils on your wrists, make a room spray, or even just put a few drops on something like wood or cork to make your own diffuser. The important thing is that the oils you are using are high quality. There are many drug store oils that are simply perfumes and do not work the same as a true essential oil. Much like crystals, oils work off of frequencies, and synthetic oils do not have the same frequencies as true oils. In other words, an inexpensive synthetic lavender oil may smell nice, but its frequencies are not the same as a true lavender oil, so you will not get the same benefits.

Some oils that can help you relax include:

Lavender
Bergamot (this one is one of my favorites!)
Clary Sage
Ylang Ylang
Rose (true Rose oil is very expensive, it takes over 20 pounds of rose petals to make one 5mL bottle of essential oil)

4. Music

Ok, so maybe you tried the meditation and that wasn’t your thing. That is totally fine! Maybe music is more your speed, and there are lots of great artists creating beautiful music to help you relax! I’ll share a little about myself and say that I have well over 60,000 songs in my iTunes library ranging from movie scores to country, and punk rock to Dean Martin–and about everything in between. I love music and love finding new artists and change what I’m listening to depending on my mood. I’ve included some YouTube links to some songs that are always relaxing for me–feel free to check them out, and if you have your own relaxing jams–make sure you are making time to listen to them! Music is a great way to tune out of outside stresses.

“Song From a Secret Garden” by Secret Garden is one of my absolute favorites to listen to when I’m feeling stressed. It’s just beautiful.

I remember when my parents bought this CD at a gift shop in South Dakota many years ago. It has a lot of nostalgia for me, and is still one of my favorites to relax to. This song is one of my favorite tracks on the album.

Any fans of tv’s “Ghost Hunters” show? Did you know that Grant Wilson is an extremely talented piano player? Well, you do now! This is one of my favorite songs of his, and I highly recommend both of his albums.

5. Crystals

As someone who works with crystals and stones as a Crystal Reiki Master, I would be remiss if I didn’t include them in this list. As mentioned above, crystals work off of frequencies. Stones like quartz are a high frequency stone (that’s why it is used in electronics) and would not be a good one to have around you when trying to relax. You can use these stones as jewelry, loose, or even as large decorative displays in your home (like those large Amethyst cathedrals). Below is a list of some that may be beneficial, and as with the oils, I encourage you to seek out that which connects with you the most.

Amethyst
Blue Lace Agate
Rose Quartz
Black Tourmaline (a strong protective stone, this will help protect you from the anxieties of others and keep you insulated from negativity)
Lepidolite

Well, there’s 5 ways to relax that I often use myself, and hopefully some of these will resonate with you. This is by no means an exhaustive list and there are plenty of other things you can do to relax as well. The important thing in all of this is to remember to make time for self care and relaxation.