Ways to Reduce Tension: Part 2

Did you guys try the methods in part 1? If you did, let me know how it went! Here’s part 2 of my 10 ways to reduce tension! As promised, these are more mindful ways to manage tension, but no less effective, and still backed by science!

6. Doodle or journal, Or doodle in your journal

Doodling is a mindful activity, despite what it looks like. According to the Harvard Health Blog, it helps to reduce tension and helps our minds to process information better. In fact, studies have shown that doodling can improve your memory and creativity!

If you don’t like to draw, writing is a great way to relieve anxiety too. We don’t always know what’s going on in our minds, writing it down helps us sort things out. Also, writing fears down sometimes show us that it’s not as bad as it seems.

I’ve kept a diary for almost two decades. Every time something bothers me, I would write it down. It usually makes me feel better. It’s not a permanent solution, but it’s an easy way to cope with negative emotions, or if you have a problem you can’t solve.

7. Remove distractions

Research shows that we check our smartphones every 12 minutes. Our ability to focus has been greatly disrupted as a result of emails, phone calls and of course, smart phone use. The constant interruption affects our efficiency and brain function, resulting in poorer performance.

We end up spending more time on tasks and more than half the time, our attention is like a wayward child, constantly straying off. Doing work becomes a struggle – stress and tension mounts.

Even when we’re resting, we’re distracted by our smartphones.

By removing distractions, we’ll focus better on tasks, have clearer minds and be able to complete them faster. That leads to better satisfaction and lesser stress. Of course, when we’re mindful at rest, the peace we feel is more restorative.

It also helps to remember that multitasking just means you’re doing many things one after another. It’s inefficient and taxing on your attention.

8. Slow down

Are you tensed because the pace of your life is too fast? You may want to slow down if that’s the case. You’ll see it doesn’t affect your productivity. Don’t rush through your chores, do it mindfully. You’ll realize that things still get done, but you’re less frazzled at the end of the chore.

Think of your mind like a glass of water with sand in it. Every time you do something distractedly or in a rush, the sand gets kicked up, muddying the water. So it gets harder for you to keep track of your thoughts and focus.

When you do things mindfully, the sand settles at the bottom of the glass and your mind clears up. With a clearer mind, there’s lesser tension, since you don’t have to fight against a constant barrage of thoughts.

9. Meditate

Meditation is great for reducing tension. I mean, it’s practically synonymous to mindfulness. The brain operates at different brain waves, and studies have shown that meditation helps the brain to operate at brain waves that indicates relaxed attention. It helps the brain to relax better than just resting.

It’s simple and free. All you need to do is sit in a comfortable position, in a quiet room, and focus on your breathing. If thoughts come to your mind, ignore them. It’ll be difficult at the beginning, but like anything in life, it gets easier with practice.

10. Get enough sleep

Sleeping is restorative. If you live a very hectic lifestyle, you’re probably not getting enough sleep at night. Of course, bad habits can also cause sleep deprivation too – some of us just love binge-watching shows way past our bedtimes!

But a lack of sleep can make you tired and unfocused in the day, increasing the amount of stress and irritation you feel. By making sure you get 7 to 9 hours of restful sleep every night, you’ll feel more restored in the day and be able to work better, hence preventing more tension than you need to take on! What’s more, it’s also better for your skin!

I hope you’ve found these 10 ways to reduce tension useful! It’s impossible to avoid tension in life, but we can always try to reduce it.

Have fun and may you be at ease!

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Featured image by Amy Treasure on Unsplash