How Relaxation Can Improve Your Overall Health

Good health often requires a lot of work, including exercise, balancing your diet and quitting bad habits. We agree with that approach, but there's also a reason the English synth-pop band Frankie Goes to Hollywood told us to "Relax."

Even if you're not into 80s music, relaxation has numerous benefits for our mental and physical health. It can reduce stress, help us think more clearly, promote better sleep and boost overall mood. Taking the time to relax also can improve our concentration and productivity, which are essential to a healthy lifestyle.

Studies also show that relaxation can help with pain management, benefiting those who suffer from chronic pain, fibromyalgia, migraines and muscle pain. Even better, finding your "zen" has been linked to increased longevity, as it can reduce inflammation as well as risks for heart disease and cancer.

However, if you're the type of person who has trouble turning off your brain and relaxing, don't worry. Here are six ways you can find more peace:

Connect with friends. Over the years, studies continue to find that spending time with friends and family reduces depression, boosts cognition and has many other health benefits. Connection also helps you live longer. One study found that lonely people have a 22% higher mortality risk than those with strong social bonds. Sounds like a good argument for a girls' night out to us!

Do something you love. Watch your favorite show, listen to music you love or read a book. A 2021 study suggests that reading before bed can help you sleep longer, and even those who stayed up a little later to read still experienced better sleep quality than non-readers. We're not sure if scrolling through those accounts dedicated to beautiful people reading (yes, they exist) counts though . . .

Get creative. Creative projects like art and writing have been known to stimulate both the left and right brain, boost mood, improve hand-eye coordination and even boost immunity. Studies show that creativity also can decrease feelings of depression and loneliness, while also helping dementia patients reclaim their identity and sharpen their senses.

Meditate. Sitting in silence and practicing mindfulness can reduce anxiety and improve overall well-being. Several studies have touted meditation as a way to help diabetic patients minimize stress and lower blood sugar levels, thereby decreasing their cardiovascular disease risk. The American Heart Association agrees, reporting that meditation lowers systolic blood pressure (the top number) by 4.7 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) by 3.2 mm Hg.

Take a bubble bath. Baths can lower blood pressure and increase circulation. One study revealed that an hour-long bath at 104˚F burned as many calories as a 30-minute walk. Rubber duckies and candles are optional.

Try yoga. The American Osteopathic Association reports that yoga helps clear the mind, sharpen concentration, and ease chronic stress—which is important because stress can lead to back or neck pain, poor sleep, headaches, substance abuse and brain fog.

And speaking of music, don't forget to check out our De-Stress Playlist!

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