Relaxing Methods for Single Parents
Finding a moment to unwind may prove especially challenging as a single parent. But adding a relaxation routine to your day offers the benefits of feeling less frustration and anger, increasing mental focus, and can relieve chronic pain and tension. The purpose of relaxation is to calm the mind and heighten awareness of the body. When choosing a technique for reducing stress, consider whether you need time alone, or if you prefer a social method for relaxing.
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Deep Breathing
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Take 10 minutes each day to practice this relaxation method. Sit in a chair, on the floor, or even lay on the floor with a straight spine. Inhale deeply through the nose, and exhale slowly through the mouth. Place your palm on your stomach to make sure the diaphragm expands as you breathe. You can utilize this technique almost anywhere, and it delivers positive benefits almost immediately. However, in order to receive some of the long-term relief from the effects of stress, it's important to develop a daily practice.
Exercise
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Carry a gym bag, and keep walking or running shoes on hand for a quick run or walk. Depending on if you need some time alone to blow off steam, or want to spend more time with your kids, invite them to go with you on a walk, or take a bike ride together. Muscles that get tense from stress need to flex before they can relax. Some gyms offer child-care or activities for children, like swimming lessons.
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Meditation
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Multiple methods for meditation exist, but the main purpose of meditation aims at stilling the mind, relaxing the body, and focusing awareness on a single object. This technique requires daily practice to cultivate a state of 'mindfulness,' which involves a presence of mind that only concerns itself with the here and now. Sit with your spine straight, either in a chair or on the floor, in a comfortable position. Take deep, calming breaths, and choose a focus: your breathing, a word or phrase, or a candle flame. Spend at least 10 minutes a day in this practice, longer if possible. If thoughts begin to intrude on your stillness, rather than dismissing them, calmly return to your object of focus.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
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Progressive Muscle Relaxation, or PMR, involves a time investment, however can be utilized as a practice before bedtime. This relaxation technique focuses on tensing and relaxing each muscle group in the body, and relaxing it, in a progressive fashion. Wear loose, comfortable clothing, and begin with the right foot. Observe how it feels in its present state, then slowly tense it, hold for a count of 10, and release the hold. Follow this same process for your left foot, then move on to your calves, thighs, hips and buttocks, stomach, chest, back, right arm and hand, left arm and hand, neck and shoulders, and end with your face.
Read To Your Children
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Set aside time you can commit to daily to read aloud to your children. Before bed, or right after dinner, this relaxation method creates a quiet time that can be both relaxing for yourself and for your children.
Yoga
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Yoga combines deep breathing with postures, and involves both sitting and standing in poses. Yoga offers the benefit catering to a variety of skill levels. Find a yoga instructor that offers beginning yoga, or yoga for relaxation. Also, consider if the environment where the instructor teaches feels comfortable to you. A yoga instructor can modify a pose to account for physical disabilities or beginner skill level. If you decide to practice yoga alone, practice at a comfortable pace, and modify your posture at any sign of pain.
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- Photo Credit meditation woman #4 image by Adam Borkowski from Fotolia.com
