Tuesday, 30 October 2012

Tips for Staying Healthy on Campus - Relaxation

Here's the fourth of a series of tips for staying healthy on campus, put together by Cindy Dring of Student Services Health Promotion


Make time to relax
You may think that taking a few minutes to unwind at the end of the day is all the relaxation you need. Unfortunately, a few minutes won't provide the stress-reducing benefits of deep relaxation.
With so many things to do, it's easy to put off taking time to relax each day. But in doing so, you miss out on the health benefits of relaxation. Relaxation can improve how your body responds to stress.

After practicing relaxation skills, you may experience: 
*Fewer symptoms of illness, such as headaches, nausea, diarrhoea and pain
*Few emotional responses such as anger, crying, anxiety, apprehension and frustration
*More energy
*Improved concentration
*Greater ability to handle problems
*More efficiency in daily activities

As you learn to relax, you'll become more aware of muscle tension and other physical sensations caused by the stress response. In time, you may even notice your body's reaction before you take mental note of your stress. Once you know what the stress response feels like, you can make a conscious effort to switch to relaxation mode the moment your muscles start to tense.

For more on relaxing, download the short guided relaxation audio files on the Counselling Service website.

Related articles:
Tips for Staying Healthy On Campus - Food & Water
Tips for Staying Healthy on Campus - Sleep 
Active Travel in Galway – Walking and Cycling  

For more on how to look good, feel good and be in charge of your life as a student at NUI Galway check out Student's Services Health Promotion
 
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