Saturday is National Relaxation Day and I think you'll agree that right now, we need it more than ever! But sometimes, it's not easy to completely let go and just relax. So, here are five scientific things you can do tomorrow that Mental Floss says should help you relax:
1. Get a plant- Sorry, but this will just stress me out, trying to keep it alive. However, studies have shown patients in hospital rooms with plants report lower stress levels. Plus, plants may help improve the quality of the air you breathe.
2. Eat a banana, some citrus, or dark chocolate- Now this one I can do! Apparently, the potassium in bananas helps your body regulate blood pressure. Vitamin C in citrus helps with some of the effects of stress on your body. Plus, if you have just 40 grams of dark chocolate a day, it can reduce your levels of stress hormones.
3. Drink green tea with honey- L-theanine in green tea can help lower your heart rate and blood pressure and honey has been shown to counteract free radicals and reduce inflammation, which is sometimes linked to depression.
4. Give yourself a hand massage- OK, now this one I've actually done and it truly works. If you spend all day at a computer, your hands can get really tense. So, a quick massage should get them loosened up.
5. Mow the lawn- Nope, this is where they lost me! It's 841 degrees in Florida right now with 100% humidity! However, experts say there's a chemical released in freshly-cut grass and that smell that makes people feel happy and relaxed. Plus, knocking it off your to-do list will give you one less thing to worry about.
The other thing you can do is have a cocktail in a hammock and listen to us! Just say - "Okay, Google, Play Mix 105.1" to listen to all your favorites from Y2K and today and Jay and Dana's Morning Mix!
