Are you in need of some immediate relief from all the stress and anxiety that’s built up throughout the day? If so, you can try these tips on how to relax and leave yourself feeling calm and renewed in just five minutes.

Stare at the ceiling and countdown from 60

By staring at the ceiling you’ll be stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system, which results in lower blood pressure and slower breathing. By counting slowly and deliberately, you’ll easily remove distractions from your mind.

Write down your concerns

If you can write down any problems or worries you have on a piece of paper, then set it aside until the next day, it helps to relax. Simply set aside your worries and promise yourself you’ll deal with them tomorrow, which means you get some time off to rest and relax.

Breath in through your nose, and out with your mouth

This is called deep breathing and is a useful technique for slowing down your heart rate, therefore calming your body. Just focus on your stomach as it rises and falls, and feel your breathe flowing in and out. This will help you to focus on your body, instead of any distracting problems.

Picture yourself floating on a cloud

This is an exceptionally powerful meditation technique that can provide a temporary and relaxing escape from the realities of life. Just try to make all your senses participate by imagining what you would see, hear, taste, smell and feel if you were relaxing in the heavens.

Tense, then relax your muscles

Your body is designed to respond to stress by involuntarily tensing its muscles, and this can lead to pain and discomfort for those who’re always feeling stressed. But this progressive muscle relaxation technique can quickly help to relieve muscle tension and general anxiety.

The above tips are a great way to relax and lose that stress in a hurry, but if you’re really feeling riled up, don’t forget there’s no better way to relieve the stress and tension from your life than by getting away from it all for a few hours. If you really need to relax, go and unwind on a spa break in a soothing environment, where your aches, pains and worries will disappear in a heartbeat.