Relaxing Daytime Techniques

Real Simple Magazine
Chris Baker
Chris Baker

You don't have to check into a spa to unwind. Weave these three mini-breaks into your day for stress relief

Your brain, just like your body, needs downtime. "It performs best after you give it even just a little time to relax," Ann Pardo says. Try one of these quick boosts to reset your mind.

In the Time It Takes to Cook a Bowl of Oatmeal, You Can...
Turn your shower into a relaxing ritual.
Keep your speedy suds-up-and-rinse routine, but add a small pampering element to upgrade an everyday shower into a spa experience. Trade your plain old soap for a rich body wash (pick a fragrance that reminds you of a favorite place). Or try a scented shower infuser. Toss a tablet on the tub floor; as it dissolves in the water, it will fill your bathroom with its aroma. "Take a few slow, deep diaphragmatic breaths to help calm your nervous system and ease stress," says Amit Sood, M.D., director of research for the Integrative Medicine Program at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
RS Pick: Bath by Bettijo Sweet Peppermint Shower Infuser, $36, bathbybettijo.com.

Try out Spa Techniques You Can Do at Home.

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Knead away stress with a hand massage.
Whether you work at a computer all day or not, hands carry a ton of tension. But using a fast modified reflexology technique can diminish that clenched-fist feeling and even affect the rest of your body. First apply a silky lotion to make your hands easy to massage. Begin at the base of the large muscle below your thumb. Use the fingers of your opposite hand to rub gently in a circular motion, says Stephanie Hunt, a massage therapist at the Red Mountain Spa, in St. George, Utah. As you work your way up your thumb to the tip, you will release tightness in your shoulders, neck, and scalp.
RS Pick: Lollia Relax Shea Butter Handcreme, $24, lollialife.com.

What to know Before You Get a Massage

In the Time It Takes to Read Three New E-Mails, You Can...
Pause for a few soothing seconds.
When you don't have time to leave your desk, mist your face with a cucumber-scented spray. It feels refreshing, hydrates your skin, and offers a welcome break from stale office air. Plus, the smell of cucumbers can reduce anxiety, says Alan Hirsch, M.D., neurological director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, in Chicago. To further increase the feel-good factor, "disengage for several minutes to clear your mind," says Amit Sood, M.D. Close your office door and log out of your e-mail, he suggests.
RS Pick: Lather Cucumber & Ginseng Facial Mist, $14, lather.com.

Written by Sally Wadyka

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