Unconventional relaxation treatments have become extremely popular because some people just want to try something new.
If you’re looking to chill out, try these seven unique methods of relieving stress. They might be just what you’ve been looking for.
- Tapping
According to Driving Peace, the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), also known as tapping, can be great for anxiety. Tapping is just that -- tapping on areas of the body to relieve stress. And many people say it works like a charm.
When trying this technique, you use your fingertips to tap on various parts of your body. At the same time, you say a phrase aloud and focus on your emotions. While this may sound odd, people swear by it.
So how does tapping work?
Tapping is thought to stimulate meridian points, which is what acupuncture and acupressure does. This allows the energy of the body (or chi) to flow freely by getting it “unstuck.” To do this, you pick a phrase focused on how you’re feeling followed by a phrase about how you want to feel. For example, the expert at Driving Peace uses this example: “Even though I (truth about how you feel), I (choice about how you want to feel).”
Once a phrase is selected, gently tap on meridian points, three to seven times per point. You may choose the top of your head, the ends of your eyebrows, under arms, or various other points. In this process, you’re asked to think about how you feel and how strong the feeling is.
- Color Therapy
- Gum Chewing
Color therapy has long been associated with health and healing. According to the Global Healing Center, colors have an effect on emotions. From clothing or art pieces and decoration, the colors with which you surround yourself can have an effect.
Using color is thought to be an effective form of relaxation because certain colors relax us, but other colors energize. For example, red would not be a good choice for relaxation because it is said to have a stimulating effect. However, it can elevate mood. Pink is considered to be a color that helps to create a feeling of peace, and yellow is a good choice that is thought to be a stress-busting color. And, of course, green and blue are calming colors that help to manage stress and anxiety.
Gum chewing? For stress? Yes!
According to Medical Daily, one study conducted in Australia found that chewing gum could alleviate stress. The study concluded that a simple stick of gum has benefits for anxiety relief, alertness and stress reduction. It even helped participants multi-task.
Results showed a 17 percent decrease in anxiety associated with mild stress among gum chewers, and moderate stress decreased by almost 10 percent. Cortisol levels were even lowered significantly.
So reach for a stick of gum the next time you’re feeling anxious. Pick your fave flavor and chomp away.
- Sensory Deprivation
The popularity of sensory deprivation has created a wave of “float spas” across the country. And while it sounds like a strange concept, it is said to offer a range of life-changing health benefits.
According to Men’s Journal, sensory deprivation and isolation are now called REST. This is an abbreviation for restricted environment stimulation technique. In this technique, flotation tanks are used to create an experience that some compare to being in the womb.
Experts say that this is a great way to reset the body. In fact, Dr. Peter Suedfeld, a REST researcher, tells Men’s Journals that this technique can help with "problems involving the autonomic nervous system, such as insomnia, stress symptoms, dysfunctions of the skeletomuscular system, chronic headache, and the like."
Studies have shown positive effects associated with REST. For example, REST has been shown to lower cortisol levels, assist in pain management and even elevate mood.
- Orange Sniffing
- Laughing
- Rubber Band Snapping
According to Prevention, sniffing the scent of an orange may relieve stress. In fact, one study conducted in Brazil found that subjects who took a stress-inducing test experienced less anxiety when they inhaled orange essential oil for five minutes before taking the test. And the results were said to last the rest of the day.
To give orange sniffing a try, purchase orange essential oil at a health-oriented store and sniff away. Just be sure to read the directions first.
Not only is laughing fun, but it's also good for your health. Research has shown that laughter and meditation may provide parallel benefits.
“Joyful laughter immediately produces the same brain wave frequencies experienced by people in a true meditative state,” says Lee Berk, lead researcher of the study and associate professor of pathology and human anatomy at Loma Linda University, as originally reported in Prevention.
In the study, participants viewed videos that were either funny, distressful or spiritual. Simultaneously, researchers measured brain wave activity with an EEG.
What they found is fascinating. Funny videos resulted in gamma waves similar to those produced during meditation. Berk says that this is like using your brain all at once. He compares this to exercise in that “exercise reconditions and reprograms your body over time.”
If you’re looking to decrease stress, give your favorite funny movie a watch, or check out a comedy show. You’ll feel more relaxed in no time.
According to She Knows, snapping a rubber band on your wrist has been shown to reduce stress. When stress arises, you gently snap the rubber band. As time goes on, you’ll equate that feeling to stress and try to avoid it. This method, called operant conditioning, is said to have been pioneered by psychologist B.F. Skinner. And many people say that it works.