You may feel as if stress has finally gotten the better of you. If you find yourself clenching your jaw, flying off the handle with your loved ones or having difficulty concentrating, stress may be hurting your body and your mind. You may quickly find yourself with painful muscles, major anxiety and problems at work. With these four great tips, you can relax your body and mind and discover calm no matter how much is going on in your life.

Get a Massage

A light massage, such as is common with traditional Swedish massage, can relax your muscles and your mind if done regularly. Richmond hill massage improves circulation in your skin and muscles, getting oxygen-rich blood filled with nutrients into all of your tissues. Plus, the gentle pressure can work away knots while the dark, restful environment can soothe your mind.

Meditate

Daily meditation focuses your mind and helps the burdens of the day roll away from you. Consider using a guided meditation app that will walk you through as little as five minutes of meditation, helping to clear your mind and replace negative thoughts with positive ones. Guided meditation will also help you control your breathing, which can help you in many other areas of your life.

Practice Restful Exercise

Exercise may seem counterintuitive to relaxation, but the key is to choose the right type of exercise. Some exercise, such as running or high-powered aerobics, can actually raise your cortisol levels, thus raising your stress. However, relaxing exercises that move your body slowly and that focus on flexibility, such as yoga and Pilates, can decrease stress and help you sleep better at night.

Sleep

Your body needs plenty of sleep each night to combat infections and to revamp your mind. You should aim for at least seven to nine hours every night. Create a healthy sleep environment by using blackout shades in your bedroom, keeping electronics out of your bedroom and using a white noise machine to lull you to sleep.

There is no reason to let stress rule your life any longer. By taking some of these simple steps, you can feel calmer at home, at work and when out with friends or family. This can make you more successful in all that you do and give you a sense of fulfillment. Plus, many studies have shown that lowered stress levels can significantly improve your health and decrease your risk of numerous chronic health problems. Start today by choosing one of these four options to integrate into your daily or weekly routine.