Taking rest is something you can consciously choose. It often does not just come blowing in with all the incentives of our busy lives. So take a few moments every day to try these natural sedatives.
Your breath
When you experience stress in any form, your parasympathetic nervous system is activated. This is your body's accelerator pedal, and it triggers a fight or flight response when your body thinks you're in danger. By breathing more calmly, you step on the figurative brake again. For example, calm breathing is also at the basis of yoga, where the 'prana', the breath means life energy. Relaxed breathing is done through your nose, with relaxed shoulders and a relaxed stomach so that the breath can descend completely from your chest.
Read all about breathing and breathing exercises here.
Magnesium
Magnesium is a super mineral for your nervous system and brain function. It helps your muscles relax, supports your mental balance and plays a role in all kinds of important processes in your body, such as absorbing energy from food. Your body does not make magnesium itself and you get it from food, such as nuts, seeds, legumes, dark chocolate and leafy vegetables. But also from food supplements or magnesium bath salts.
Yoga Nidra
If you want to quickly achieve deep relaxation in the most natural way, then yoga nidra is worth a try. Yoga Nidra is done sitting or lying down with your eyes closed. All you have to do is indulge in a guided meditation in your headphones. Your brain reaches the same level of relaxation as in deep sleep, except you're just conscious. A kind of conscious sleep. You can find free sessions on YouTube, for example from the Dutch House of Deeprelax.
