Life today is never easy, we are always in a hurry and it’s demanding as ever. There is always the need to achieve more thus we often forget to slow down and give ourselves some time to relax. If you find yourself rushing all the time then maybe you need to take some few steps backwards and ease up the tension a bit.

No, relaxing doesn’t mean spending a fortune for the things you will enjoy for a short time. While going in a month-long vacation is a great idea for you and your partner, it also presents some inconveniences such as arrangements of schedules and organizing the trip itself. Sometimes, when you say you need to relax, that is just exactly what you want and nothing more.

Let us remember that stress is the number one cause of potentially fatal illnesses such as cancer and heart attack. There is no known cure for stress but relaxing. When you relax, you release tension and stress thus avoiding their harmful effects to your body. Here are some instant stress-busters you can actually try right now:

1. Hug someone. The healing power of one bear hug is enough to erase all bothersome things that happened in our day. And, it is good for your heart too since hugging is known to release oxytoxin, a hormone that lowers blood pressure. Oxytoxin also gives the sense of overall well being to humans.

2. We were taught by our mentors that in order to achieve great things in life, we need to learn how to multitask. Even our little gadgets were designed to function as such. That is why we are always in a constant hurry since we are expected to accomplish two to three things at a time. Multitasking is possible, but imagine how stressful it can get if you do this all the time. By doing one task at a time, you give yourself some time to enjoy your accomplishments even more.

3. Laughter is still the best medicine. We all know that and yet we tend to forget it when things go bad. If the situation is nowhere near laughable then at least try to smile. After all, you got to start somewhere.

4. Take a five minute break from things which overwhelm your senses. You can either take a walk around the block or just breathe in some fresh air. This will also help you to clear up your head.

5. Play games for a while. Not some heavy gambling but a good, clean fun which will take off your mind from bothersome things. You can try crossword puzzles, Sudoku and cards but try to steer clear of the computer monitor since it will only tire your eyes.

6. Get a massage. A backrub is also great to ease muscle tension and will also provide some bonding moments with your partner. Go an extra mile by using some aromatic oils which will also sooth your senses.

7. If your phone is constantly demanding for your attention then tell that phone to shut up. Turn off your phone and plug in some soothing music into your ears. Just to change the ambiance.

8. Speaking of ambiance, do take note that ambiance is something you can achieve all by yourself and it will depend entirely upon your mood. You can arrange your house according to your desired mood by dimming off the lights, lighting some candles and turning on some music. It really doesn’t matter if you are with someone or you just want some time for your self.

9. Reading frees your mind, so as writing. Both activities are stress releasing and it will take you to as far away as possible.

10. Catching up with some friends is also a great way to relax. You can also do this with your life partner. Sometimes, between shuffling back and forth from work to home, we miss each other along the way. There’s no better day to start reestablishing marital bond than today.