Relaxation is a state in which your mind and body are at peace, it is the opposite of the state of ‘stress’. Being relaxed enables you to engage in life with a clear head and allows you to maintain balance when facing life challenges.

When we talk about relaxation at thymia, we refer to how at ease you feel. Low levels of relaxation may indicate that you are feeling tense or overwhelmed, suggesting that it could be time to take a break. When relaxation levels are high, it’s a sign that you may feel calm or peaceful. Leaning on our strengths and other positive coping strategies can help us feel calmer, even when we are navigating tough situations.

Relaxation may sound straightforward in theory, though achieving it and making it part of daily life can be challenging. Simply wanting to relax doesn’t always lead to feeling relaxed, but trying different techniques can help improve your ability to reach this state. Like any skill, relaxation takes practice and patience to develop and refine.

Relaxation techniques are designed to help the body respond to stress more effectively, providing strategies that calm both the mind and body. When reaching a deep state of relaxation, we feel less stress and anxiety, which positively impacts physical factors like blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen supply to our body. Techniques to reduce stress and create that feeling of being relaxed are designed to target the reactions that stress can trigger, helping you maintain a balanced state even in demanding situations. The primary aim of these strategies is to alleviate tension and reduce anxiety, helping to achieve a more resilient and relaxed mindset.

The first step towards reducing stress and being overall more relaxed is awareness. This awareness is key for identifying your unique stressors and responses. While some sources of stress may be beyond your control—such as health concerns, financial worries, difficult relationships or a stressful work environment (learn more)—there are techniques you can use to increase your resilience to stressors that you can control.

Our ability to maintain a state of relaxation is influenced by several factors, including personality, social and economic conditions and even our genetics! When relaxation levels dip, we enter familiar territory - stress. Stress commonly sneaks in when we’re juggling too much, leaving us feeling overwhelmed and like there’s just never enough time to accomplish everything we want or need to do.

Low relaxation scores may be a sign of feeling stressed. While stress can actually be beneficial in short bursts—helping us tackle immediate challenges—it becomes problematic when it is sustained over the long term. Prolonged stress and difficulties feeling relaxed can significantly affect our overall health, making us more susceptible to illness, disrupting our digestion and negatively impacting our mood and appetite.

If you have been feeling like reaching a state of relaxation is a struggle or that stress has been affecting your mental or physical health, do not hesitate to seek support from friends, family or a medical professional.

If you are at all concerned about your mental health and well-being or anything you see in the wellness score we recommend you contact a healthcare provider or a mental health professional.

Within the UK and EU, you can also call the Samaritans by dialling 116 123.

To discover which strategies work best for you, complete daily thymia wellness checks and track your progress, allowing you to see how your chosen approaches impact your well-being over time.

Spending some time to find what strategies help you reduce stress has lasting benefits. Tracking your progress is key to understanding what works best for you. thymia’s wellness checks and tracking your Journey can guide you in understanding your mental wellness patterns, helping you objectively see the impact of different techniques and refine your relaxation toolkit to suit your needs.