Living in the city has its upsides like more job and business opportunities and access to the cutting-edge technology that civilization has to offer which makes your life easier and exciting. On the flipside, city life is hectic and can get quite stressful, what with the pollution, crowding and high cost of living.
The traffic jam doesn’t help and it can get downright maddening with the hooting and impatient drivers cutting you off and overlapping. This stressful living that has become characteristic of modern life can affect both your physical and mental health.
Here are ways to relax, stay sane and overcome the madness of modern living.
Meditate
Navigating your way through a crowded city with all the external noise can feel overwhelming and stressful. This can cause mental and emotional anguish that spreads over to your physical health.
To maintain your sanity and lower stress levels, take up meditation to help you cope with the travails of city life.
As much as you can, escape to a serene environment where you can sit quietly, breathing slowly to calm yourself and visualizing yourself in a more peaceful and san environment.
Get your hands dirty
Living in an untidy house is stressful in itself and can make you feel depressive. A simple task like cleaning your house can help you deal with mental clutter. Living in a clean and organized environment can significantly improve your mental clarity, boost your creativity and increase your happiness levels.
Getting your hands dirty through activities like gardening can be cathartic and is a healthier way to de-stress than binge drinking and eating. All you need is basic Vegetable Gardening Tips and you can start your own garden, which can ease off some pressure on your finances.
Don’t fret if you live in a high rise apartment and starting a garden seems impossible, you can still have a container garden in your garden or help with tree planting at the local park.
Get away
A weekend getaway is a prime opportunity to take some time off the hectic city life to relax and replenish your energy levels for another week on the grind.
Take a road or camping trip away from the city where you can enjoy some fresh air and be one with nature. You can also go hiking which can double up as an exercise activity too.
Exercise
Exercise is the best way to deal with stress. When you exercise your body produces endorphins which make you feel happy and reduces the production of cortisol, the stress hormone. It may seem impossible finding time to exercise when you have to wake up early to beat the morning rush hour and you get stuck in traffic in the evenings.
Do a few pushups when you wake in the morning before your shower to get your metabolism going for the day. Alight a few meters from your destination and complete the rest of your journey on foot.
At work, take 5-minute breaks from your desk to stretch and walk around to improve blood circulation.
