There’s no doubt that stress can take a major toll on your appearance. Since it comes from everyday experiences, like dealing with clients at work or family issues at home, avoiding it really isn’t a possibility for most people. Instead, it’s vital that we find ways to cope with it. Luckily, there are treatments we can get that will deeply relax us, while enhancing our looks in the process.
The Impact of Stress on Our Appearance
We can all tell when someone is under a lot of stress and doesn’t know how to effectively manage it. People might say things like “that person had a hard life” or “they really wear their stress on their face” to describe such a person. Haggard is another negative word that might be thrown around when referring to someone who looks like they’ve lived a stressed-out life. From causing internal strife to harming the quality of our sleep, stress takes a real toll on our looks.
Finding a Solution to the Stress Problem
If we don’t discover ways to manage this excess stress, then it might take a toll on not just our face, but our health and mental wellness as well. In fact, being overly stressed can have a negative impact on every part of our body. Dr. Darlene Hart confirms that even our sleep quality and oral health can suffer due to excessive stress:
“Stress plays a significant role in causing problems for your sleep and dental health.”
With such a wide-reaching effect, it’s up to each of us to find ways to relieve the stress in our lives before it causes noticeable changes in our appearance.
The Benefit of Deep Relaxation
When we participate in an activity that has a relaxing effect on our bodies, it essentially acts as a reset button, freeing us from the stress we’ve been carrying. From float therapy to yoga, these activities that help us relax have proven health benefits. Plus they feel great and work wonders for your face and skin.
Four Ways to Achieve Deep Relaxation
Offering benefits like eliminating stress and removing the tension from your face and body, the following options are phenomenal for those days when you’re feeling tense and need a little help relaxing.
Float Therapy – Achieve Tranquility in Complete Darkness
Also known by a more ominous name– sensory deprivation tanks– float tanks are becoming a popular and completely viable way to relax more deeply than you may have thought possible. For some, entering a tub full of water only to lay there in complete darkness and silence may not sound like a relaxing experience; But this isn’t any ordinary water and not an experience you can prepare for unless you try it.
How Does Float Therapy Relax You?
The water has enough salt in it to keep you buoyant, ensuring that you’re able to float on your back easily. While that’s relaxing in itself, it’s just the beginning. With the lights off and sounds nonexistent, your mind becomes free to drift off without any feedback from your senses. The result is a relaxing experience that is truly unlike anything else out there. Proven benefits of float therapy include anxiety relief and anti-depressant effects.
What To Expect On Your First Visit
Upon entering a float therapy spa, you’ll very likely be offered different types of tanks, including couples tanks and others of varying sizes. You’ll shower before entering, and will be given a brief interval where the lights are still on and light music may be playing. After using this time to get comfortable floating on your back, it won’t be long before the sights and sounds go away, and you’re left with nothing but your innermost thoughts.
Yoga Class – The Tried and True Method to Calmness and Enlightenment
While yoga is far from new– it’s existed for thousands of years and is the basis of all meditation –the upsurge in popularity of yoga has achieved new heights in recent years. More than just meditation, yoga is a practice that blends stretches, poses, and deep breathing to strengthen your body and leave you feeling loose, calm, and free of tension.
The Active Relaxation Inherent in Yoga Practice
There’s no doubt that yoga is relaxing, but unlike the other options on this list, it’s important to know that it’s not a passive treatment– you have to go to a class and follow along with the instructor to reap the rewards. Although some parts of the actual class may be tremendously relaxing, the most calming effects will be felt afterward as you’re leaving the studio. With consistent practice, you can make this remarkably relaxing feeling a regular part of your life.
Finding the Ideal Yoga Class for Your Needs
With over a dozen styles of yoga and many instructors with their own interpretations, your yoga experience can be very different depending on where you go. If cost is a concern, sites like Groupon offer major discounts so you can experiment with classes in your area. If you’re looking for an active yoga session, Vinyasa Yoga is a common option that will provide some challenge, whereas Kundalini Yoga offers more of a seated meditation session with less movement.
Cosmetic Dentistry + Sedation
Going to a cosmetic dentist is a great way to improve one of the most important aspects of your look– your smile. Although a dental visit may not sound relaxing, it is when you add sedation into the mix. In fact, it’s so relaxing, you probably won’t even remember the dental treatment. Whether you’re there for bonding, veneers, or sealants, opting for sedation can turn a stressful experience into a deeply calming, pleasant one.
What Dental Treatments Work Well With Sedation?
Cosmetic dentistry offers a wide variety of ways to enhance your smile. Some options that would work well with sedation include dental veneers, onlays, inlays, and even a standard cleaning. Almost all Americans have something they’d change about their smile, and cosmetic dentists like Dr. Roman Shlafer can make it happen. All you have to do is request sedation to take the stress out of the experience.
Swedish Massage – For a Deeply Relaxing, Full-Body Experience
There are at least 15 types of massages you can choose, but the Swedish variation is definitely among the most relaxing. If you’re feeling tense as though you have knots developing in critical spots throughout your body, a Swedish massage is an excellent choice. Featuring a skilled masseuse who uses a variety of techniques to target detailed spots on your body, spending an hour laying on the massage table can leave you rejuvenated and feeling like a new person.
What is Unique About a Swedish Massage?
Sometimes referred to as a classic massage, a Swedish massage is gentle, yet strong enough to target the most tense parts of your body. This makes it a great option for those who are new to massages and don’t want a brutal, painful experience. Specifically designed to relax you and relieve stress and tension, consider a Swedish massage next time you need to get away and let everything go.
Relax Your Way to Better Health and More Beauty in Life
Many people try to avoid stress, but with new challenges and unexpected circumstances every day, avoiding it isn’t a solution. Finding ways to truly relax is a far better way to cope with the chaos of our daily lives, and it comes with major benefits as well. From being great for your skin to benefitting your smile, learning effective ways to relax is one of the best things you can do to enhance your beauty.
Nicholas Napier is a Navy Vet and MBA living in San Diego. He works as an SEO specialist and writer while hosting the Rogue Writers Podcast. His interests include philosophy, fitness, nutrition, and martial arts. For inquiries, email Nicholas.
