The American Occupational Therapy Association says that it is absolutely important for people to have an optimal balance between work and leisure to achieve optimal physical and emotional health. Unfortunately, not everyone can easily take the time off to go on a vacation.

Don’t worry, though – there are actually simple but effective relaxation techniques and exercises you can try to help you manage your everyday stress and improve your quality of life. You can easily fit these into your daily schedule without worrying about them becoming a hassle.

The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)

If you are a fan of acupuncture, then you will definitely enjoy this unique psychological tool. EFT is highly recommended for people who want to optimize their emotional health. It works based on the same energy meridians used in traditional acupuncture. However, instead of using needles to input kinetic energy to stimulate these meridians, only simple tapping is required.

Aside from tapping, voicing positive affirmations is also required when doing EFT. The tapping and affirmation combo is believed to help clear the emotional block from your bioenergy system and bring back the balance to your mind and body. EFT is used for a wide variety of physical and emotional health problems, such as:

• Removing negative emotions
• Reducing food cravings
• Eliminating pain
• Implementing positive goals

The wonderful thing about EFT is that it can be done anytime, anywhere. No specific equipment is required – All you need is to focus on your emotional health goals.

Yoga

Millions of Americans of all ages now practice yoga. This is a mind-body exercise that uses breathing exercises, poses, and meditation to achieve optimal health and well-being. Yoga helps uplift the spiritual well-being of people in Asian countries. But for Westerners, it is used as a relaxation and stress-reduction tool.

Some people say that yoga stimulates the release of endorphins, which are natural mood enhancers, from your brain. Aside from providing you with ample relaxation, yoga also increases your fitness levels, helps you manage your health problems, and supports your weight management goals.

Tai Chi

Tai chi makes use of gentle, fluid and low-impact movements to improve your spiritual, physical, and emotional health. It has been practiced in China for hundreds of years, and is considered a martial art. The Mayo Clinic says that doing tai chi everyday can help reduce your stress levels and get rid of anxiety and depression. Tai chi can also improve your coordination, flexibility, balance, strength, while up-regulating your fitness levels.

The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), yoga, and tai chi are just three wonderful and effective relaxation tools you can incorporate in your everyday life. Practice them well, and you will never have to worry about your physical and emotional health.