Whether we need a bit of rest or some extra energy, even an hour of relaxation can help a lot. After that we can start our tasks again with new motivation and a clear head. We might not even think that our emotions and thoughts are also influenced by physical habits. This means that it is very much worth starting the energizing and recharging with our bodies, since that can affect our moods too.

If we feel like our life was taken over by stress or we’re too tired and unable to do anything, it might be a good idea to award our bodies with something that provides new experiences and breaks out from the usual routine. We can improve our well-being by just one hour a week of conscious relaxation.

From the different types of massages offered, anyone can find their preferred experience: some masseurs use a stronger touch, others work with soft movements to reach their goals. The common bottom line is always to smooth out tension and as a result, de-stressing the body has a positive impact on mental health too and lifts our mood in general.

Aqua-fitness is similar to aerobics, with the exception of it being done in water. One of the advantages of that is that the joints are more protected, and the calming effect of water helps our body and mind to relax better. The American marine veteran and sportsman J. Glenn McWaters is usually considered to be the ‘father of aqua-fitness’ who, upon returning from the Vietnamese Wars, was looking for a method to heal his own and others’ musculoskeletal injuries. With this in mind, he came up with the series of movements to be done in water and also wrote a book about it. Another American, the fitness trainer Jack LaLane has already came up with a similar idea in the fifties to make the possibilities of aerobics even wider and to help come up with an alternative to elder people, or for people recovering from injuries or illnesses.

You can trick gravity with aerial yoga too, in which the poses are done hanging in a hammock-like swing. Aerial yoga mixes the traditional asanas with Pilates and dance moves. By getting out of the usual pull of gravity, we lift the weight off of the spine and the inflexibilities caused by usual, built-in postures are easier to stretch out. This unique workout also serves as great fun.

Most of us can testify to the intense and immediate effect of a certain smell: a perfume, a cake, flowers or plants can remind us of all kinds of emotions and memories. This function of smells is used consciously in aromatherapy, with which we can purposefully create essential oils from herbs to stimulate a particular emotional state. Besides diffusing essential oils, it can be worth to try aromatherapy combined with massages or baths too.

The French chemist, René-Maurice Gattefossé is considered to be the inventor of this method, who first used lavender oil to speed up the recovery of injuries from burns. This accident made way to further studies, creating aromatherapy as we know it today.