Relax Your Soul: Relax Series Part 4

Stress levels may be higher than ever these past few months. So much has happened to cause fear, anxiety, anger, and sadness. Around us, the world is fighting, changing, reforming. Never has it been more important to wind down and relax your soul.

Throughout this month I’ve written the relax series, ways to calm your heart, mind, and body. This is the last part to bring your relaxation to completion: soothing your soul.

The soul, for me, is what gives us life. It is what animates our bodies, the presence behind our mind and heart. Sometimes, even when we’ve calmed down mentally, emotionally, and physically, we might still feel restless. Maybe in those times, your soul is telling you to give it attention. Below are my tips on how to rest our souls.

Listen to calming music

One of the ways to relax our souls is to listen to calming music. Listen to the sounds of nature or to ambient beats. Notice how you will almost instantly feel at rest and how your breathing will be slower and deeper.

I would suggest listening to music with no lyrics for this tip, because sometimes words can trigger thoughts that might hinder us from relaxing. It will also help to stop anything you’re doing and just be at a state of rest while savoring each sound. Grounding yourself with music can really help heal and soothe any excess emotions and thoughts you may be unconsciously carrying with you.

Related: Spotify Playlists For All Work From Home Moods

Learn to say no

We often want to please people so much that we always give in to requests or demands that we don’t really feel like doing. Then we end up overstressed and resentful, causing our well-being and relationships to suffer. If we hadn’t said yes in the first place, this wouldn’t happen.

Personally, I find this very hard to do. But since last year I’ve been trying harder to prioritize my own goals over pleasing others. The things that help me do this are: realizing that saying yes may do more harm than good, that you can refuse politely, and lastly, saying no is better than giving in but doing so begrudgingly.

So the next time someone asks you for a favor, think it through before you automatically say yes just to appear like a good person. Remember that it is the person who is asking for a favor, and you are not obligated to do it if it is against your will. If anything, you owe it to yourself to prioritize the goals you have.

Related: Steps To Take For Better Work-Life Balance

Pray to relax your soul

Prayer is a powerful way to give your soul respite from the concerns of the world. It is a form of surrender, having faith that no matter what happens, you will be okay. There are so many things that are out of our control and we tend to feel helpless because we can only do so much. Praying and entrusting our concerns to God, knowing that He sees everything and will always make sure things will turn out for the best can put your soul at rest.

You can pray anytime and anywhere. It can be as short or as long as you want. For me, the two important things in praying are: your sincerity and your faith. First of all, be sincere about what you are praying for. Talking to God half-heartedly does not count. He knows you more than you do yourself, so just be genuine and honest. Second, have faith. Once you have prayed, believe that it is done. Do not overthink about how it’s going to happen. We’re human and our thinking is limited. We cannot pretend to know God’s designs. Therefore, we must simply trust in His word, and let any worries go. As long as we have done our best, God will do the rest.

One of the things that has helped me is to place little reminders around my desk. It can be simple phrases or verses from the Bible. Having one on your phone is super helpful as well, especially since we check our phones all the time! Check out the inspiring Prayerful wallpaper bundle below.

Dance

Dancing can seem like a physical thing, but it can also do wonders for the soul. Whenever and however you dance, your mind, body, heart and soul are connected. You control your movements with your body, listen to music with your mind, feel elated or carefree with your heart, and be aware of everything being united with your soul.

It can remove your inhibitions, make you leave behind your anxiety and stress, and even help you build connections—both to yourself and to others. Here’s an article from Time exploring why dancing is the best thing you can do for your body.

Try dancing (close the door if you’re still shy about it) to meditative music to express yourself through your body. You might feel conscious at first. But give in to the music and to that inner desire to just let everything go. Then revel in that sense of freedom and release afterwards.

Wonder

What does it mean to wonder? Think back to when you were a child and you were curious about everything. All the little things made you ask questions. You didn’t feel self-conscious about not knowing. You simply asked. As we grew older we learned more and maybe started asking questions less. And unfortunately, we might have learned to not question anything for fear of looking stupid.

Wonder and think. Imagine what it would be to live a life you’ve always wanted. Wonder about how you can achieve just that (because you can). Allowing your mind to roam and your soul to explore without any judgment is freeing.

Living in awe at how the world works, at the beauty of nature, at all the amazing things that are and will continue to be allows us to be grateful and happy. Consequently, we develop a positive mindset that wonders rather than doubts, questions rather than assumes. Finding that wonder within you can in turn, relax your soul.

Reflect to relax your soul

Similar to wonder, reflection also gives your soul rest. But instead of looking outward, reflection looks within. You may look back at your past experiences, happy or sad memories. Think of how they’ve shaped and molded you into who you are now.

Reflect on a certain event that has been bothering you and ask yourself why you felt that way. Try not to judge or criticize, simply be honest. By doing so, you may gain insights into who you are, and realize traits that you can improve or let go.

Writing in a journal to write your reflections might help you practice this more. Reading entries from the past might make you learn new things or remind you that you have been through so much, and are certainly stronger than whatever challenges you are facing now.

Let go

Another way to relax your soul is to let go. When you let go of what you cannot control, of what is toxic to your soul, you get rid of a lot of burdens. An example of this is a grudge. Perhaps you still have some resentment from someone who hurt you in the past. When you realize that it is bringing you nothing but pain, the rational thing to do is to drop it.

Examine all those things that are holding you back from living your life to the fullest. Why are you hanging on to them? Would it be wiser to let them go? If you’ve resolved to let them go, here are some symbolic ways you can do so to make it feel more of a release:

• write your feelings in a letter (you don’t need to mail it)
• express yourself through art
• write down notes then burn them
• give away things that tie you to your past

Once you let go, you will definitely relax your soul.

Do something kind

I believe that we are all interconnected. In this way, all our souls are part of one living force. This is why when you do good, it will go back to you. It’s a universal thing, a centuries-old lesson called the Golden Rule. “Love your neighbor as you love yourself,” or “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Do something for someone, whether it’s donating to a charity with a cause close to your heart or simply thanking your family or friends. Doing this releases so much of those happy hormones and makes you feel so good.

Relax your soul

This brings my relax series to an end. I hope you enjoyed all these ways to relax your soul, and that you apply them in your daily lives. Remember that relaxing is an important ingredient to a well-balanced life, so don’t set it aside!

If you would also like to relax your body, mind, or heart, read my tips on how to do so here. Don’t forget to leave a comment below!

Liked this? Here are ways to relax your body.