Sometimes we all need a place to go to relax and forget about the rest of the world and lower our anxiety levels.
Modern day life has a crippling effect on our mental health and wellbeing as our senses are bombarded from every direction by technology. We hear nothing but doom and gloom on the news as our government makes us feel worthless with their stupid comments, and, it seems, retirement will be pushed so far back many of us will never live to see it.
Wouldn’t it be great if we all had our own little refuge in our back gardens? The secret to reducing stress and anxiety is relaxation. It may not be a cure, but it certainly does help. We will take a look here, at some things you can do to find inner peace and forget about the rat race outside.
Privacy
Use tall fences, hedgerows, bushes, or trees to block out nosey neighbours who think they have the right to interrupt you at any time they please. This is arguably the most important step in creating your sanctum. No one can relax properly if they are overlooked.
Leave your mobile phone in the house. Constant text messages and emails will prevent you reaching inner peace. Leave the telephone off the hook on the house as well if it has a loud ringtone. Life was so much simpler when we were not expected to be available 24 hours a day.
Water
The sound of water in the garden has a magical soothing effect. A pond with a small waterfall or stream running into it is ideal. Notice how the landscape in the image makes you feel more relaxed just by looking at it. If you were to add fish to the pond, you could spend hours watching them idly glide by.
Comfort
There is nothing like the use of garden hammocks to help you relax in your backyard. The gentle swaying will lower your heart rate and send you off into a deep reflection in no time at all. Alternatively, try good quality garden furniture on which to lie.
Gardening
Buy a few pieces of topiary or bonsai that you can spend time trimming with small shears in an attempt to release the perfect shape. Also, plant grasses such as bamboo that will sway in the wind and give a calming, natural, rustling sound.
A gravel garden may be the solution for your relaxation. Comb it into ripples or intricate patterns using a garden rake and a lawn rake, or any other implement of which you can think. When you are finished, start over. Time passes very quickly when using this aid to contemplation.
Music
Outdoor speakers are commonplace these days so music or natural sounds can be played into the garden. It can be the sound of the amazon or your favourite classical piece. Calming albums playing natural sounds from all over the world are now freely available. Remember that you are trying to achieve a state of inner peace, so put those Motorhead cd’s away.
There are many other methods you may think of, to adopt. Using any, or all, of those detailed above, however, will give a great starting point. Reaching a state of calm and inner peace is, so it is reckoned, one of the secrets to a long and healthy life. Live long and prosper my friends.
