How To Relax When Living In The City: 10 Practical Exercises

If you want to know how to relax when living in the city, you’ll love this article.

Nature is a powerful source of power and health. Even if you live in the city, nature is at your fingertips. Minimal effort is all it takes to relax and recharge your inner batteries without having to travel far away. In this article, we give suggestions on how to do it.

How To Relax When Living In The City:

Exercise 1: Regeneration in the Park

Trees are peculiar therapists. Contact with them can strengthen our vital energy and immune system and neutralize the adverse effects of positive ions (trees produce health-promoting negative ions). Therefore, when you leave work, find at least a small green corner.

Choose the tree that attracts you the most at the moment. If you feel physically and mentally exhausted, an oak tree can be very helpful. Stand with your back to your chosen tree, so that your back rests against its bark. Feel the support and security the tree gives you.

After a few minutes, turn toward it. Hug the trunk with the whole front of your body and put your arms around it. Thank it for the energy it gives you. Remember that you are also giving something to this extraordinary plant. Something very precious — your presence.

Exercise 2: Grounding on the lawn

This is a good exercise if you spend eight hours a day in an air-conditioned room. Go to the park and stand on the grass or directly on the ground (preferably barefoot or in socks). Place your feet parallel to each other. Feel them sticking to the ground.

Now imagine that deep inside the Earth is the planet’s power center. Something like an internal power plant It could be a ball of light, fire, or red-orange lava. Then focus on your feet again and see them sprouting roots. Your body is now like a tree: stable, well-established, and connected to the center of the earth.

imagine its roots drawing life-giving sap. Awaken your mind and see how this light from within the planet flows through your feet and into your entire body. Breathe consciously, feeling the stress and fatigue of the whole day descend from you with each breath.

Exercise 3: The Power of Rain and Storms

Appreciate the health benefits of walking just after a summer thunderstorm or passing rain. The air is then saturated with negative ions that are good for our bodies. It is cleaner, fresher, and a pleasure to breathe in.

Allocate a minimum of 15 minutes for a walk, preferably in an area with trees (such as a city park). Contact with summer rain can bring equally positive benefits. Don’t be afraid to get wet or even soaked to the bone. Such an “adventure” gives a sense of physical and mental cleansing.

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Exercise 4: Valuable time in the forest

If you live in a big city, make sure to go to the forest at least once a week. You can use this as an opportunity to meet with a friend or loved one. The forest is like a natural pharmacy; clean air quickly oxygenates the brain and all the cells in the body.

For the duration of your walk, mute your phone and concentrate on deep breathing (inhale with your nose, exhale with your nose or mouth), walking evenly (choose the pace that suits you best), and listening to the birdsong (1).

Exercise 5: Reading from the Clouds

Gazing at the sky and passing clouds can be a very creative activity. Pick a sunny day when clouds appear in the sky, preferably the luscious and shapely ones called cumulus.

Stare at them, wondering what the shape reminds you of: a human figure, an animal, a plant, some object? Allocate several to several minutes for this exercise.

Exercise 6: Positive photographs

One way to make your office experience more enjoyable with nature is to choose a few photographs depicting your favorite landscape (it could be you against a landscape or just nature).

Even a few seconds spent glancing at the photos a few times during your work day will help relax your brain, which associates these images with something positive and relaxing.

Exercise 7: A relaxing fountain

Watching the water flow upward and fall downward and listening to the sound of the water is a very relaxing exercise.

You can easily do it: just go to a park or square with a fountain, sit nearby, and for 10-15 minutes give yourself over completely to watching and listening to the relaxing sound of the water. It’s pure mindfulness practice.

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Exercise 8: Plant in the office

A British study has shown that the presence of plants in the office has a positive effect on employees’ productivity (2), health, and creativity. According to other studies, people who work among vegetation enjoy their occupation more. These positive effects of communicating with plants are not accidental.

Plants purify the air of toxic substances, produce beneficial negative ions, and improve mood and physical condition. For the office, choose such plants that do not require special care and good sunlight. In particular, ficus, dracaenas, sansevierias, chiffchaffs, spring figs, and ferns work well.

Exercise 9: Color in the City

Another way to incorporate nature into your daily life is to make sure your apartment always has fresh colors.

Choose the colors and scents you need most right now. Red has an energizing, mood-boosting, and invigorating effect. Orange stimulates creativity. Yellow improves clarity of thought. Green has a calming effect. Blue facilitates communication, and purple inspires.

Exercise 10: Music with the Sounds of Nature

Finally, I suggest a technique for relaxation in a lying position. Prepare music with the sounds of nature for it (it’s best if the sounds are soft, combined with a calm melodic line).

Turn off the phone and ask your household members not to enter the room for 20–30 minutes. Now lie down comfortably on the bed with your legs slightly apart and your feet pointing outward. Place your hands some distance apart. Concentrate on your breathing. Feel your body becoming pleasantly heavy with each breath.

Gradually, you enter a state of relaxation, relaxing your body and mind. Your muscles relax, and your breathing becomes calm and even. You dive even deeper into your inner world. You enter a space of peace, security, and bliss. As you relax, your body regenerates. 

After 20–30 minutes, start moving your body slowly; take a drag and move to a sitting position.

Thank you for reading this article about how to relax when living in the city and I really hope that you take action my advice.

I wish you good luck and I hope its contents have been a good help to you.

Przemkas Mosky
Przemkas Mosky started Perfect 24 Hours in 2017. He is a Personal Productivity Specialist, blogger and entrepreneur. He also works as a coach assisting people to increase their motivation, social skills or leadership abilities. Read more here