Take Notice… Be curious. Catch sight of the beautiful. Remark on the unusual. Notice the changing seasons. Savour the moment, whether you are on a train, eating lunch or talking to friends. Be aware of the world around you and what you are feeling. Reflecting on your experiences will help you appreciate what matters to you.

Modern life is very busy and very hectic, sometimes we do not give ourselves enough time to stop, look, relax and reflect. We all should pause and appreciate our surroundings and our place in them.

One way for you to do this may be going for a walk in the countryside, you can see some suggestions of some great walks available in Kent or Medway by clicking here, or just sitting and watching the sunset, but if you find yourself still tense there may be other ways for you to learn to relax.

• Relaxation
• Meditation

Relaxation

Learning to relax properly can help you de-stress.  Although the reason for you being stressed may not have changed, you can control your reaction to it and learn to release tension. It may take you time to learn to relax – it is, though, a great skill that you can learn.

More information on relaxing, including relaxed breathing and deep muscle relaxation techniques, can be found on the NHS choices website which you can explore by clicking here.

Mind also have a comprehensive guide to relaxing which you can look at by clicking here.

The BBC website also has some great information, you can find out more by clicking here.

The Mental Health Foundation have a great range of podcasts which you can download and listen to which can help you relax and improve your sense of wellbeing.  Listen to them either on your computer or on your personal MP3 player. Some are designed to be quick fixes and some are more in-depth, so to explore more and download the ones which fit into your lifestyle click here.

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Meditation

If you want to take your relaxation further, you can learn to meditate. Meditation can help you deal with stress and calm the mind, meditation means relaxing the body, deep breathing and concentration.

If your interested in finding more about Meditation the BBC website has some information which you can access by clicking here.

There may be Meditation classes locally available through Kent and Medway Adult Education courses. To search for what local education is available in your area click on the link below:

If you live in Kent click here.

If you live in Medway click here.

If you have a suggestion as to how to take notice, or want to share a story about how learning to relax has helped you get in touch with us by clicking here.

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