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Everyone has a different method of relaxing. For some, it’s a glass of wine and a long television session. For some, it’s a warm bath.
For a lot of people, it’s hard to know whether the stress or the relaxation techniques are doing more harm, as it turns out.
Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD, a psychology professor at University of California, Riverside, said: “Some activities are stress-relieving immediately but harmful in the long term.” And they’re not always obvious either. Lyubomirsky says that any activity that doesn’t get you contributing to your community, experiencing personal growth, or connecting to others is harmful. So here are just some of your unwinding techniques that may be unhelpful.
- Binge watching. Unfortunately, while you think that’s helping you unwind after a long day, it’s probably bumming you out. If you limit your TV watching to the same amount of moderation as you would anything else that’s indulgent, it’s probably fine. If you can’t, then get up and move around while you’re watching TV, so your brain can focus on other things.
- Going for a run too often. Too much high-intensity exercise can be a bad thing. One study found that people who run more than 4 hours per week at a speed of 7mph or more die at the same rate as those with sedentary lifestyles.
- Retail “therapy.” This is the ultimate bad relaxation tactic. Instead of relaxing yourself, you’re just going to cause yourself more stress in the end—through accruing debt and feeling financial strain.
- Bath time. A warm bath can feel nice, but chemicals in bubble bath and bath salts can irritate delicate tissues, which could lead to dryness or infection. Yeast infection and bacterial vaginosis are both risks from a frequent bathing habit.
