Five Scientific Ways to Relax for National Relaxation Day this Weekend

1.  Get a house plant.  Studies have shown patients in hospital rooms with plants report lower stress levels.  And plants may help improve the quality of your air.

2.  Eat a banana, some citrus, or dark chocolate.  The potassium in bananas helps your body regulate blood pressure.  Vitamin C in citrus helps with some of the effects of stress on your body.  And just 40 grams of dark chocolate a day can reduce your levels of stress hormones.

3.  Drink green tea sweetened with honey.  L-theanine in green tea can help lower your heart rate and blood pressure, and honey has been shown to counteract free radicals and reduce inflammation, which is sometimes linked to depression.

4.  Give yourself a hand massage.  If you spend all day at a computer, your hands can get really tense.  A quick massage should get them loosened up.

5.  Mow the lawn.  There’s a chemical released in that freshly-cut grass smell that makes people feel happy and relaxed.  Plus, knocking it off your to-do list will give you one less thing to worry about.

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