We are all fragile human beings and it doesn’t take much to derail us during the course of the working week. Things such as work, family and business problems could easily set our minds into a frenzy and raise our levels of stress.

And if we maintain this level of high firing mental activity throughout the day and into the night, getting a good night’s sleep can be a major problem. Here are some tips to help you get to calm your mind and put yourself in a relaxed state, to manage your stress levels so that you can get yourself to bed at night.

Read A Fantasy Book

It doesn’t necessarily have to be a fantasy book, but the reason I chose this is that a fantasy book, to me, is the ultimate form of escapism that one could hope for. It brings you away, to a world of fairies, elves, gnomes, things that have never and probably will never exist. It brings you to a world of magic and mystery.

All other types of books, such as science fiction, romance, and biographies all have some semblance in truth and hence your mind probably can find some way to associate some part of life to what is being read. With a fantasy book however, you can disconnect from the real world, focus on something purely imaginary and just relax, revel and de-stress in it.

Unless you are an Elf, then try reading a science fiction novel.

Drink A Warm Glass Of Milk, Slowly.

Warm because you can’t gulp it all down your throat without some level of discomfort, milk because it can have a calming effect on the body and is good for you no less. The key to this technique is to drink it slowly while consciously trying to relax your body.

It will help to focus on every sensation you are feeling when drinking the milk. Focus on the taste of the milk on your tongue, the warmth of the liquid going down your throat, the relaxing feeling it gives you when it’s in your stomach. Breathe deeply after you do it and your mind should slow down to a more relaxed level.

Note that I said 'milk' not 'whiskey'.

Meditate/ Pray

It may seem odd to some, but the ‘oooooommmmmm’ that some meditation techniques call for actually is a good way to relax your body and mind. It works by relaxing the large muscles at the back of your jaw which in turn relaxes the face and head. This is even a stress tip from Oprah.

Prayer has the same effect, as it gives people something to believe in, something for them to have hope in, someone to talk to whom they believe to be listening. Having something more to believe in than the daily trappings of life and reality can be a great stress reliever.