Your latest wellness challenge is to relax for 15 minutes a day, at least four days this week.

Here are some of the benefits of getting in some good zen time every day:

You’ll keep your stress levels in check. Stress in small amounts is okay – it motivates us to get stuff done. When it starts hanging around for a long time and affecting our everyday lives, it’s time to take some steps to get it under control. Daily relaxation helps to manage stress levels.

You’ll sleep better. Sleep plays an important role in making sure that we’re functioning our best throughout the day. Find time to relax every night before bed and chances are you’ll find your quality of sleep improves.

Your mood will improve. A great way to improve your mood is to give relaxation techniques like progressive muscle relaxation a try. It involves relaxing the muscles, and it helps to get stress and anxiety under control. It takes practice, but it’s worthwhile.

Your memory will improve and you’ll find it easier to concentrate. As mentioned above, relaxation usually means a better night’s sleep, which in turn does wonders for our memory and concentration.

You’ll be reducing your chance of physical illness in the long run. Being stressed for long periods of time puts lots of stress on our bodies, especially on our hearts. Make it a habit to relax regularly now, and you’ll be doing yourself a favor in the long run.

Here are some ideas on how to relax. Enjoy!