Every day, the muscles of our face experience tremendous stress: they help us smile, frown, speak, express our feelings. Adding to this stress, the habit of sleeping on the same side, malocclusion, etc., we get general facial fatigue and overstrain of some muscles. As a result, we inevitably begin to experience difficulties with the full expression of feelings and emotions through facial expressions. The skin of the face wears out faster, becomes flabby and lifeless, more and more wrinkles appear, existing ones intensify.
In addition, the tension in each particular area bears the imprint of the problems that a person faces. So, clamps in the forehead indicate information satiety, heavy thinking. And the tension in the jaw area reflects overcoming obstacles, speaks of stubbornness and perseverance. Indeed, every wrinkle has its own story!
It would be superfluous to explain how important it is to learn how to relax the muscles of the face. Regular implementation of simple techniques to relieve the load gives amazing results. Muscle elasticity is restored, wrinkles are smoothed out, the complexion becomes healthy and fresh, and facial expressions are richer and more natural. In addition to visible external effects, you can also get an improvement in the emotional background. Light massage improves mood; deep muscle work is usually carried out in silence, half-asleep, in a state close to meditation and leaves behind a feeling of inner harmony and peace. Try it yourself!
Wanting to relax the face, many people intuitively make very precise and correct movements. We rub our eyes when they get tired, knead tense areas, massage the scalp and neck. Most of the exercises are based on a person’s natural responses to clamps in a particular area. Therefore, their implementation is not only useful, but also very pleasant. The exercises are divided into three groups so that everyone can find something suitable for themselves, regardless of the amount of free time and location.
1. Invisible to others
Got one free second in the middle of a busy day? No way to be alone? Then try to remember these simple exercises. Their implementation is completely imperceptible to people around and takes a minimum of time.
Of course, these are just supportive exercises, an “ambulance” for your face. Combine them with the techniques described elsewhere in this article for best results.
So let’s get started. Stretch your crown up – mentally, but with effort. This will help relax your neck muscles.
With your mouth closed, move the tip of your tongue across the sky in the direction from the teeth to the throat, try to take the tip of the tongue as far as possible – this will please the muscles of the chin.
One of the causes of a headache can be the tension of the masticatory muscles (this is due to the location of the temporal and masticatory muscles). The problem will be solved by a light massage of the temples – an exercise that most of us unconsciously use.
Observing nature helps relieve fatigue from the area around the eyes: admire the trees in the park, the lake, the clouds in the sky … When working at a computer for a long time, it will be useful to periodically interrupt and look out the window. Light gymnastics for the eyes will also help: look as far as possible to the left and right, up and down.
2. Express methods
Did you manage to find a couple of minutes for yourself away from prying eyes? Excellent! Then feel free to use the methods described below.
Let’s start with the neck. While inhaling, hold your breath for 10-20 seconds, while pulling your head into your shoulders (as if trying to reach your ears with your shoulders). As you exhale, lower your relaxed shoulders down. Three or four more repetitions will enhance the effect.
Now try to wrinkle your entire face as much as possible, stay in this position for 5-10 seconds and then release the tension.
Raise your eyebrows, close them, as if frowning, close your eyes – make every muscle in your face relax after a short but intense workout.
Gently massage the point where the lower and upper jaws meet in a circular motion. Try lightly pinching your cheeks.
Take in a lot of air and exhale slowly so that your lips begin to vibrate (as if with the sounds of “pffff”).
You can do one exercise at a time or all at once. The number of repetitions is determined by your inner feelings. Usually five times is enough.
3. Complete relaxation
These techniques are longer in time, but they also have a deeper effect on your face. It is recommended to perform them regularly in the evenings. Choose the exercise that seems most enjoyable at the moment, and go for it!
A warm compress has an almost instantaneous effect. To do this, wet a terry towel in hot water and, after squeezing it well, put it on your face and leave it for 10-15 minutes.
Let’s try to make a variation of the lion pose from lying yoga. So, we lie down, and, opening our mouth, stick out our tongue and stretch it to the chest. It is necessary to fix the position for 1-10 minutes, after which the relaxation of the entire face is guaranteed!
With light touches, explore your face, paying more attention to those areas where you feel tension. Movements should be careful, use a cream so as not to stretch the skin. Now put both palms on your face, feel their warmth. This massage will be a wonderful preparation for sleep.
The following method is also especially relevant before bedtime. Take a warm bath, 15-20 minutes will be enough. To enhance the effect, use aromatherapy: add a few drops of essential oil. To relieve tension, it is recommended to use lavender, ylang-ylang, bergamot, rose, lemon balm oils. Dissolve the selected oil (3-5 drops are enough) in the base. It can be honey, kefir, sour cream, base oil (for example, almond oil), or even sea salt.
When compiling your set of exercises for the face, remember that each person is individual. Do the techniques that are comfortable for you to get the most benefit. And do not forget that good sleep will greatly increase the effectiveness of any of them.
Reaching muscle relaxation, try to feel and remember this state. After all, then you can return to it at any time with just one effort of thought!