Daily life can be stressful. Balancing work and home life, maintaining relationships, and paying bills can all impact your physical and mental well-being. WebMD notes that stress affects your health by causing headaches, high blood pressure, and anxiety. How you respond to stress also puts your well-being at risk. For instance, smoking or overeating can lead to chronic illnesses.
This is why effective relaxation techniques are necessary: to help you release negativity healthily. Our post titled The Art of Surrender notes that by letting go of perfectionism, embracing uncertainty, and practicing mindfulness, you can ultimately live a more peaceful and less stressful life.
But where can you discover relaxation techniques that work for you? A great resource you can turn to is audiobooks. These don’t require much effort besides concentration, making them a great way to wind down and simultaneously learn how to relax more effectively. To find out more about using audiobooks for effective relaxation techniques, keep reading below:
Why use audiobooks?
Audiobooks are recordings of narrated written works, making them an easy way to consume expert relaxation insights hands-free: you can simply lie down, close your eyes, and listen. Unlike physical books and ebooks that are difficult to carry along and can cause eye strain, you can use audiobooks anytime and bring them anywhere—whether you're commuting or traveling. That way, you can minimize the stress you experience as you learn to relax more effectively.
Audiobooks are also accessible, with many subscription options available today. You can explore the audiobooks in Everand’s digital library for a flat monthly fee equivalent to the typical price of a single book. Despite the low price point, you can listen to thousands of audiobooks spanning various genres and topics that can teach you relaxation techniques. You can browse self-improvement titles like Winning the War in Your Mind by Craig Groeschel, and wellness works—such as Your Mood Decides Your Future by Neville Goddard. There are even curated reading lists, like those for personal growth, to help you decide what to listen to next.
Even better is that you can share what you learn from audiobooks with others. The social app Bookclubz allows you to create and join virtual book clubs and even hold discussions on the audiobooks you listen to. With a global reach, you can reap diverse insights on relaxation that can help you find the best techniques for you.
Ready to get started? Here are some of the best audiobooks you can use for effective relaxation techniques:
The best audiobooks for unlocking tranquility
Good Morning, I Love You by Shauna Shapiro, PhD
This audiobook contains mindfulness and self-compassion practices you can learn and use to achieve fulfillment and joy. Written by psychology professor Shauna Shapiro, the relaxation techniques covered in Good Morning I Love You are based on her scientific model of mindfulness. This model suggests that intention, attitude, and attention are necessary for fulfillment and joy, and you can practice these values by resisting the temptation to be reactive to stressful situations, preventing multitasking, and cultivating a more positive attitude toward yourself and others. Give this a listen to learn how to relax by greeting yourself with joy and positivity.
Sound Bath by Sara Auster
In this audiobook, sound therapist and meditation teacher Sara Auster shares how you can achieve relaxation, balance, and a sense of well-being through sound baths. These are meditative experiences where you “bathe” yourself in sound waves. Auster reveals that sound's therapeutic properties can heal your mind and help you live more mindfully—and even how it helped her recover from a traumatic accident. Pick this up if you want to try more unique yet effective relaxation methods.
The Art of Living by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Art of Living details seven transformative meditations that can open you to new perspectives. Zen master andauthor Thich Nhat Hanh was well-known for the core teachings he distributed in this audiobook, including stillness and breathing. Stillness allows your body and mind to settle down, while breathing mindfully increases your awareness through the gentleness of your breath. The meditations he lists in this work can transform your personal life, relationships, and interconnectedness with the world, showing you how to relax while experiencing the happiness and freedom you desire.
Listening to audiobooks is relaxing in itself, and it also teaches you additional relaxation methods. Download an audiobook today to experience its benefits and unlock a tranquility that can help you live a happier, more peaceful life.
__Written by Music Of Wisdom team