How to rest properly without forking out

Modern life can be busy and there seems to be hardly any time to recover. Here are ways to carve out moments for yourself

- BY DR RAJ PERSAUD

As a grumpy old man, I frequently complain about how lazy we all seem to have become - so it may come as a surprise it is also my experience that people aren't resting enough.

This doesn't mean that instead of working, the idle are resting. No, they're on their phones, or messaging in apps - and this is not the same as proper respite from the stress of life.

There has been a boom in courses, apps and advice on how to meditate, or perform self-hypnosis, but all these different techniques involve just three basic manoeuvres.

There's no big secret, it's just a way of monetising resting, or getting you to hand over your hard-earned cash to understand how to properly relax. But I can save you splashing out.

The first element of deep relaxation is usually a breathing technique - slowing down your breathing, and exhaling through your mouth for significantly longer than the inhalation through the nose.