In this post: What to do if you’re stressed out, ways to relax and activities to try to destress and recharge.
Let’s face it, life can be incredibly stressful at times. What with work and family commitments and home errands piling up, sometimes it feels like we just can’t catch a break. That is why it is SUPER important to have some ways to relax up your sleeve to pull out whenever needed.
I didn’t always know how to relax. In fact, I used to think I had a problem relaxing. It seemed to take me absolutely ages to destress and recharge and I never seemed to have enough time to fully recharge before I was in another stressful situation again.
My lack of knowledge of ways to relax and not setting aside time to properly destress ultimately led me to severe burnout. I definitely DO NOT want the same for you.
Learn from my mistakes and subsequent research to find ways to relax that work for you. Set aside some time today to destress and recharge yourself, so that you don’t burnout and can continue (or start!) to live your life to the fullest.
Ways to relax:
1. Do something fun
Fun is the antidote to stress, so set aside some time to have some fun and relax. Can’t remember what fun is? Head to my post How to have fun again for some tips.
2. Exercise
Exercise releases happy-inducing endorphins and can actually boost your energy levels. Go for a walk, run or find something on YouTube that gets you moving, such as yoga or aerobics.
Use exercise to take a break from a stressful situation by listening to something while you workout – music or a podcast for instance.
3. Journal it out
Have a journaling session where you focus on what is causing you stress and why. Then brainstorm on ways you can reduce this stress in your life.
How can you work towards less stress? Can you start taking action to change your job? Or maybe the stress is coming from a situation that is temporary and acknowledging this may help to relieve that stress.
4. Focus your mind on the present moment
Stress often arises from worrying about something that happened in the past or that might happen in the future. Switch your thoughts to what is happening in the present moment right now and try to see the world with fresh eyes and curiosity.
It might help to use your senses as prompts. What colours or movement can you see? What can you smell? What sounds can you hear? What sensations can you feel? Can you taste anything?
5. Meditate to let go of stressful thoughts
Meditating is the practice of just letting yourself be without judgement or worry. You let thoughts drift through your mind without acting on them, no need to analyse or stress about them.
A meditation session is a good way to reset your mind and remind yourself that you can choose what you react to and how you react.
6. Listen to music
Music can be a powerful mood influencer as the tones and tempos create certain feelings within us. Use this to your advantage and listen to music that is calming and peaceful when you need to relax and destress.
7. Read or listen to something inspiring
Refresh your mind by taking in some new ideas, either through an interesting article, a good book, or a thought-provoking podcast. This could be on a self-development topic or just a subject that you find interesting.
8. Spend time with loved ones
Sometimes a good catch-up with close friends and family is just what the doctor ordered. They can make us forget about our stresses and boost our mood.
Just make sure that, if you are an introvert like me, that you balance time socialising with some quiet time as well.
9. Dance
Ok, I know dancing is technically exercising, but it really doesn’t feel like it when you’re just thinking about moving your body to some upbeat music! Or is that just me? 🙂
Dancing can be a great way to let all your stresses go, especially if you’re dancing to a song like Shake It Off, where the lyrics literally tell you to shake off your troubles!
10. Take a warm bath
If you can’t muster up the energy for a dance session, maybe taking a warm bath will be just the ticket for you. Soaking in a warm tub can really relax the muscles (especially if you chuck in some epsom salts) and help to calm us down.
11. Use aromatherapy
Some people think aromatherapy is nonsense, others swear by it. I’m somewhere in the middle.
Certain smells can trigger certain emotions in us, so if there is a scent that you associate with happy memories, try burning some in a diffuser or a scented candle (safely!). Can’t think of any scents to try, why not chuck a few drops of lavender oil in with your warm bath – mmm, soothing!
12. Read some fiction
I love losing myself in a good fictional world from time to time and find it a good way to relax.
It can be refreshing thinking about other people’s dramas instead of my own for a while. But a word of caution – set a time limit for how long you’ll read for.
Otherwise, you could end up reading A LOT of time away and then be more stressed out than when you began (usually wondering how you will get all your to-dos done in the limited time you have left yourself!).
It’s also worthwhile remembering that you can create your own amazing stories if you go out and live your life 🙂
13. Drink some calming tea or a hot chocolate
Sometimes having a warm drink can feel soothing and act as a time out from the hustle and bustle of our lives. My favourites are to simply have a mug of warm water and some lemon, or a yummy mug of hot milo.
14. Do a puzzle
Whether it be a crossword, sudoku, word search or even a jigsaw puzzle, I find something calming about mulling over the answers of a puzzle. Maybe because it takes my concentration away from the worries of the day or the small accomplishment achieved when the puzzle is done.
Why not pick up a puzzle book next time you go past a newsagency and try it out for yourself!
15. Get creative
There is something about being creative that feeds the soul.
It gives you a way to express yourself without trying to put into words what you mean. So whether it be drawing, painting, photography, sewing or something else, let yourself get creative and feel the calming juices flow.
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I hope these ideas have sparked some inspiration for you to find time to relax and recharge today.
Life can be crazy hectic and busy at times and it’s important to balance this out with some timeout for rest and relaxation. Use these ways to relax as a way to maintain your energy levels and avoid burnout. Trust me when I say, you don’t want to go there!
Now I’d love to know, which way to relax in the list above are you going to start with?
All the best!
Sarah xo
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