Do you find that you are often stressed out by the “go, go, go” society that we live in which reinforces a culture of constantly working as a badge of honor? If you are finding that balancing your work life and rest and relaxation is getting increasingly difficult, you are likely in need of some “me” time which stresses the need for your mental and physical health.
To get this balance, it is important to turn up the recuperation dial. In order to achieve maximum relaxation, we have got some suggestions on how to naturally relax at the end of your long, arduous, and busy day.
Sip Some Tea
You would be surprised by how the simple act of taking a moment to prepare a cup of tea and mindfully drinking it can help you relieve stress and anxiety, and increase the feeling of balance. In order to institute a ritualized form of relaxation in your life, you might want to brew tea gifts that can also help you soothe stress and anxiety.
According to experts, tea is beneficial, in part due to L-theanine which is an amino acid that helps balance one’s mood. And so, the next time you are feeling stress of any kind, consider brewing relaxing tea and taking some time out to mindfully enjoy sipping away.
Talk With Family and Friends
Given our busy lives, we sometimes don’t make enough time to be immersed with others. Experts agree that work can be isolating, which can actually make getting good rest and relaxation far harder. An easy solution to this pesky problem is to reach out and take time with friends and family – whether it is for a long or short time, to have fun, or even to vent after a frustrating day.
Make Time to Play
Work can be quite hard and burden us with far too many rules and expectations. To get out of that rut, you need to open your mind up to forms of exercise such as play and creativity. Experts agree that doing so actually has a positive impact on our ability to connect to others, experience far less stress, and help us cope with the day’s ups and downs.
Write About Your Day
Another suggestion to help you relax might be to journal. Not only does this lessen our stress and fatigue, but it actually helps us reflect on our day, what we accomplished, and how we can better tackle tomorrow. Experts suggest taking some time each evening to jot a short list of what went well throughout the day to help you center the positive elements in your life.
Read a Book
While many associate reading with an intelligent activity, many experts agree that it can also help you relax at the end of the day and even escape into new worlds. Whether you enjoy reading self-help books, business-related books, biographies, or fiction, consider reading a book to help you relax after work.
Get Creative
If not reading, you may consider getting creative as a way to unwind. Whether it’s knitting, collage artwork, or painting, crafting can be a great way to help you feel personally productive and creative, while also taking the time to wind down and
turn that stressful energy into something beautiful.
Prioritize Your To-Do List
If you have a busy mind, you have likely experienced many nights where it is hard to wind down because you are so worried about your to-do list. One way to calm those worries is to take some time before you go to bed to quickly run over your list (and create one if you haven’t already) to make sure that your day is clearly laid out and organized. You would be surprised by how assigning a very clear day and time slot for each task helps ease the mind.
Get Into Gardening
If you have a green thumb, you might also find that nature is good for the brain and can give you that much-needed calm that you need. According to experts, gardening is great for bringing on a sense of calm because it helps people interact peacefully with nature and provides rhythmic sensory-motor input.
Delicious Snacks
Experts have also suggested that smell and taste are powerful ways to pull soothing memories back to the front of your mind and bring on a sense of calm. As such, experts recommend taking some time in the evening to whip up a small snack – of around 150-200 calories – to achieve this sensation.
Sit Down for a Few Minutes
The final suggestion that experts recommend is taking alone time to sit quietly and connect to who we deeply are. To do so, consider finding a quiet location, sit calmly, close your eyes, and let it all go.
A great way to do this is by incorporating daily meditation routines. Experts agree that there are a wide range of benefits of mindful meditation including the fact that meditation actually alters the brain’s neural pathways, which ultimately makes you more resilient to stress.
While some people prefer meditating right after they get home from work or in the evening as part of their winding down routine, if your job is physically, emotionally, or psychologically demanding or challenging, you might also consider taking time out during the day to institute meditation in your routine. Doing so will likely help you relieve any tension that builds up in your body and mind during the workday.