It’s been a long day and you’re tired, frustrated, and totally drained. All you’ve thought about all day was going home and relaxing. You get home, and whoah, what? You find it hard to unwind and relax! You’re either thinking about how your co-worker annoyed you all day, or how you’re tired of laughing at your boss’s stupid jokes, or how much work is waiting for you tomorrow! How is it that now that you’re home, you can’t seem to chill out? Well, that’s because you don’t know how to relax and unwind properly! I’m here to show you healthy ways to do so!
Unwind
I know it seems like you should just be able to relax right away, but in order to relax, you need to unwind. You need activities that will help ease the stress of the day, something to clear your mind. Here are some ways to unwind.
Work out
Get active! Ok, I know that after a long gruelling day of work the last thing you want to do is be active, but hear me out! Doing something active can help get out those frustrations and stresses, clear your mind so you can think clearly, and relieve tension in your muscles that builds up during the day. Hitting the gym after a long day could be exactly what you need! I’ve said it a million times but working out gives you endorphins and endorphins make you happy and relieve stress. If you don’t believe me, ask Elle Woods! You don’t have to go ‘balls to the walls’ or anything, just try walking for 30 minutes at first. Don’t have a gym membership? That’s fine, just go for a nice walk in your neighbourhood! Do you walk enough during the day as it is? Blast your favourite music and dance your heart out! It’s doesn’t matter what physical activity you do, just do something!
Stretch
If you’re really not into working out, or you’ve finished your workout, stretch those muscles! If you’ve been stressed all day, chances are that your muscles are tight now, so stretching will help relieve some tension. It’s always good to take mini stretch breaks throughout the day too.
Clean/Organize
This is also something that you probably won’t want to do after a long day, but think about how much more relaxing a clean and tidy room is compared to a messy or dirty room. Have you ever heard the phrase “Tidy room, tidy mind.”? It’s true! Keeping or getting your home organized will help you keep things at work organized! I wrote a blog post on how to declutter and clean like a pro, so click here to check it out!
Write it down
Write down what’s stressing you out today! Putting it on paper helps you get it out of your mind. Find a loose piece of paper to write on and jot down all the things that stressed you out. Once it’s written down, write down the solutions to your stress. For example:
So much to do tomorrow. –> Make a checklist, the most important things go on top and are done first.
Sometimes we focus too much on the cause of our stress and not enough on the solutions to it! Once you’ve written down those solutions, only focus on that. Its always better to focus on the positive because negativity breeds more negativity. Do you struggle with focusing on the positive things in life? I’ve written a blog post on how to live a more positive life, click here to check that out!
CBD
This one can be quite controversial, but it really doesn’t have to be. CBD is legal and not psychoactive. As someone who has anxiety, I find it really difficult to unwind, even if I have just worked out, cleaned, organized, and written my troubles down. CBD has been the only thing that truly has helped me relax and unwind. It allows me to sort through my thoughts and think rationally while calming down any physical symptoms of anxiety I’m feeling. I know it’s new, but please, if you struggle with anxiety, give it a try. It’s changed my life! For more ways I manage my anxiety, click here.
Relax
We’ve gotten to the good bit ladies and gentlemen, relaxation! This is when you get to do the things you’ve been wanting to do all day, besides work! Everyone has things they love to do to relax, but I thought I’d share of few of mine with you!
Make A Good Meal
If you’re like me, chances are you’ve been thinking about what you want for dinner since breakfast. One of the things I find relaxing is cooking a nice, home-cooked meal. It keeps you busy, doesn’t have to be complicated, and you get to enjoy it at the end. Win-win scenario!
Take A Bath
A nice warm bath could be exactly what you need to relax. Light some candles, pour in some bubbles and bring a nice drink with you. My drink of choice? You’d think it would be a glass of wine or something but you’re wrong. I like to fill a large wine glass with ice water. Hydration is important, people! Sometimes baths can make you feel too hot and a glass of ice water feels super refreshing. Why the wine glass? To be fancy, duh.
Light some candles
It’s no surprise that I’m an avid candle burner. I’m obsessed, especially with Bath & Body Works! The reason I think they’re so great though is that good smells make you happy. No one has ever said, “That smells good and makes me feel angry and stressed.” Right? Have you ever heard of aromatherapy? Different scents can make you feel certain ways. Lighting a lavender or eucalyptus candle can really help you relax!
Get Creative
Getting creative is an amazing way to relax. It’s not strenuous, it’s fun, and the options are endless. Many creative things are inexpensive too. You can find a lot of crafting supplies at your local dollar store! Here are some examples of creative activities:
- Drawing
- Painting
- Sculpting
- Build models
- Writing
- Scrapbooking
- Photography
- Gardening
- Graphic Design
- Baking
I could go on, but I feel like I’d be sitting here for way too long. If you’re looking for more options, feel free to google them.
Entertainment
Allow yourself to escape for a little bit! Listen to some calming music, watch your favourite show, or listen to your favourite podcasts. Whatever it is, make sure it makes you happy.
Read
If you’re looking for something a little less stimulating that music or tv, a good book is just the thing! Grab a drink (a how chocolate sounds really good to me right now), curl up somewhere cozy, and get lost in a story or have an “Ah-ha” moment with a self-help book. I don’t read a lot of books that aren’t self-help, so I can’t give you any recommendations of anything else; however, I can recommend some great self-help books if you’re looking for one. Click here to read that blog post!
Meditation
If you want to get to an even deeper level of relaxation, I highly recommend meditation. If you’re not sure where to start or have a hard time self-guiding, I recommend the Calm app. The basic meditations are free, but if you’d like to check out more of them you’d have to pay a monthly or yearly fee. Personally, I think it’s well worth the money, but I’ll leave it up to you to decide.
Cuddle Up
Last but certainly not least, one of my favourite ways to relax is to curl up on the sofa with my dog, Schatzie. I put on my comfy clothes, grab a fuzzy blanket, and he comes right to me and curls up. It often leads to an unexpected nap, but it’s one of my favourite things to do. Why wouldn’t I love it? He’s the best little cuddler on earth! Of course, if you don’t have a pet, try a person. Don’t have anyone to cuddle up with, that’s fine. Find the coziest clothes, blankets, and pillows you can and curl right up into them. In the colder months, I like to put my blankets in the dryer and get them nice and toasty too!
Thank you so much for reading this blog post. I hope you gained some useful information from it and you relax and unwind tonight! What are your favourite ways to relax and unwind? Leave them in the comments below!
xo Little J
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