Clever Ideas To Help You Relax and Unwind
Sometimes when we are pretty exhausted, we can gravitate toward things that drain us even more; doing nothing can often make us feel more tired than if we did something productive. You might even think that you don’t deserve to have any kind of break, so if we feel that our body needs a rest, we don’t let it have one. But having time for ourselves is so important, and when we are able to help ourselves, we will be in a much better place to help others. So with that in mind, here are some entertaining and interesting ways to relax and unwind, so that you can take better care of yourself. But don’t worry; if you think that you don’t have time to rest and unwind, then a lot of these can take hardly any time at all.
Use Your Breath
Our breath is one of the most simple and restorative things that is available to us, but we often forget just how important it can be. It may be part of something like a yoga class, or it might be just something that you can do sat at home. But as you do it, and really focus on your breathing, then you will notice a more natural pause between your breathing, which is your body giving itself a pretty natural break. Pretty relaxing and restful.
Tend to Yourself
If you feel like you need to really take care of yourself, then take steps to do just that. From something like taking a hot bath, getting a massage, or treating yourself to something new, then go ahead and do it. Heck, for some, it could be fresh clean bedding that will be the things that will perk them right up. It could be described as care with intention, which is a pretty good way of looking at it. When you tend to yourself, it can bring calm, order, and a reminder to look after yourself.
Write in a Journal
When you write something down in a journal, then it can literally be like taking a weight off your mind, as it is now down on paper, rather than weighing on your mind. It can be quite a therapeutic and relaxing thing to do. It could be in as much or as little detail as you like, and some might prefer to write things online through a blog, rather than a paper journal. Either way, they are both great things for rest and mindfulness.
Make a list of the day’s triumphs
On a similar note, writing down lists can be helpful to rest and relax, especially if it helps you focus on the positive things of the day. If you often find yourself feeling overwhelmed at all that there is to do, then writing down what you have managed to achieve that day, can be a great step. When we are busy, stressed, or feel generally low, then it does become hard to focus on the happier things or the positive things.
Play
Just simply playing can be a wonderful way to unwind and relax. And for grown-ups, it can be something that you don’t really do very much. Think about when the last time it was for you? Play can have a purpose, but it can also not; it doesn’t matter. Play can look like painting, looking for and buying movies on Amazon, throwing a ball, choosing a board game, dancing to silly music, or making something fun in the kitchen. It can be all different things and can be a really positive thing in your life.
Get Moving
Movement can be really important to help us to release energy or pent-up energy that we may be carrying. Naturally, a lot of people think that relaxing and unwinding is all about being still and being sedentary. And for many people, this can be the case. But it doesn’t have to be at all. Doing something active can release stress and anxiety that we might have built up over time. So doing something active can help. It could be anything from a walk, to jogging or simple stretches.
Help Others
Sometimes the quickest way that you can unwind and feel good, is to focus on someone else. When we help others, it can not only put things into perspective, but it can help to shift the focus off ourselves, which can be such a good thing if we are feeling low or exhausted. From physically going out to help a neighbor, to just calling a friend to see how they are, it can all make a difference to how you feel.