We all relax our bodies and minds in different ways. My husband and I are opposites when it comes to relieving stress. Since he works outside the home, his ideas of relaxing are either being at home and doing nothing or being at home and working on his side business. Whereas my ideas of relaxing are taking a bath, being in nature, or going somewhere quiet that’s outside of the house. Touring historical places is an example. It gets me away from the noise of my street and I feel refreshed when I get home. If you don’t have time to relax, make time; it’s imperative to de-stress once in awhile. Whatever you do to de-stress, here are some ideas you can implement to mix it up a bit.
- Take a walk. Even a quick walk can boost your mood.
- Get a massage. Ask your significant other or a friend to give you a massage to relieve tension, or have a licensed massage therapist give you one if it fits your budget.
- Get in nature. Spending time in nature will give you a sense of peace if you’re feeling stressed.
- Take a vacation. It doesn’t have to be overseas or a tropical destination. Take a day trip to the next state over and see what you can get into.
- Take a staycation. If you’re a homebody and would rather take time off work just to stay at home and do nothing, that’s fine too. Whatever helps you recharge is the best option.
- Dance or exercise. Why not dance while you’re cleaning or try a new type of exercise? Feel young again.
- Garden. You don’t have to have a green thumb to be into gardening. I’ve killed lots of plants before I got the hang of it. Start with plants in pots on your porch. Or try indoor air plants and hardy varieties. Being surrounded by plants indoors or outdoors is always nice.
- Make dinner. Cooking isn’t exciting to everyone; especially when it’s a chore. Trying a new recipe once in a while can be fun, especially if your partner wants to help. It makes it more romantic and less of a chore.
- Eat some chocolate. Chocolate is a Band-Aid. That’s all I’m going to say about that…other than don’t overdo it and stick to dark, if possible.
- Breathe. Don’t underestimate the simple power of breathing. Deep breaths in, long breaths out can help relax you.
- Take a nap. Tired or stressed? Take a nap! They’re not just for babies.
- Get some sunshine. There’s a reason SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is worse in the colder months; there’s less sunshine and we spend more time indoors because of the weather. So, when you have a chance to get outside, you should.
- Organize and get rid of clutter. Not everyone enjoys cleaning and organizing, but for people like me who get stressed when their house isn’t in order, it makes it a nice routine to get into. I have certain ways of doing things to keep everything in order and this brings me a sense of calm when my surroundings aren’t chaotic. Not everything in life is in my control but keeping my house tidy is, and it makes me happy.
- Talk to a friend. Whether real or on social media, human interaction with the right people is amazing for mental health.
- Go on a date. Not in a relationship? That’s okay. Ask a friend to go on a date. Have a girls’ night or guys’ night out or invite friends over.
- Start a journal. Writing down your thoughts can help relieve stress just as telling your problems to a friend can release the load you’ve been carrying. Write down your happy and sad thoughts as well as your goals. It’s always good to come back to at a later time to see how far you’ve come. Remember having journals as a teenager and writing about how you’d never get over your heartbreak? Well, just look at you now.
How do you relax when you feel stress piling on?