5 Ways To Help You Relax

You can’t burn the candle at both ends. We’re sure you’ve heard this quote many times but those quotes are always cliché because they're true. You can’t expect yourself to go 100mph and not feel exhausted or drained. You can’t expect yourself to feel completely energised if you’re not stopping to have a break and refuel.  

Learning to take a break and come away from a heavy, mentally fulfilling task at hand is important. Our brains need a break; it needs refreshing and time to completely switch off…time to relax. 

‘How can I relax when I have a million things to complete?’ ‘I haven’t got the time to relax!’ ‘…if I relax I won’t get anything done,’ ‘I’ll relax when I feel tired.’ Any of these sound like you? Below, we’ve listed 5 ways to relax and temporarily switch off and allow your brain a moment of rest. Not all of these need to be done and they don’t have to be done for hours on end. Pick one and try it for a while and see how you get on; your mind will thank you for it.  

Meditation apps 

Just 5-10mins each day of meditating can be wonderful for you. It’s spoken about a lot because it’s been proven to work. Here are a few apps you might want to download. Some of them even offer a free trial; Calm; Headspace;  Insight Timer; Smiling Mind.

Reading 

Reading can take you off in to another world. If you’re finding your current moment a little too stressful and overwhelming, finding a good book can transport you far away...all in the comfort of your own home.  

Time away from the screen 

Some people can be susceptible to answering and sending emails at unsociable hours of the day. You might be trying to schedule in a good sleep pattern but you find yourself scrolling through your phone whilst winding down for bed. Schedule in some time away from the screen. The iPhone has a feature called Do Not Disturb and silences calls and notifications between manually set time windows. The cool thing about it is that if someone calls you for a second time within three minutes, the call won’t be silenced so for any emergencies you’ll still be contactable. The iPhone also has a sleep schedule feature. This feature allows you to set your bedtime, wake up time and even a set time for wind down.  

Going for a walk 

The simple act of going for a walk was widely encouraged during the global pandemic, but it’s always been something that makes us feel good. If you’re finding yourself feeling a little groggy in the head or in need of some fresh air, taking a simple walk around the block can make you feel fresher, more alert and ready to carry on. 

Listening to music 

We could write this and advise you to listen to more calming and classical music, but you might have more upbeat genres that make you feel happier in general. You might have a piece of music that makes you reminisce over past times with friends or just makes you escape from the current moment. Whatever genre of music you listen to, as long as it makes you feel happier, that’s all that matters.  

What else helps you to feel calm?