How to Make Relaxing Part of Your Schedule
|
What do you feel when you hear the words “it’s important to relax?” Do you wonder if it’s even possible? For some, that can be the case. Working a job, looking after little ones, managing a household, there’s a lot of responsibility out there to keep up with. As such, the concept of taking a load off, unwinding, and kicking back might seem alien to you. In some cases, it might even make you feel guilty. But while humans weren’t necessarily designed to work a full day at a desk, to outsource all of their food to international brands, or to look at screens all day, we weren’t designed to work without rest either. |
 |
In fact, there’s a good amount of evidence that suggests hunter-gatherers (which we are physiologically almost identical to), spent thousands of years providing for their groups, and resting more than we had assumed. Making relaxing part of your schedule, then, could help unlock the sense of peace, comfort, and reflection you’ve been yearning for.
Let us help you make that part of your schedule, by suggesting some of the following advice:
Switch Up Your Usual Habits
You might find that your usual habits, as in the common methods you use to “relax,” aren’t as relaxing as you’d like. For example, you might enjoy working out in the gym to dissolve stress, and that can be great, only you realize that because of this you never truly sit down during the day. Perhaps every other week you could opt for something new, like heading to a local cafe with your friend, enjoying CBD or float pods, relaxing while painting a landscape, or reading more. Having a means of breaking up your constant schedule into something a little more low-speed could be just what you need, helping you feel less exhausted at the end of a long day.
Practice Deep Breathing Or Meditation
When we think about relaxing, it’s easy to think about soaking into a sofa, enjoying a day off, or just walking through a beautiful park. But the truth is you can relax no matter where you are. How you manage your breathing, for example, can be a good indication of your mental well-being and sense of place.
Practicing deep breathing, even on your morning commute or when stuck in a traffic jam, can be helpful. You might also relax using simple mindfulness techniques during a five-minute break at work, closing your eyes, breathing through your nose, and feeling the coming and going of your breath as you do so. Better yet, apps like Calm and Headspace have guided meditations you can use to settle and relax for the better.
Engage In Gentle Exercise, Like Yoga
It’s hard to tell people who are used to being productive and responsible to relax, because they may like being active, or having something on the go, or completing tasks before the end of the day. To such people, sitting down and doing nothing isn’t easy, and telling them they’re flawed for feeling this way simply isn’t reasonable.
So, it can be better to instruct such individuals (perhaps you) to still be active, just in a steadier, more composed and relaxed way. Trying out yoga can be a perfect example, as it not only feels comfortable to partake in, but does take physical effort. It also has a relaxant effect, improves flexibility and strength, and is a physical form of meditation. Heading to a gentle yoga class for beginners or even just following guides online can be a wonderful starting spot. Why not give it a try?
Disconnect From Screens
It’s so easy to use screens throughout the day. Many people stare at them all day long for work, for online banking, for planning their vacation trips, for communicating with loved ones, for relaxing, and more.
For that reason, you may never feel fully relaxed. The screen is always there, and the tendency to doom-scroll is only a few movements away. So, if you’re going to make deep relaxation part of your schedule, try to have one hobby outside of screen use. That might involve reading paperbacks, writing in a journal, going on walk with your dog (without wearing headphones), or attending local community workshops that inspire you. Even renting an allotment and spending time growing crops can be a nice physical hobby that relaxes you. Feeling free of the screen can be a wonderful way to relax.
With this advice, you’ll be certain to make relaxing part of your schedule, but through methods that actually work for your personality.