Giving Yourself Time to Unwind
If you feel run off your feet every day, you’re not alone. All too many of us are leading unsustainable lifestyles that put way too much pressure on us. We pack our schedules from morning to night, feeling rushed from one place or one task to another. It’s not all too surprising that many of us are suffering from chronic stress, which can put pressure on us and negatively impact our physical health, mental health and encourage poor behaviours and reactions. Instead, you need to take some time to allow yourself to unwind. Here are some tips that can help you to achieve this.
Make Use of Your PTO
Most jobs nowadays offer some sort of paid time off or “PTO”. You may also hear this referred to as annual leave. It’s absolutely essential that you do what you can to use your paid time off wisely. All too many people don’t bother taking a break from work and their paid time off simply totals up in the background, going unused for months on end. If possible, try to spread your time off work throughout the year. Avoid feeling like things will fall to pieces at work while you’re away. Instead, you can simply create a good handover, ensuring that everyone knows what to do while you’re taking a break and then simply take your time off.
Put Your Devices Away
Devices can be a great source of entertainment, but all too often, we have professional or other tasking responsibilities attached to them. Work emails. Slack messages. Calls from colleagues. Calls from other responsibilities in your life that you need to take a break away from every once in a while. If you’re beginning to feel overwhelmed and stressed, try putting your devices away for a bit. Taking a break from screen time can allow you to rest, relax and focus on something else for a while.
Take an Evening to Relax
Take an evening in your week to truly dedicate to relaxation. Ideally, this could be at home or in another quiet environment where you can disconnect for a while. What you do with this time will depend entirely on what you want and need. You could take a soothing bath with nice smelling bath salts. You could lay back on the sofa with a cup of tea and a book. You could try some cbd oil. You could bake a cake. You could watch a film. If you want to get out and about, you might want to take a long walk, enjoy some bird watching or even enjoy local facilities such as saunas and steam rooms.
See Friends in a Relaxed Setting
Often, when we see friends or family, we try to pack in as much activity as possible. We might go on a night out, drinking, dancing and more. But why not consider some more laid back activities with your loved ones? Go for a simple coffee and catch up. Host a film night with popcorn and fizzy drinks. Book in a spa day where you can enjoy a tranquil atmosphere and treatments. Socialisation and relaxation can go together really well!
Hopefully, some of these suggestions will help you to really enjoy yourself and unwind, as and when you need it!