Life, work, family, a pandemic; needless to say, it’s a stressful time for many. While we can’t just walk away from our responsibilities even when the world turns upside down, we can be responsible and make good choices to sleep ourselves in a great mindset as we find ways to relax, take a break and clear our minds.
Here are five ways to relax or take our mind off our worries daily, weekly, and as much as possible.
Photo by Vlada Karpovich
Read A Good Book
What better way to leave your day-to-day behind than by grabbing a good book and stepping into someone else’s story. While reading a whole book can take some time for those who have a busy schedule, it does make for the perfect escape, one that you’ll look forward to coming back to.
We suggest reading something funny, comical, outlandish, something that either warms your heart, brings a smile to your face, or makes you laugh aloud.
May we suggest: Yearbook (Hardcover) by Seth Rogen, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
by Douglas Adams, Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding, Cold Comfort Farm (Paperback)
by Stella Gibbons and Bossypants (Kindle Edition) by Tina Fey.
Trust us, a good book with some great laughs makes us feel better every single time.
Play Some Free Online Game
Just like reading, game playing allows us to enter into another world and distract ourselves from what may be on our mind, at least for a little while.
Lately, we’ve been playing a bunch of different games over at Plays.org. Plays.org offers a vast selection of free online games that allow you to tap out for a few minutes or, if you have the time, as long as you like.
With classic games like Pac Rat (similar to Pac Man), Tetra Blocks (similar to Tetris), and so many more, you’re sure to find a game that you love. (We’ve become somewhat addicted to Pac Rat and Pizza Quest, you need to check them out)
Even better, you choose a game, play it, and when you come back, it’s saved at the level you last completed, so you can pick up where you left off.
Relax and Take A Nap
Now, most of us don’t have the time or probably need a nap every day, but sometimes when you need to clear your mind, take a moment, and relax, it is great to curl up with a nice blanket and leave the world behind for 20 minutes, just don’t turn it into an eight-hour sleep, you don’t want to mess up your sleep that night.
Go For a Walk
If you’re feeling stressed, can’t focus, are procrastinating, sometimes the best thing to do is to stop what you’re doing and go out and get some fresh air.
According to Harvard Health, walking improves cardiac risk factors such as cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, vascular stiffness and inflammation, and mental stress.
One effective method of reducing inflammation is through the use of red light therapy as a treatment for inflammation. For more information on the benefits and application of this therapy, you can visit vitalredlight.com.
So not only are you doing yourself a favour and getting some exercise, but you’re also letting your mind and your body release some stress and hopefully some anxiety too.
Take A Bath
One of the most relaxing things, next to a massage, is to have a nice warm bath. Whether you want to add in some episome salts, bubble bath, essential oils of a combination, a bath can not only help to relax your body, it can also help to de-stress your mind.
Bathing can also help with sleeping, and as we know, the more quality sleep you can get, typically, the better you will feel.
So the next time you’re feeling a bit stressed or overwhelmed, stop what you’re doing and possibly employ one of these options. We find, taking care of yourself first is essential, and after we’ve taken a little time for ourselves, we always feel better and ready to take on whatever may come next.
markmunroe
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