Rest and relaxation are so important to your wellness, but finding the space for calm and comfort isn’t always as simple as lighting a candle, taking a bath, or doing yoga.
Work-related stress, family commitments, household chores and projects, and trying to eke out some personal time for movement and self-care can put a major drain on your mood and well-being. Stress, in particular, can have an adverse effect on your health; both acute and chronic stress can impact all body systems, from tense muscles to gastrointestinal distress to heart conditions — including heart attacks.
If you’re worried about your stress levels and want to shift your lifestyle to prioritize relaxation, these tips can help you reduce tension, fight burnout, improve your mood, and find the restorative calm you seek.
Just say no — and don’t be afraid to delegate.
Sometimes the easiest things can be the hardest to accomplish, and saying “no” to the people in your life is the perfect example. But if one more thing on your plate will cause a massive spill, just say no. No one can handle everything on their own, so if you’re particularly overloaded, be clear about your workload or to-do list, whether that’s with your supervisor or your partner at home, and work together to find solutions.
When you have some free time, sit down and make a list of everything you need to get done in a week. What on that list could be delegated? If you have room in your budget, could you hire someone to clean your house once a week or a few times a month? If you need help getting kids from place to place, could you ask a family member or hire a local teenager to lend a hand? Is your workload unmanageable? Bring it to the attention of your boss to see what can be shifted.
Delegating things that don’t require your immediate attention or could be better completed by others frees up your time and gives you more time to focus on yourself and your wellness.
Find quiet in nature.
The calm back and forth of waves rushing to shore. The hum of crickets on a summer night. A cool breeze rustling through the trees. Snow gently falling in big white flakes. Aren’t you feeling more relaxed already? The great outdoors can be so restorative for our minds, bodies, and spirits.
Plan it.
Don’t feel bad if you have to plan your relaxation; for those of us with super busy schedules, making time on the calendar or booking an appointment may be the best route! Perhaps you book out some time with yourself once a week solely to relax in whatever way feels best at that time; it could be a long walk, an hour or two to read without interruption,
Get some sleep.
Make your bedroom a sanctuary of peace and quiet. Keep it dark and cool and use light-blocking curtains or blinds to dim direct light if needed. If you live in a noisy neighborhood or on a busy street, consider trying a sound machine to help block out some of the noise. Phones and tablets should be shifted to night mode and turned to silent to reduce distractions and wake-ups.
Put your phone away!
Don’t reach for your phone first thing in the morning
and immediately check your emails or the news. (We know, much easier said than done.) But if you find that looking at your email or seeing a barrage of bad news is detrimental to your stress levels, set a rule with yourself not to check it until you’re out of bed, coffee in hand. It’s a small way to prioritize your morning wellness and mental health.
Sip on some calming herbal tea.
Just the ritual of making a cup of tea can be calming in its own right. Put away any distractions, get the kettle boiling, and brew a cup of calm. Grab a bag of our Sleep & Relax Herbal Tea, made with Passionflower, Lemon Balm, and Chamomile to promote a sense of calm and help prepare the body for a good night's rest, and enjoy its delicate herbal flavor and aroma as you end the day.*