Hey babes! I’m a very busy bee, between full time work, evening school or at home courses, my blog and hobbies, I have a lot to do and very little time to spend relaxing. But I discovered the hard way that relaxation is extremely important. I had to figure out ways to unwind and relax in my busy week schedule, I’m still learning and figuring things out as I go, but I thought it would be fun to share my thoughts and tips with you so you can avoid burning out!
Prioritize your (mental) health over anything else, this is my biggest issue. I have realized that no matter how big or important a project is, your health is always more important. The biggest way I have changed my mindset this past year is by making sure I get enough sleep. I don’t stay up late working or procrastination any more, I try to go to bed on time!
Of course this works for others things as well such as your diet, I try not to go for fast food as much anymore, mostly because now I know I’m allergic to wheat, it has become much more difficult but also because healthy food just makes such a huge difference!
One way of making sure you can unwind after a long, stressful day, is picking one, or a few activities that you can set your mind to enjoying guilt free. If you love to read, take some time every day to read something without feeling ‘guilty’ that you’re not working or doing house chores or studying,.. I love to take time to paint my nails while watching tv shows and I can really enjoy it without feeling guilty now because I know it relaxes me and I need to relax!
I mentioned that I try to go to bed on time and I’ve finally found what makes it easier for me to get to bed on time. I don’t only set a bed time, but I also set a ‘go to bed’ time, I try to have about an hour of time before I should actually sleep, to clean a little, pack my lunch, prepare breakfast and go through my nighttime routine. Because when I don’t do this, I always start too late and end up going to bed too late.
Giving myself this time to get ready also really takes the stress off, this hour of preparing to go to bed really relaxes me. It’s always the same routine and when I’m finished it feels like I’ve really lost all tension and I’m ready to start a new day!
Another thing I discovered about relaxing is that I need to make (or leave) time for it. I tend to cram a lot of important things in one day without leaving time to relax. I really had to realize that not everything has to be done in one day. I try to leave some time for my hobbies and also just free time to do anything I want, this can be watching tv or doing some laundry. Sure, some projects will get done less quickly but I’m usually much more relaxed and happy when I have a clean house, I’m up to date with my tv shows and I can have a long conversation with my roommate that doesn’t mess with my schedule!
And lastly, this one is especially useful for people who have a busy schedule that has little room for fun, set a weekly pamper time that is set in stone and is completely dedicated to you and your relaxation. I love taking a bath, doing my nails and doing a face and hair mask. Even taking only and hour or two every week to do this can really take away a lot of stress and even anxiety, and I usually sleep great that night as well!
I hope you find these tips useful, I don’t know if they are helpful but these few ‘mindset’ guidelines have really helped me improve my stress levels and I hope it can help you too!
What’s your favorite way to unwind after a long day?
Thanks for reading!
xoxo Christine
Related
Mijn enige ontspanning is naar Familie kijken en nadien weer volle bak doordoen 😀
Shame on me!
Ilona