Here’s some tips from me to you on ways I relax both physically and mentally this Relaxation Day.

I had never really focused on my wellbeing until the last few months, but I have come to the realisation that by implementing little changes and focusing more on myself, I have felt a lot more positive and a lot healthier; both physically and mentally. Check out my previous blog on how to take some time for you and do the things you enjoy - https://bit.ly/2P9CXTC.

It is all too easy to be caught up in trying to relax by following tips on meditation and Tai Chi. I don’t know about you, but I usually end up feeling like a fidgety child after 5 minutes of sitting on the floor and 9 times out of 10, I’ll open one eye to see my dog staring at me looking very concerned.

Lockdown has been a very different experience for people, and we have all been finding new ways in which we can try and switch off from what is going on in the world. Times have changed massively and we’ve gone from feeling overwhelmed by having to stay in our homes all day everyday to now feeling incredibly nervous as we try to adjust to the new normal and attempt to slowly go back to doing everyday activities in which we once missed hugely.

Learning how to take time for yourself and relax doesn’t need to be a complicated process, you just need to figure out where your happy place is and where you can switch off. For me, that varies. As we established earlier in the blog, I’ve never really got into meditation, so I’ve never really used this as a relaxation method, but I’ve listed a few little tips below on what I find helpful.

When I say ‘relax’, you may think I’m referring to doing nothing, but I find this doesn’t always help my mind to chill. If I find myself sat on my sofa doing nothing, this sometimes gives my mind the chance to go at 100mph which isn’t always helpful, especially when trying to avoid stress. Don’t get me wrong, there are some days where I stock up on snacks and spend a solid 6 hours in my pyjamas, un-brushed hair and binging all of Netflix chick flicks (..oh, and Selling Sunset, that’s been a firm favourite for me recently!), we’ve all been there.

Exercise – Now, I don’t know about you, but any form of exercise whether it’s going for a walk, doing a gym class, having a stretch with yoga; anything that gets the body moving, even if only a little, can completely switch my mood. My mind can be full of worry when I walk out the front door but as soon as I’ve got myself stuck in to some form of exercise, I know every time I will walk back through the door with a much clearer mind set and feeling so much more refreshed. There doesn’t need to be any pressure to go and do an intense gym session if this isn’t what you enjoy, but one day if you find yourself feeling all out of sorts, maybe just go for a walk, let your body move a little and get a bit of fresh air, I am sure you will feel more relaxed and positive after.

Reading a book – This is something I have started doing more of during the lockdown period. One thing I have started to do is once I pick up a book to read, I’ll ensure my phone is away from me and in a different room, try it, it’s crazy how much more you can chill when you’re not checking your phone every five minutes, just let yourself immerse in to the book and let yourself relax a little, not just physically but mentally too.

Pop open the bubbles – You can decide what bubbles you’d prefer here, but for now I’m going for the bath kind. I could honestly spend hours in a hot bath, full of bubble bath, bath bombs, salts, the lot..I even sometimes take my iPad in the bathroom and pop a film or my favourite tv series on to complete the set up. That is most definitely one of my favourite ways in which to relax, maybe even add in a few candles to fully add to the chill vibe.

So, that’s just a few ways in which I find helps me to relax, don’t forget to share any of your tips so we can give them a go! Happy Relaxation Day!