Ways to Relax at Home

Life is crazy. There are so many things to keep up with. You have to cook, clean, work, keep up with family and friends…we’re stressed just thinking about it! 

It’s time to pause and recharge. You deserve a break! How are you supposed to deal with all this if you don’t take a little time for yourself? Relaxing doesn’t always mean getting an expensive, hour-long massage at some fancy parlor (but boy, does that sound nice!). 

There are a ton of cheap/free, quick, and easy ways to relax at home.

Environmental

• Create a comfortable space: Pick a place in your home that’ll serve as your relaxation station. It can be your bedroom, the couch, the kitchen table, you pick! Grab your favorite chair, pillows, blankets and make it as comfy as possible. Now you have a space to escape when it all feels too much. 
• Carve out alone time: Even if it’s just 5 minutes, find a comfy spot in your home and spend some time with yourself.
• Disconnect: We have insane amounts of information, news stories, and cat videos at our fingertips. While sometimes that’s great, it can also be extremely overwhelming. Take a few hours to unplug and turn all your devices. 
• Remove clutter: It’s almost impossible to relax at home if you have a lot of clutter. Being surrounded by a bunch of stuff isn’t good for your mental health. Get rid of anything you don’t need anymore, one drawer at a time.
• Natural light: Just a few minutes of sunlight can turn that frown upside down. Try going on a short walk at a local park, your neighborhood, or stay inside and soak up some light from an open window.
• Calming music: Let music soothe your soul. Here is a great compilation of relaxing music to help you destress. 
• Plants: Spending time outside has been proven to reduce stress, but sometimes it’s hard to find the time to spend outside. Try buying a few plants to put in your house.

Physical

• ABCs: Need a quick fix? Saying your ABCs backwards. It’ll shift your focus from whatever is stressing you out and is a fun challenge for your brain! 
• Massage your scalp: Yes, you can do this yourself. Here’s an article to help.  
• Stretch: Stand up, reach for the sky, touch your toes, shake out your arms, whatever you have to do. Take a few seconds to check in with your body, feel where you are holding your stress, and work out the kinks.
• Workout: Everyone knows exercise reduces stress but no one wants to hear it! Don’t worry. You don’t have to do jumping jacks, burpees, squats like everyone else. Try dancing, playing a sport, or any other fun way to get your blood pumping.  
• Take a Bath: This one is pretty self explanatory. Add a little excitement with a bath bomb, a few drops of essential oils, or make it a bubble bath.

Mental

• Meditate: Meditation can sound intimidating if you don’t know how to do it. Fortunately, there are several apps that can guide you. Try HeadSpace or Calm.
• Read: Find a book you haven’t picked up in a while and lose yourself in it.
• Journal: Sometimes the best thing you can do while you’re stressed is just get it off your chest. What does that mean? Grab a pen and paper and just start writing whatever comes to mind. How you feel, what you’re thinking about, what you wish you were doing.
• Gratitude: Start a gratitude journal and start every day with jotting down three things you’re thankful for. 
• Make a list of what makes you happy: Just thinking about things you enjoy and that make you happy can turn your day around. After all, this stress is only temporary and this exercise will remind you of life’s beauty.

Fun

• Comfort food: You’ll like this one! Indulge in your favorite meal or dessert. It’s okay to cheat every once in a while.
• Puzzles/board games: Putting all your focus and attention on something lighthearted and trivial can be very calming. Life shouldn’t be serious all the time.
• Discover a new subscription service: Subscription box services are very popular right now. There are companies that will mail you food, makeup, clothes, books, and more! Makes for a nice surprise in your mailbox. 
• Rediscover a relaxing hobby: Remember when you used to paint, draw, dance, knit, do crafts? Try picking it up again! You might surprise yourself. 
• Plan a staycation: If you have a weekend to relax at home (lucky), plan a staycation for yourself. Read our staycation blog for ideas to help you make the most out of it. 

As Izey Victoria Odiase once said: “Relax, Recharge and Reflect. Sometimes it’s OK to do nothing.” Whatever you do, we hope that you’re able to relax and unwind.