My Tried and Tested Recipe For Recharging and Rejuvenating That Takes Just 30 Minutes
What is yours?
I am a simple gal. By that, I mean it doesn’t take fancy, expensive things to help me unwind and relax.
But it wasn’t always like this. I used to be so tightly wound up by stress, mainly from a relationship fraught with tension and toxicity that it eventually led to depression and fibromyalgia.
But that was a long time ago. I have come a long way since and one of the things I’ve learned is the need for balance in life. By that I mean, I understand that one cannot just focus on one aspect of life to hit the happiness jackpot.
Some people tend to focus on physical fitness as a stress reliever. But what about the mind, emotions, and spirit? If they are in disharmony, it can be very hard to be able to be in sync with oneself.
It is easy to forget about the importance of balance especially when work and life challenges have this annoying tendency to take over — all the more reasons to diligently and selfishly carve out some ‘me time’ to recharge and rejuvenate rather than running the risk of burnout down the road.
Easy to say, I know, especially for a person like me who tends to lose track of time when I find a particularly juicy project(s) to sink my teeth into. I have found the trick here is to have some relaxing activities that you truly enjoy doing and build them into habits.
That way, taking breaks becomes something to look forward to and helps you feel recharged and rejuvenated.
3 ways how I put the money where my mouth is in terms of relaxation:
C’mon Girl, Move That Body
I love nature and I love to hike where it’s just me, the mountain, and the bracing fresh air. My fave go-to is the White Mountains which are a short drive from Boston.
Have you heard of Lake Winnipesaukee up in NH? If you haven’t, I highly it for sightseeing, or if you’re like me, enjoy a little hiking while soaking up the sights and sounds of nature.
But I can’t always get to the mountains always so I make it a point to go walking every day. Sometimes a few rounds around the neighborhood do the trick of not only settling my nerves when I am feeling overwhelmed but also getting the blood flowing and refreshing my brain.
Catch ’em thoughts and throw them down on paper, ruthlessly
Have you tried journaling? If not, I would highly recommend it. It has not only immensely benefited me from the time when I was going through depression but also I see my writing on this platform as an extension of it. By that I mean, I approach writing in both my journal and on this platform with the same level of candor and transparency with regard to what I’m feeling at the moment.
I am able to download my thoughts, process them, and also reflect on them. It helps because it has made me a much more self-aware and more importantly self-compassionate person. And I particularly love how catching the chaotic thoughts and flushing them out has helped me with my overthinking nature.
The power of a good cuddle and squeeze
I was not much of a hugger until I discovered the power of touch. Perhaps the reason why I never discovered its benefits earlier had something to do with the fact that my parents were not into outward expressions of affection or maybe it is because I come from a culture where people don’t typically hug.
But something changed when I got my first kitten, Purr. All I can say is hanging out with my snuggle bug with the motor on (it’s a cat thing) for just 30 minutes could make my blues magically disappear.
No wonder studies show having a pet is wonderful for stress relief and improving mental health.
Sadly for me, this experience did not translate to my first long-term relationship where my then-partner doled out hugs only when it suited him or when I was especially nice, obedient, and submissive (so he rationed them knowing how much I craved them). Thankfully my current partner is a hugger. He loves to hold hands and sneaks these cute little kisses on my knuckles when I’m talking. And he intuitively knows when I’m stressed and is happy to be my snuggle bug.
Instant de-stressor, if you ask me.
Yes, it took me a while to find the things that actually help me relax, and don’t feel like I have to do them because everyone is doing them. I look forward to my breaks because I truly enjoy doing these relaxing activities.
I’m curious, what do you do to relax? Please share!
Related reading by Yana BG
I enjoyed this read about self-care and self-love by Dr. Preeti Singh