Rest and Relaxation

After starting my day at five in the morning, I often find myself feeling tired by four in the afternoon. While enough coffee and the right mindset can help me push through a other workout and making until Friday. The weekend often ends up full of over sleeping, endless scrolling on my phone, and time consuming day time naps. I often feel frustrated and guilty after this crash and vow to do better next week. This results in cramming my schedule even fuller on Monday morning so I can catch up on missed tasks. Thus an endless cycle continues. While I prioritize a good night's sleep, I am usually a buzz of stress and anxiety thinking about the next thing. How can I take advantage of my down time to actually feel refreshed and recharged? Here is the best information we found on taking a break and feeling rested and ready for the week ahead.

1. Relax. Sit quietly and spend a few minutes being present. Get comfortable and create an inviting environment. Spend time focusing on your breathing or repeating an affirmation. Allow the thoughts in your mind to pass and learn to simply be. Explore more resources on meditation to grow your practice.

2. Go for a walk. Get outside into nature of you can or find anywhere that you can get moving. Going for a walk is a moving meditation. Focus on being present, explore with all five of your senses, and let your thoughts come and go.

3. Go for a run. It may feel like exercise is the last thing to help you feel recharged, but going for a run can help relieve feelings of stress and anxiety. Focus on your breathing and your footsteps as you allow the day to fade away.

4. Start fresh. Start your morning in a clear mind by practicing a daily brain dump. In whatever time you have available, five to ten minutes, write down everything on your mind. Do not worrying about making sense or having a purpose, simply allow your thoughts to stream out of you and empty your mind.

5. Schedule a day off. As you begin to develop more regular habits for relaxation, consider scheduling an entire day or period of time to do nothing. This can be challenging at first, but try finding one day a week or a few days a month when you can schedule time to do nothing. Avoid catching up on your to-do list in this time. Make a commitment to yourself to rest and recharge. It may take some creative planning to make this possible, but your mind and body will thank you.

6. Improve your sleep. Lastly make a commitment to improve your sleep. Many of us struggle to find the time to get eight hours of sleep in every night. Focus on improving the hours you are already getting. Exercise during the day and eat a healthy diet to help support a good night's rest. Create a calming and relaxing before bed routine that supports you getting a good night sleep. Most importantly don't stress about it. Go easy on yourself and make small improvements over time.

Consider what will help you recharge best in this moment. Start by taking a few minutes everyday to focus on recharging your energy. Try to increase the amount of time you spend relaxing over time. Be mindful of when you feel drained, over worked, and out of control. Learn how to rest and make your wellbeing a priority for the long run. Try begging by spending ten minutes a day before bed, simply being present. Be mindful of where your mind wanders and let your thoughts go. Improving your happiness and reaching your goals starts by taking care of yourself.