6 ways to unwind in under 6 minutes.
8:39 PM
Hi guys and dolls! I
hope you’ve all been doing great! Today’s post is something very important to
me, and something I’ve had to create to stay sane the past few years. I am a
very, very anxious person. At work, at college, at home, all day, every day.
For some reason, I am very prone to stress, I am a manic overthinker and for a while I didn’t really
know how to manage it. I know I’m not the only person who suffers because of
this, so I’m going to be sharing with you my little tips and tricks to unwind
and relax.
Now, I tried to find
quick ways to unwind because I have a very busy schedule, so I practice these
techniques at work or between study sessions. An extremely effective way to
fight stress is meditation, this is a subject I’ve covered before, you can find
my meditation here. It is important to always keep in mind that time for self-care
is extremely important, so it is important to schedule time for these
activities throughout the week.
The main idea is to
create a moment when you disconnect from everything that is troubling you,
making your mind focus on something else entirely that will make you unwind a
moment. This will help you calm down and look at things in a different way.
These are my top 6 ways
to unwind:
- Count backwards from ten: This is a very quick way to unwind. Relax, close your eyes and count back, focus on the numbers and count slowly.
- Do the 4x4 breathing exercise: So, this exercise consists in taking a deep breath during four seconds, holding it for four seconds and exhaling for four seconds. The quid of the matter is that you have to focus on the movements of your chest while your lungs expand.
- Stretch: Stretching at work can alleviate any physical pain or tension that might be making your anxiety or stress much worse. So, loosening a little is really going to help remove all of that tension and make you feel a ton better. You can find a great streching routine here.
- Read an engaging book: I personally find that reading really takes me to
another world where I forget about absolutely everything. I usually carry a
book around with me, this way, when I’m too overwhelmed, I set a 5 minute timer
and have a short reading session. The key to this is to read something that you
are genuinely interested in. For example, I am an avid lover of Greek
mythology. So right now I’m reading the Odyssey by Homer and whenever I read it
I am so interested in everything going on in the book that I forget about
everything going on in the real world. This is great for a timeout at work,
when you’re doing a line at the supermarket or when you’re stuck in traffic.
- Color a mandala: Mandalas are life! Oh these little intricate geometric shapes will entertain you immensely, coloring will make you feel better and –since you’re a grown up and you want to color INSIDE the lines- it will help you focus on what you’re doing and not on your problems. It is an amazing trick and I highly recommend it.
- Write down what you're thinking: The last way to unwind is to write. Write absolutely anything. You can write about your day, a short story, a dream you had, etcetera. The more you write, the more you’ll feel better.
So, I hope these little tips can help you unwind a moment during a
hectic day. Remember that not everything works for everyone, so just do what
works best for you and keep in mind that everything passes with time, so try
not to pay too much attention to things.
I hope you liked this post. If you did, please leave a comment. Thank
you for reading! Stay awesome!
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