Do you find it hard to relax? Try these tips!

Do you sometimes find it difficult to relax? Or are you doing something that normally works, but now it doesn’t? These six tips may help you unwind!

1. What relaxes you?

It seems obvious, but it happens that someone doesn’t know what gives him or her relaxation. For example, people often think they’re resting, when they’re not resting at all. For instance, lying on the couch while scrolling on your phone is anything but relaxing for your brain. All those stimuli on your screen have to be processed. It can also happen that you do something because you think it offers you relaxation. Think of meditating or taking a warm bath. This may work for other people, but it may not work for you. Try different things. Physical exertion activities, but also creative activities or meeting up with friends. After the activity, ask yourself how you feel and what effect the activity had on your mood.

2. Intentional

It’s better to relax completely for two hours than to relax half for six hours because you were distracted by your work email. It can help to say out loud to yourself that now is the time to relax. Find out what you need. For example, do you need a distraction (from your work), do you want an energy boost or would you like your anxiety to decrease? By taking the first step, you know which things offer you relaxation.

3. Planning

Yes, you should also schedule relaxation time, and don’t be hard on yourself. Sometimes you may feel that you need to earn some relaxing time, for example by working hard or by exercising. This is absolutely not the case. You have to plan for relaxation time. It’s not something you have to earn. Do you feel the need to lie on the couch all day and watch a series? Do this and don’t feel guilty at all.

4. Little moments

Some people work very hard on weekdays, leaving them feeling completely exhausted on the weekends. You can prevent this by planning small moments of relaxation during the week. Plan a walk with a friend, but also make time to relax alone. Short moments of relaxation ensure that you have some energy left at the end of the week.

5. Ritual

Try to create a ritual that’ll get you into relaxation mode. This could be a walk after work or listening to your favourite music while cooking. This way your body and mind know that it’s time to relax. A habit that characterises the transition from exertion to relaxation.

6. Emotions

Maybe you recognise it: you intended to relax tonight, but then all kinds of emotions and feelings come up that ruin the moment. You feel anxious, tense, or sad about something and you can no longer relax. You might want to delve into emotion regulation exercises or some form of meditation. There’s plenty to be found online about this and these exercises prevent negative emotions from taking over.

Love, Skye Lewis/Deem ❤

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