We all have time to relax but sometimes, we just don’t have the damn time to think about relaxing, do we? Many things get in the way of us truly relaxing; babies, work commitments, just life in general. But if we don’t prioritize time for relaxation, we could be heading towards burn-out.
Relaxation and prioritizing that time for ourselves is absolutely vital to maintain a healthy inner equilibrium. If we’re constantly tense and on-edge, we could be setting ourselves up for bouts of stress and we’re also not going to be our best for those around us.
Of course, sometimes, there are just things that don’t allow us to relax as often as we should. Like I said above, babies and work commitments in particular require us to be on the ball.
But sometimes it’s our mindset that prevents us from relaxing. Ask yourself these two questions:
Are you resistant towards giving yourself that time to relax?
Do you feel like you don’t deserve time to relax? Are you giving yourself a hard time mentally? If so, this is very common and most of us beat ourselves up at some point or another.
Perhaps if we didn’t get enough done yesterday, we might think we don’t deserve to relax today. Perhaps thatinner voice that’s telling you you’re not good enough is rearing it’s ugly head and preventing you from relaxing when you need to.
Remember, you don’t have to EARN your relaxation.
Are you trying to cram too much “productive stuff” into your day when you really don’t need to?
Some of us – like me – are productive by nature. I love to-do lists and ticking things off. I love getting stuff done and feeling productive. I’ve also been known to complete a to-do list then instantly write another one.
However, this isn’t always the healthiest thing to do and whilst there will be some times in life that do require us to be a bit more productive that normal (I’m in the process of moving house, so this is one of th0se times!), for the most part, we don’t need to be productive 24/7.
You only have enough energy for one day at a time. And rest and self-care is productive too. Albeit in a different way.
Now if you still feel like you don’t have time to relax or genuinely are in a phase of your life where you’re really struggling to find time to relax, here are some suggestions to help you relax when you don’t have time:
Use your commute
Okay, commuting certainly isn’t the most relaxing of things to do. But if you forget for a second about the “act” of commuting and think about what you can do in that time to relax, then that changes things entirely.
Think about what relaxes you and do that on your commute. Reading, listening to music, meditating – all things you can quite easily do whilst sitting on a train or a bus.
Carve out time for it
Some people will say that you shouldn’t make relaxing or self-care another tick box job. You shouldn’t add it to you to-do list to make it another thing you just “have” to do. But sometimes, that’s the ONLY way to remind ourselves that it’s as important as all the other jobs we need to do that day.
Establish a night-time routine
We all go to bed at the end of the day. This isn’t something we actively have to put on our to-do list, it just happens, right? So utilizing that thing that’s already within your day can be a great way to add some extra well-needed relaxation into your routine.
Night-time routines are hard to suggest because everyone has such different lives and priorities. Telling someone with 2 children under 5 to carve out an hour for bedtime Yoga, a full skincare session and half an hour of quiet reading is ridiculous.
So take a look at your own night-time routine and think about how you can add small and manageable things into it, that will aid relaxation within yourself. Perhaps that’s spending 5 minutes using a gua sha and some nourishing night oil.or listening to a 10 minute bedtime meditation.
Turn a mundane job into a moment of relaxation
Excuse me for sounding like Mary Poppins but she HAS A POINT. For every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. Perhaps not in the magical sense of the word but if we can find elements of relaxation within our daily jobs, then that’s excellent.
For example, you might want to listen to some relaxing music whilst doing the dishes or listen to an audiobook whilst folding the laundry. If you find singing relaxing, then sing whilst tidying the house. Music, audiobook, singing and anything of that nature are great ways to find some inner peace and relaxation.
Use what you have
Sometimes the thought of ADDING something else into our routine – even if it is a relaxing activity – is enough to send us into a cold sweat. When our days are SO busy as they are, we really can’t afford to be cramming more stuff into them.
If that sounds like you but you’re still after some relaxation in your day, I urge you to start using what you have. Relaxation doesn’t always mean going to a spa or for a massage. You could try:
- Giving yourself a foot massage before bed
- Spending more time in your garden
- Lighting candles and creating a relaxing environment
5 minutes of meditation goes a long way
You don’t need to spend hours meditating daily in order to get the benefits from it. That’s the great thing about meditation, it can work for everyone and fit into your day.
If you’re feeling frazzled and unrelaxed, just take a moment. Take 5 minutes to just breathe deeply or if you need some guidance, find a short meditation on YouTube or the Calm app.
Create a more relaxing environment
Speaking of creating a relaxing environment from one of the points above, relaxation doesn’t always come from actively doing stuff. It can be passive too. And being in a relaxing environment is a great way to get some passive relaxation into your day.
Take a look at the rooms you’re spending the most time in. If they’re messy, cluttered and just not a relaxing vibe, then it might be time to think about have a de-clutter, switching up some decor and introducing more relaxing and cozy elements into your home.
Inject more of what brings you joy into your day
Creating a more relaxing inner world for yourself is a great way to be in a more relaxed state, more often. Relaxing doesn’t always look like massages and bubble baths (but those are great, right?)
But being happier in your daily life will also lead you to feeling more relaxed overall. So try and bring more joy into your day, even if it’s in the smallest of ways like keeping fresh flowers or lighting your favourite candle.
When you get 5 minutes, don’t automatically reach for your phone
And finally, let’s all remind ourselves that scrolling through Twitter is rarely a relaxing activity.
So when you get 5 minutes for yourself, try not automatically reach for your phone and start the endless scrolling loop, as there are plenty of other things you could do which will be much more relaxing, like reading, stretching or making a cup of tea!
Finding the time to relax can be really hard but it’s also really important that we do try.
I hope these suggestions give you some food for thought for how you can implement some things into your daily life to help you relax and in general, lead a more relaxing life!
If you struggle to find time to relax then I’d love to hear about the small ways in which you make time for relaxation in your life!