Relaxing Activities: How To De-Stress & Recharge
Built-up stress is no fun, but did you know it can actually cause damage if it hangs around for too long? Living under constant pressure creates stress on your mental health, and that pressure affects your physical health as a whole, especially your nervous system.
Finding time to unwind is more than a luxury — it's essential for optimal health and well-being.
If you're someone who finds it challenging to take time for yourself, exploring a few relaxing activities can help put you back on track. Ultimately, these can help you create healthy routines and habits to sustain your wellness long-term.
How Can You Relax at Home?
Though relaxation activities like a professional massage or spa day are luxurious, they're not always realistic for achieving that everyday equilibrium. Sometimes, easy, relaxing activities right at home are all that is needed to de-stress.
Finding simple, sustainable ways to slip into relaxation at home is essential for creating balance in your life. Here are a few relaxation techniques you can adopt and practice regularly.
Form a Self-Care Routine
Daily routines can make it easier to achieve new goals. If stressors are getting the better of your daily life, developing a self-care routine can allow you to take time to invest in your happiness, energy, and well-being.
Self-care can take many forms, and the goal is to pay attention to areas of your well-being that might be falling by the wayside. One person’s vision of self-care can differ greatly from another’s — it’s all about finding the routines that work well for you and help you feel your best.
A great practice to evaluate aspects of your life that might need more attention is to consider your health in four key areas:
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Physical health
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Mental health
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Social health
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Spiritual health
Below are just a few ideas for at-home, relaxing activities to help you unwind.
Practice Deep Breathing
Deep breathing is one way to practice relaxation to care for your mental and physical health. Although you technically breathe all the time, deep breathing helps to slow your heart rate and regulate your nervous system.
One excellent way to practice deep breathing is through box breathing, which consists of inhaling for four counts, holding for four counts, exhaling for four counts, and holding for four counts again.
This kind of breathing can be highly beneficial in moments of stress or tension when you need to relax your body and ease your mind.
Another way to make the most of deep breathing for stress relief is to simultaneously practice visualization, mindfulness meditation, or progressive muscle relaxation. As you practice your breaths, try visualizing the stress of the day melting off you and stepping into a sense of complete calm, and relaxing your body one muscle group at a time.
Get Some Light Exercise
Moving your body is an excellent way to decompress after stressful situations. If you can make the time for it, try getting some light exercise to help de-stress your mind and body. Getting active can help balance your physical and mental state by releasing endorphins.
Another terrific way to boost your mood and energy while exercising is doing so outdoors. Getting fresh air while you listen to your favorite playlist or podcast can enrich your overall experience.
Looking for a specific way to get moving? Try pilates. This form of exercise is excellent for relieving bodily tension and increasing feelings of energy, and it's also beneficial for helping to cultivate body awareness and mindfulness.
Take a Warm Bath
After you've had a long day, you might find it challenging to release the worries of your day. Taking a warm bath can help you achieve some peace of mind if you tend to hold onto stress. Immersing yourself in a warm bath can help soothe tense muscles and clear your mind of the day’s stressors so you can begin recharging.
When you slip into warm water, it causes your blood vessels to dilate, which may help slightly lower your blood pressure. Consider adding aromatherapy and relaxing music to your bathtime experience for even more serenity and rejuvenation.
Make a Cup of Tea
Do you ever feel like you need a gentle recharge? For many people, coffee is too abrasive and can cause jitters. Drinking a warm cup of matcha tea is one way to re-energize yourself with a lifted spirit.
Matcha is available in many forms, so it's easy to make it a part of your day. Some people prefer matcha lattes that blend green matcha powder with milk. Others prefer traditional tea with water.
However, if you don't have time to make a cup of matcha tea, you can take a matcha supplement to enjoy its effects. Lemme Matcha contains organic matcha alongside vitamin B12 and CoQ10 to support cellular energy, promote overall wellness, and help you feel your best.
Have a Friend Over
Catching up with a loved one can be a great stress-relieving activity — it can release feel-good chemicals in your brain that lift your mood and help you de-stress. After a long day, sharing your time and thoughts with a friend or family member can help you work through the stress of the day and ease your mind. Catching up with friends can also ensure you maintain balance and well-being in your social life, an underrated component of overall wellness.
The next time you get an impulse to reconnect, make it a priority. Talking about your stressors with them may help provide a sense of relief, and the vulnerability you exhibit may strengthen your bond. You may experience a few laughs that help lift your spirits, too.
Start a New Book or Show
If you're not in a social mood and have already showered and exercised for the day, you can still try more activities to relieve your stress.
If you need a brain break from working hard all day, you may want to cuddle up with a good book or start a new TV show. When you dive into a new show or book, it allows you to remove yourself from the tension of your day, relax, and unwind.
You may even consider practicing more than one self-care regimen while watching your movie or reading a book. Perhaps you could apply a face mask or try aromatherapy while you get lost in a new story.
Try a De-Stress Supplement
Sometimes, you need a little boost to help you take the edge off. Whether you've tried all the self-care ideas out there or your schedule makes it difficult to unwind with a more time-consuming activity, taking a de-stress supplement can help.
Lemme Chill is your new go-to when you need a pick-me-up. This vegan vitamin gummy contains a clinically studied dose of ashwagandha, which can help reduce stress-related food cravings and support healthy cortisol levels.
This botanical blend also includes passionflower for overall wellness benefits, lemon balm to support vitality and rejuvenation, and goji berry for wellness support.
You owe it to yourself to relax and recharge. Consider adding Lemme Chill gummies to your daily self-care regimen for extra support when you really need it.
Why Is It Important To De-Stress?
We live in a world that is fast-paced and increasingly busy.
For some, spending time on social media and looking at their phones isn't as much of a wind-down activity as it seems. Spending lots of time looking at screens can even activate cortisol, which is a stress hormone your body releases in response to stressful situations.
Finding time to connect to the life in front of you and de-stress is essential — you can even experience several health benefits from taking time to unwind.
Here are a few of the most common:
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Better sleep at night
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Decreased muscle tension
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Supported mood
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Weight control by reducing stress eating
Recharge With Lemme
Finding space to reduce stress and promote energy is crucial. At the end of the day, the care you give yourself helps you maintain the work and life you care about.
When you want a boost for de-stressing your mind and recharging your body, Lemme Chill is your go-to.
Sources:
Stress effects on the body | APA
Experience the Benefits of Matcha Tea | University of Illinois
Dopamine, Smartphones & You: A battle for your time - Science in the News | Harvard University
