It’s funny how summer is supposed to be the time to kick back and relax because I feel like most of us work just as hard if not harder during the hottest months of the year.
To make it even more frustrating, you may desperately want to take a trip to get in some nice R&R, but your bank account won’t let you. So, alternatively you decide to pick up some extra hours, but the added work stresses you out so much you end up forgoing vacation all together.
Soon after that you feel like a victim as it seems like everyone around you has time off but you – and before you know it you’re sobbing in your cam room – “Why is life so unfair?!”
The message here is even if you can’t afford a vacation, you can afford some relaxation and it’s up to you to demand it for yourself.
Relaxation is free, so practice it religiously even when you don’t feel like you can.
The truth is when you insist on a little downtime for yourself even if you have a million things to do, you’ll be happier, healthier, better at your job, nicer to others, and nicer to yourself.
The key is you have to make relaxation a habit.
You have to work at it very day and it’s more important than ever during the summer to commit to it if you’re not taking any time off due to money issues.
Some tips for helping to relax and de-stress include:
- Stepping away from your computer – Taking a ten-minute walk every two hours or so does wonders for you mental health.
- Meditation – Everyone talks about how good it is, yet a lot of us have a hard time getting into it – and that’s because we bite off more than we can chew thinking we have to sit there for thirty minutes every day to get benefits. Check out this past article I wrote – you’ll get some bite-size tips that make it manageable. I’ve found that even five minutes daily works wonders.
- Calm Relax Studio – Go here to listen to some ad free audio that can help you sleep when your mind won’t stop running after a hard day’s work. In addition if you follow the studio you can get one free work out from Barlates Body Blitz by going HERE.
- Breathe – This seems like a no-brainer but whenever you feel frazzled, take a moment and allow yourself a few good deep breaths.
- Hobbies – Relax into a few minutes of a hobby you enjoy such as reading, doing a puzzle, even painting your nails. Once again you don’t need a lot of time to decompress, if you do it often and consistently it will add up to feeling more relaxed.
- Set an alarm – Whether it’s on your computer or phone, set a buzzer to remind you stop working and chill for a few minutes.
- Exercise – Even breaking for a 5 or 10 minute warm up like these from Caroline Girvan can make you feel rejuvenated.
A lot of these are simple things we know we should do but doing them is another thing.
This summer, commit to your personal de-stress goals whether you can take vacation or not – and make relaxation a lifelong habit for longevity and happiness.
Main photo credit: iStock.com/Sinseeho
Second photo credit: iStock.com/Peera_Sathawirawong
—
Alyssa Collins hails from Minnesota, where snowy days were the perfect excuse to stay warm inside and write. Over the years, she turned that joy into a career and has authored numerous articles for various publications (under pen names). Email Alyssa via alyssa@ynot.com.
