5 Tips to Help You Chill Out this Summer
It can be easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of our busy lives. With live events back in action, summer activities in full swing, and work-from-home schedules transitioning back to in-person ones, we’re all juggling a lot!
With your calendar quickly piling up, will some R&R time even be possible this summer? Whether you have an elaborate vacation planned or not, finding time for yourself should always be penciled in. Finding time to relax can help keep you healthy, in both your body and mind.
Luckily, no matter how busy you are, it’s easy to incorporate these simple habits into your everyday life that will help you pause and create space to just breathe. Here are a few tips to help you push that pause button and help you unwind this summer!
1. Breathe it out. Breathing exercises are one of the simplest relaxation strategies and can effectively calm your stressed-out body and mind anywhere at any time.
2. Release tension physically. When we feel mentally stressed, we often feel physically stressed as well. Releasing any physical tension can help relieve stress in your body and mind. Taking a walk, getting a workout in, or even just stretching can allow your mind and muscles to reset and shift your entire perspective.
3. Write down your thoughts. When you start to feel stressed, take a few minutes to write down some short notes about how you’re feeling or how your day is going. You might do this in a notebook or a notes app on your smartphone. Don’t worry about being poetic or spelling everything correctly. Just focus on expressing yourself to help release some of your stress.
4. Visualize your calm. Have you ever heard the expression “find your happy place?” Sit in a quiet and safe place, such as your bedroom, and begin to think about a place in the world where you feel most calm. Close your eyes and imagine all the details linked to that place: the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and tactile feelings. For example, if you think of the beach, you might imagine calm waves, the sound of children playing in the sand, the smell of sunscreen, the taste of ice cream, and the feeling of gritty sand under your feet. The more you get into your visualization, the more you can relax!
5. Connect with nature. Spending just a few minutes in nature when you feel stressed may help you relax. When you’re feeling stressed, take a step outside and go for a short walk, or simply sit in nature. But you don’t necessarily need to be in nature to feel its stress-reducing effects. Scientists have found that simply looking at images of nature with greenery for five minutes on a computer screen can help calm you down too!
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