Life is a mess, no matter who you are. Stress builds up and, if we’re not careful, it can break us. The only way that you can prevent this is by taking the time to relax. In some cases, you might have to force yourself to chill out and wind down.
So, why does it matter so much, and how can you find ways to relax even with a busy lifestyle?
Burnout
As mentioned earlier, stress can break anyone. We aren’t designed to operate in a world that demands so much of us.
Without adequate sleep and rest, you risk pushing your body and mind to the point that you burn out. Burnout can be caused by physical and mental stress alike and is especially common in high-stress careers.
Essentially, if you don’t get the rest your body needs, it will force you to rest. When you burn out, you stop functioning as you should. You might make mistakes, struggle to control emotional stress, and even suffer physical symptoms like exhaustion, headaches, and insomnia.
It’s much harder to build yourself back up from burnout and recover than it is to prevent it.
Proper Sleep
Sleep is so much more important than you might realize. Your body needs sleep to mentally and physically recover and process the events of the day. It’s when you heal and restore yourself.
Unfortunately, sleep is often a casualty of stress. This is especially problematic because sleep deprivation can cause more stress, leading to a feedback loop. You might also sleep less because you’re too busy scrambling to catch up with work or other projects.
If you rob yourself of sleep, you slow yourself down in the long run. Instead, try to maintain a regular sleep schedule. If you struggle to get to sleep, try to relax before bed. Herbal supplements and some prescription medications can also help.
Schedule Breaks
If something is important to you, it should go into your schedule. Work projects and other chores might go into a schedule to make sure you don’t forget them. But you should also schedule time for breaks.
This puts it in its rightful place in your life and makes sure you put aside the time you need to rest. You can be specific and say what you want to do during your breaks, or you can leave it to your imagination.
Short breaks throughout the workday can even increase your productivity because you rest your mind and increase your creativity. Activities like crossword puzzles are especially helpful because they’re quick and keep your brain active.
Exercise
It might seem strange to include exercise in a post about relaxing, but it’s an important part of any self-care schedule.
When you keep fit, you can restore your mind and body. Obviously, balance is important so you don’t exhaust yourself. But exercise can be refreshing when it’s in the right place in your life, and it helps you stay physically and mentally healthy.
