We all have stressful days and we cannot get rid of stress totally from our life, but we can surely learn how to take care of it.
When we have a stressful day, most of us vent it out in unhelpful ways, by indulging in overeating, complaining, binge-watching, being angry and frustrated and engaging in revenge bedtime procrastination only to result in even more stress and tension.
We have not felt relaxed and rested for ages if we’re honest, and it’s because we don’t know how to relax. Nobody has taught us how to relax. We are only taught to work, to grind and to achieve.
But relaxing is necessary if we want to truly become who we are and do what we want to do with our hearts open and our minds focused.
So in this post, I want to share the 14 best ways to relax after a stressful day.
They are my favourite ways to relax after a stressful day at work or even at home and they’re actually simple. We must just indulge in these simple activities to relax
We need to learn how to relax and learn how to handle stress. And here are some ways.
1. Take a nap
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Yes, just take a short nap. This is my favourite way to relax and rest, and I believe it is a must whether we’re stressed or not.
When I am back from work and my mind is feeling all over the place, I leave my phone on the table and don’t take it to my bed (otherwise I will just end up checking my phone).
Then I just take a nap and sleep for around one hour.
When I wake up, my energy is restored, my body is rested and my mind is clear.
After a stressful day, I highly suggest you first take a nap instead of finding other ways to de-stress.
Even if you don’t fall asleep, just letting your body rest and keeping your eyes closed, helps the mind to relax and unwind.
It’s not just relaxing for the body, but also for the mind. And it’s also scientifically proven that naps are good for your brain.
2. Take a warm bath
Take a warm bath. You can enjoy a self-care shower routine and make yourself feel nice.
Thank the water for relaxing and refreshing you as it touches your skin. Be grateful. Imagine how it would be if you didn’t have water to take a bath after a tiring and stressful day.
A warm bath and shower immediately ease our body and mind.
P.S Feel grateful for neutral things in life.
3. Stretch and exercise
Stretching and exercise are some of my go-to ways to relax and relieve stress and tension and it is part of my everyday routine since years now.
It’s amazing how our mind and body are intimately connected.
When we do something nice for the body, our mind relaxes too; when we do something nice for our mind, our body relaxes too.
After a stressful day, find refuge in exercise and stretching. They are as if you are indulging in a self-massage.
You don’t have to do a high-intensity workout. Just 10 minutes of stretching does wonders too.
And after a good stretch, if you’re in the mood for a little bit of exercise, go for it.
Here is a 15-minute stretching exercise for stress relief.
Remember, you are just 10-15 minutes away from feeling completely different.
4. Meditate
Many people think that when we meditate, it’s because we want to have some spiritual awakening, and even if that is so, the first basic reason why we must practice meditation is to simply restore the mind and come back to ourselves.
When we’re stressed our minds can’t think clearly. It feels like a hundred tabs are open in our minds and we don’t have the zeal to do anything.
Nevertheless, sit with it and simply close your eyes.
Meditation is simply acknowledging what you are feeling and thinking without judging and without trying to push it away.
For me, I like to meditate after a shower and exercise when my body is relaxed, I then like to relax my mind.
The feeling is awesome.
Here is a YouTube channel I have been loving lately for guided meditation.
5. Unwind with evening tea
Drinking tea is a wonderful way to relax and unwind. After work, don’t forget to drink your tea and simply be with it.
If you have a loved one at home, drinking evening tea is a way to catch up with each other, talk and relax.
In connection, we get restored too.
And as they say about tea, “If you are cold, tea will warm you; if you are too heated, tea will cool you; if you are depressed, tea will cheer you; if you are excited, tea will calm you”
I guess the reason why tea helps us to unwind and relax is because when we’re drinking tea, we are with tea and we are mindful and when we’re mindful we’re always relaxed.
6. Go for a mindful walk
Go for a walk in the evening. This is also a way to take yourself out on a self-date and learn how to enjoy your own company.
I feel evening walks make us independent. If you can enjoy your walks alone, you can enjoy your life no matter what.
Walks help us think, calm down, and relax if we’re walking the right way.
Also, don’t just go for a walk for the sake of relieving stress or losing weight, walk to come back to the present moment and walk to look at the bigger picture.
“Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet”- Thich Nhat Nanh.
Practice walking in this way. When I first tried it, I was amazed at how peaceful I felt when I only walked gently.
It is freeing. Try it and you will see how your stress immediately vanishes in the face of mindful gentle walking.
P.S how to truly enjoy long walks
7. Tidy your room
Your room and your home play a huge role in causing stress or relieving stress more than you realise.
If your home and room are messy, you can never indulge in these activities with a clear mind.
You have to tidy your room first and create a sacred space.
So if you’re stressed after a long day and you come home to find your home and room messy too, the first thing you should do is take a nap and then tidy your surroundings.
Keeping a tidy room keeps my mind tiny and clear too and I feel much more relaxed and at ease.
Then doing all these activities helps me boost my mood even more.
8. Disconnect
Disconnect for some time- at least an hour or so. Turn off the internet. Turn off your phone. You don’t have to reply to those messages and emails instantly.
Give yourself a break and use that time to nourish your mind and body.
The more you use your visual senses, the more cluttered your mind becomes. Disconnect and allow yourself to de-stress with some activities.
P.S here are 25 helpful ways to reduce your screen time
9. Journal
We are scared to disconnect because we don’t know what to do when we get bored. But these are all the things you can do when you don’t know what to do.
One such on the list is to journal. If it’s been a while since you last picked up a pen and a diary, it is okay.
You can start journaling again. You don’t have to be good at writing to journal. You are just writing for yourself, to know your feelings better.
I write when I am confused and it brings me clarity.
I write when I am hopeless and it gives me hope
I write when I am doubtful and it gives me reason to keep going.
Writing is a way to become friends with yourself.
P.S. I have created a 21-Day Journaling Guide for Self-discovery, growth and healing.
If you haven’t taken any other challenge of mine, you can join this challenge.
You will receive journal prompts and guidance from me for the next 21 days to inspire you every day.
10. Read a book
Perhaps after disconnecting, you can pick up a book and read it for an hour or so.
Get cozy as you indulge in reading. In the evenings, I like to read novels and in the morning I read non-fiction.
Here are the best books to read for beginners.
11. Turn off bright lights
If you have bright lights in your room, turn them off if you want to relax.
Keeping warm lights instead is relaxing. Sometimes I turn off the warm lights too and just switch on my dim light bulb.
Lighting good-smelling candles works wonders. It immediately eases my mind and I feel so relaxed.
12. Listen to music
In a tidy room, after a good shower and nap, after changing my clothes and being relaxed, turning off bright lights, lighting a candle and then listening to music, only music, it’s a wonderful feeling that helps me recharge and reset.
For relaxing, my current favourite is hand-pan music.
I also love listening to Native American music or just some meditation music.
I then relax in bed, closing my eyes, or sit down in a meditation pose and simply relax and listen to every note of the music being played.
I cannot tell you how relaxing it is.
13. Get some Cuddles
If you live with your partner or have a pet, spend time with them and get some cuddles.
I now live alone with my two cats and I love resting with them.
When I lay down in bed, they come near me instantly as if they had been waiting for me to rest, and then I rest with the two of them by my side.
Doing nothing with them after a stressful day is a good use of our time.
14. Try aromatherapy
If you haven’t tried aromatherapy you should. Good smell relaxes our minds and helps us come back to the present moment.
It makes our home come alive, making us love being home.
My best way to bring aroma therapy to home is by using scented candles and incense.
Some other ways to bring aromatherapy to your home are by using:
So these were all the best ways to relax after a stressful day
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These may be simple, but the effects are changing. The more we practice them and indulge in them, the more we get better in taking care of our stress.
Then our stress won’t leave us feeling drained day after day until we reach a point of burnout. We will know how to end the day’s stress for the day and keep it lingering throughout the passing days.
We must all learn how to relax and take care of our minds and bodies. If we do this, we are also taking care of the world, because the world needs more relaxed and calm people.
Our relaxation can be contagious and it will show in our work, in our mood, in our faces and in our families and relationships.
So let us not take rest and relaxation for granted and learn how to relieve stress ourselves. The medium is always there. Let us only use them often.
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Thank you for sharing these relaxation techniques! I’ve always struggled with winding down after a hectic day at work, and I’m eager to try the guided meditation session you suggested.
You’re welcome! So happy that you’re going to try it. Best wishes!