Simple Ways to Relax and Recharge after a Stressful Week
It would be wonderful if we could pack up for an interminable holiday after every stressful week. But since that’s not the way life works for most of us, we have to find alternative coping strategies which will allow us to de-stress, relax, and recharge in the time that we do have off.
Having these simple tips and tricks up your sleeve will make facing the next week – and the week after that, and the one after – a whole lot easier. Implement them into your routine, and see how much more peaceful you feel!
Clean up your immediate environment
For many of us, disorder or disorganization in the home can worsen our sense of internal chaos. That’s why organizing and decluttering your immediate environment can act almost like a mental purge as well.
If you’re apt to find home organizing or decorating therapeutic, then make sure to reserve an hour or two at the beginning of your weekend for this particular cleansing activity.
Regarding more specific goals, you might make it a weekly goal of decluttering to work towards that minimalist aesthetic you’ve always dreamed of, or you might decide to add a pop of colour into your office space or bedroom, to add a little interest to your visual life.
Read someone else’s story
When’s the last time you read a book? Put down your smartphone, farewell social media for a day or two, and read a book you’ve always wanted to. Books are about people, and even if they’re fictional, they have something real to say about the condition of the soul; in other words, they emphasise the metaphysical stuff that the humdrum routine of everyday working life tends to oppose and drown out.
Sometimes it takes getting outside of ourselves to feel the release we need – and sometimes sympathizing with others’ plights, fictional or otherwise, can be strangely motivating.
Get outside
Sometimes, all we want to do over the weekend is stay at home and binge-watch Netflix. But even the most dedicated hermits can get claustrophobic and bored if they’re plunked before the telly for more than a day – and since tedium often leads to rumination, you’ll want to avoid this end at any cost.
The best way to get outside of your own mind? By getting your body outside, and doing some exercise. Few people want to hear this, but trust us: research has repeatedly proven that exercise is hugely beneficial to mental health, and a good podcast or two should make the time you spend strolling or running fly by.
Connect with people
Don’t be one of those people who only have “work friends”! It’s so important to maintain connections outside of the workplace – connections with your old school or college friends, with your beloved relatives, or perhaps even with a special someone who might show you just how great you are.
Just ensure you’re engaging in social activities which won’t drain you further: that is, don’t go out on the town until 3am with your pals if you know you desperately need the shut-eye.
Exercise your creativity
Unless you’re lucky enough to be in an artistic field, your work days are likely to consist of routinised tasks that require accuracy and efficiency, not innovation and deep contemplation. This can lead us to forget our inherent creativity.
The weekend is a fantastic time to exercise our innovating skills. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a dab hand at painting or a total amateur at woodwork; spending some time on a favourite hobby will allow you to focus in on something totally severed from your everyday reality, and to apply your creative talent.
Author's Bio
Journalism graduate Harper Reid is a New Zealand-based creative writer. Her first love of traveling inspired her to launch her freelance career, producing travel and lifestyle articles for various blogs and sites. Her ultimate dream is travel around the world in one year, in search of the best local foods and breathtaking sunrises and sunsets. To know more about Harper, visit her blog.
