Relaxing gives us the power of resilience. It enables us to improve our mental capacity, energy, and awareness to make better choices.
A lack of downtime can significantly impact our overall happiness and success. Fatigue (physical and mental) can significantly affect how we feel, act, and believe each day. Therefore, to become a happier, more successful, and more abundant human, you should relax and switch off more.
Whether you have work, family, or personal commitments, we all need to take it upon ourselves to have downtime. It will make us more proactive humans and enable us to sustain a healthier work-responsibility balance.
Here are some practical ways to ensure you get plenty of downtime during your busy lifestyle.
Don’t be afraid to relax doing the things you enjoy most
Many of us might believe that there are specific relaxation techniques to use to help us properly switch off. We might believe it is only possible to truly relax through meditation, yoga, reading, or something similar. However, everyone has different preferences and ways of switching off. Whatever method might work for you, you should take advantage of it.
For example, you might like to use THC products to switch off. If so, invest in products so that you can use them during your downtime to properly enjoy your relaxation period.
You can Buy Delta 9 Products online, so you do not need to leave your home to buy things you can enjoy in private. There are physical stores too. However, access to online products is much easier and more convenient should you wish to invest in products for your downtime.
Use the once-a-week method
If your schedule is jam-packed and you truly believe it isn’t possible to enjoy downtime every night, try the once-a-week approach. You do not have to schedule downtime daily if you cannot afford to. Some people might struggle to switch off every day. Hence, there is no point in trying.
Should you know that you can only squeeze downtime in once a week or properly switch off once a week, so be it.
Ensure to schedule the relaxation time so that you do not miss out. Choosing a time when you know you have nothing to do and can enjoy your downtime is wise. For instance, this could be a Friday evening after you finish work. You will know you won’t have many things to think about and do. Instead, you can unwind and relax when you are too busy and need a break.
Eliminate distractions
Many of us might struggle to unwind properly and switch off during busy periods due to having too many distractions. There is no use in meditating each morning with your work phone busy beside you. Likewise, there is no use in trying to take a leisurely and relaxing walk if you have an energetic dog on the lead pulling you along.
Whatever you find distracts you from switching off, eliminate it. It might not always be possible to avoid daily distractions and noise. But being proactive about eliminating distractions will help you switch off as much as possible when you do so.
Write daily lists
For those with hectic schedules; it can be beneficial to write daily task lists so that you can ensure to finish everything you need to before switching off. There is no worse feeling than heading upstairs to meditate, read, and unwind and soon realizing you haven’t sent an email or washed the dishes.
Writing lists will hold you accountable for the daily commitments you need to finish before you can switch off your brain and focus on yourself. You could write the list the night before or each morning to ensure you have everything is written down you need to do before pushing through with a busy day.
Get plenty of sleep
There is nothing more distracting and uninspiring than a lack of sleep. Fatigue will knock you back and take it out of you. So much so you might not feel inspired enough to read, meditate, practice yoga, or unwind in other ways at the end of the day. You might not have the mental capacity to switch off and take time for yourself properly.
Therefore, plenty of sleep will ensure you maintain a healthy and abundant work-life balance.
Each person should aim for 7 to 9 hours each night. If you are someone that gets less sleep than this, it could be a great time to introduce a new routine. There is no use in getting into bed late and trying to get plenty of sleep. You will need to be proactive about your rituals and ensure you unwind before bed and get in bed earlier.
Should this mean you cannot watch TV in the evening, so be it. Your sleep should be a priority, as a lack of sleep will massively impact how you feel and perform each day. With more sleep, you will feel more inspired and motivated to take good care of yourself. It will ensure you can complete your daily tasks and have plenty of time to unwind.
Take regular breaks more often than you might usually
Although it can seem more productive to take extended breaks away from work and other life stresses, it can be as productive and effective to take regular (shorter) breaks.
For example, if you try to push through every workday without a long lunch break, you will soon reach a stage of burnout. Yes, the long week off on the beach will feel great, but you might not feel efficiently energized. Regular breaks away from your tasks can help your mind reset and your focus increase. Taking 10 minutes away from your screen, homework, or chores every hour to get fresh air will help you reenergize and feel more centered at the end of each busy day. Avoiding burnout with this technique will ensure you can efficiently switch off when you feel you want or need to.