By Mzovelo Stofile
Everyone has their own, individual schedules, but we all need to unwind after a stressful day of work. There are plenty of relaxation techniques that can adopt to help calm your mind, body and spirit. Here are some handy tips to pave your way to relaxation and rest!
Call a friend
Hanging out with friends is the perfect opportunity to unwind and momentarily forget about your work and your worries. Enjoy quality time with the people who have your best interests at heart, so try to avoid surrounding yourself with friends who give you more stress than you had in the first place. Scheduling a coffee date with a good friend is the way to go. They can help you think things through and fuel yourself for the weeks to come.
Some of the best spots in Grahamstown for a coffee date include the Red Café, Provost and Theatre Café.
Don’t dwell on the past
Instead of thinking about all the awful and stressful things that might have happened in your day, take a moment to breathe. It helps to carry a notebook where you can write a list of all the good things that happened in your day. Learn to appreciate every moment!
Keep yourself entertained
Watch your favourite movies and catch up on the series you love the most. Believe it or not, you deserve to snuggle-up in bed and “keep up with the Kardashians” once in a while! Don’t feel guilty for allowing yourself to do something mindless for an hour or two – you’ll find it helps you concentrate a bit better afterwards sometimes.
Grant yourself some luxury experiences
If you’ve saved-up enough money to visit a spa, visit a spa! Like food nourishes your body, you need to nourish your mind and your mental well-being as well. However, since most of us are on a student budget, you can easily create your own spa-like environment at home.
As weird as it sounds, it’s even possible to massage your own shoulders. If you sit at your desk all day and have tension in your shoulders, try and find the pressure point where the shoulder and neck meet, and gently press down on those points for 10 to 15 seconds with your fingers. You should feel the pain slowly slipping away. Pro-tip: get a good friend to do it for you!
Exercise - even and especially if you don’t want to!
Exercising is one of the best remedies for stress relief. Go on a jog, do some yoga or hit the gym. The endorphins will have you feeling less stressed in no time. It doesn’t have to be long, but try and set aside at least 20-30 minutes every day to get that rush of endorphins and adrenaline into your body. It often takes a lot of effort to get yourself out the door and into the gym, but once you’re moving it’s normally not as bad as it seemed!
With these in mind, you should be able to balance your work and feel more relaxed, more rested, and less stressed-out about the things you have to do.
Remember: if you don’t look after yourself, you can’t expect to perform at your best! You always come first…!
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