Switching Off and Winding Down

In our modern world it’s extremely difficult to switch off and relax, simply because everything is so accessible. I personally find it hard to not be tempted to check my phone as soon as is buzzes, or to want to go outside rather than staying in and watching something on television. I honestly believe that we all know what we need to do and what is best for us in terms of technology and switching off, but for some reason most of us give into temptation of scrolling through social media.

For me, the only way of truly putting social media away is to dedicate a specific time in the day where I will wind down. The best time of day for me to do this is the evening. I find this the most relaxing part of the day – the moment you put down your work, get your comfy clothes on and chill! Even if this is just an hour of my day, I feel refreshed from giving time to myself and doing this just before bed helps me to have the best night’s sleep possible. This is essentially my ‘Pamper Night Routine’ but for most if not every day!

Here are my top ways to switch off and wind down;

1.     Having a bath

This is 100% my top thing to do. I love to light a few candles, put bubbles in my bath and play my ‘Chill’ music playlist. I know that putting music on uses your phone, but as long as you’re not scrolling I think this is okay. I find having a bath the perfect way to wind down because I love the fact that for 20 minutes or so, you have nothing to do but listen to music and relax. Of course, if you’d rather read or sit in silence, then these are also great ways to relax in the bath too.

2.     Find a book you love

This point is something I need to do more of myself (reading), but is definitely a great way to wind down. Reading a good book takes you completely out of where you are and into someone else’s reality. This is a great way to relax because it keeps your mind engaged, rather than being occupied by social media. I personally love books that are calming and fun with a good message or romance – a trilogy of books that ticks all these boxed completely for me is the Girls Online series (perfect for a pamper night). Or of course 'The F Word' by Lily Pebbles - I recently did a blog post on this book and I absolutely love it!

3.     Make your environment calm

Whilst I don’t recommend spending your time winding down for the night cleaning, I think for me a key thing about whether I feel calm or not is my environment. I love a big blanket – I have a lovely grey one from Dunelm and its one of my favourite things I own haha! Having a huge blanket is perfect, along with great lighting. Even though great lighting is normally linked to the perfect Instagram picture, whilst winding down it should be associated with lighting candles and creating an ambience. The smells of candles mixed with calm lighting is very relaxing. An extra touch to a relaxing environment would be clean sheets – but obviously this can’t be done everyday so isn’t necessarily key.

4.     A warm cup of tea

I nearly forgot to write this one in the list because it goes without saying that a cup of tea is part of my relaxing night! Cups of tea are constantly being made in our home, so I can often be quite lucky to walk down to make a pot of tea and see one is being made already, which is the ideal situation. I feel as though whenever I am stressed about anything, a cup of tea always offers comfort and a moment of calm, so it is essential for me in order to relax. Although a lot of people say not to have a drink of tea before bed, I don’t think I could do without!

5.     Meditation

This is something relatively new to me, but it is a perfect way of winding down, and really works for me. Again, this does use my phone but not for scrolling so we are okay! Many people can meditate on their own, but for those beginners like me I would 100% recommend the ‘Calm’ app or ‘Headspace’ app. They essentially offer several meditation sessions, and all are great. I love the fact that meditation guides your breathing as if my breathing is calm, I feel as though I am. Meditating is a great way of switching off and winding down because, similarly to a book, it takes your mind elsewhere.

6.     Spend time with loved ones

Whilst I know that up until now we have focused on doing things alone and ‘me time’, the one instance I am never tempted to check my phone is when chatting to family and friends. It is again a great way to take you mind somewhere else in conversation. Having said that, I do feel as though it is important to air your worries and talk about things that are stressful or getting you down – I find this a real stress reliever. I am a huge fan of talking about everyday queries or even bigger issues that are playing on your mind. It is definitely my number one stress release to not only spend time having fun with people you love but also airing anything that is on your mind to people who are there to listen.

I’d love to know what your favourite things to do to switch off are? I’m always looking for new ways to relax and wind down so that when it comes to going to sleep, I can get the best night’s sleep possible.