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!
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.
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.
I absolutely need to replace my social media scroll obsession (on an evening in particular!) with reading, there are so many books I want to get through. Fab tips x
ReplyDeletewww.thedressdiaries.co.uk
Thank you for reading! I need to do the same, let me know how you get on and any book recommendations you have 😊
Delete