Here are some wonderful ways to relax at home that will leave you feeling rejuvenated, calm, and ready to take on the next day:
1. Daily meditation
Daily meditation has long been considered a way to quiet the mind and activate the body's natural defense against stress. There are many forms of meditation, but the key to any meditation practice is that it should feel effortless. You shouldn't be stressed about trying to learn how to relax.
2. Gardening
Gardening is also another way to relax at home. For apartment dwellers, try planting and tending to an indoor garden or planting your favorite herbs in a small container to place on the windowsill or outdoor patio.
3. Turn your bathroom into a resort spa
Bathrooms do need to be functional, but that doesn't mean they have to look like a cleaner's closet. Invest in some lush rugs with matching towels in soothing colors like muted greens and blues. Hide the cleaning supplies and grooming products out of sight and replace them with a few bamboo plants and lavender-scented soaps. Turn on some relaxing spa music and soak your cares away. Relaaaax.
4. Limit your screen time
Read a good book, the kind you hold in your hands. The constant and frequent bombardment of media, lights, action, and content can be taxing on your mind. It's okay to turn the phone off for an hour or as long as you need to and let the mind settle into a great story.
5. Listen to funny podcasts
Podcasts are a great way to unwind at the end of the day and still feel connected to the rest of the world, if you so choose. They're also great to have on in the background while you take care of idle chores, especially if the host has a calming voice!
6. Call or write to a friend
Put on your favorite sweats, curl up in your favorite comfy spot and call that friend that always makes you laugh. Also, the act of writing a letter, versus an email, can be very relaxing. Grab a fun card and sit down and write an actual letter to a friend or relative and wait for their surprised response, which will most likely come in the form of an email or text, but still, the act of writing the note is both relaxing and a nice way to say hello.
7. Puzzle out the stress
This tip isn’t for everyone. Some people get agitated when trying to puzzle something together. But for puzzle fans, whiling away the hours on a crossword or jigsaw puzzle can provide hours of relaxation.
8. Cooking and baking
For foodies, this is a no-brainer, but for those who aren't in the kitchen all that much, cooking can be a relaxing way to engage the mind and relax. Depending on how it all turns out, it can also offer up some tasty results.
9. Write in a journal
Journaling is an excellent way to relax at home. Add some imagination to your journaling and write out your perfect day, and what your special day would look like from the moment you wake up to the moment you lay your head on the pillow at night. Are you in a completely different profession? Where do you live? Who are you with? Whatever it is that lights you up, write about it and feel the stress disappear.
10. Play with your cat or dog
They’ve been waiting for you to come home all day. Interacting with pets is an instant stress relief and makes them feel good, too. Add some goofy selfies to the mix, and you’d be surprised how the stress dissipates when you and the dog have enough pics together to create your own calendar.
11. Use the community amenities!
We know we said 10 tips, but this one is such a great reminder because sometimes we are so tired at night, we walk right by that pool or spa and never think about actually utilizing them as a stress reliever! Fire up the grill and impress yourself and your friends with a new recipe, take a dip in the pool, workout in the gym, enjoy the community pool table, say hello to your neighbors. That’s what community amenities are all about: community!