Over the last few weeks, I have really been struggling to relax and unwind at the end of the day. My stress levels have been high and my sleep has been restless. I realized that so many of us are struggling to relax. For this reason, I have compiled the ultimate list of ways to relax, unwind and loosen up before, during and after work. Enjoy!
100 Ways to Relax, Unwind and Loosen Up
1. Drink some green tea
2. Take a nap
3. Go outside
4. Get fresh air
5. Get sunlight
6. Meditate on the breath
7. Breathe deeply
8. Watch some TV
9. Listen to classical music
10. Go to the gym
11. Eat more fruit
12. Go for a walk in the city
13. Get a fruit milkshake
14. Talk to a friend on the phone
15. Strengthen your Facebook addiction
16. Walk around the office
17. Do some deep muscle stretches
18. Look at inspiring photos
19. Read your favorite blogs
20. Call your mother
21. Read national geographic or magazines about faraway places
22. Go somewhere high with a vast view
23. Reduce the amount of coffee you drink
24. Drink more water
25. Get a shot of wheatgrass juice
26. Go for a walk around the markets or somewhere with lots of natural produce
27. Go somewhere where sunlight warms your face
28. Exercise before work to get the blood flowing
29. Get some healthy comfort food (hearty soups or something that makes you feel great)
30. Go for a swim or a spa
31. Get a massage at your local massage school (it’s cheaper)
32. Call some old friends and meet for lunch
33. Listen to relaxation mp3’s
33. Delete all the emails in your inbox
34. Clean your desk
35. Tidy your room and make your bed so it’s clean when you go to sleep
36. Open up windows and let fresh air in
37. Make a list of all the things you need to do today
38. Write a letter to your parents or someone in your family you haven’t seen in a while
39. Take a day off work
40. Go shopping for someone in your family
41. Visit an awe-inspiring monastery, church, temple or piece of architecture
42. Head down to the beach and walk in the shallow water
43. Go to a lake and skim rocks on the surface44. Read a book you enjoyed as a child
45. Cook a lavish and complicated dinner
46. Make a lemon, ginger honey tea
47. Go to your local botanic gardens where there are lots of colorful flowers
48. Tense all your muscles for ten seconds and then suddenly let go
49. Get a stress ball or hand grippers
50. Get off the computer and relax your eyes
51. Go for a run around the city at lunchtime
53. Get a big Chinese noodle soup for lunch (warm water is good for stress)
54. Go and see a comedy show
55. Go to bed early
56. Have a sleep in
57. Take some allotted time to do nothing at all
58. Plant some trees to make your life more carbon neutral
59. Go and see a sporting match
60. Hire some comedy movies and relax on the couch with a blanket
61. Take deep breaths for five minutes
62. Join an evening yoga class
63. Go to the city library and just sit down
65. Have a big long conversation with your partner about nothing in particular
66. Turn off the television/computer and do something low tech
67. Eat a big bowl of fruit with natural honey on top
68. Pack a picnic, get in the car and drive to a new outdoors spot
69. Play some after-work team sport like indoor soccer or cricket
70. Go to a meditation class (they are usually very relaxing)
71. Drink a cup of plain hot water (old Chinese method of healing)
72. Do a painting or drawing of your home
73. Call up 10 mates and organize some sport in the park and a BBQ
74. Go out to a favorite restaurant for dinner
75. Hire an Xbox 360 and have a lazy weekend
76. Study a topic you have a deep interest in but which doesn’t relate to work
75. Buy a beanbag and fall asleep watching TV
76. Take a hot shower and leave the fan off so the room steams up
78. Buy a cheap self-massaging wand and massage your tense spots
79. Get the daily chores out of the way now instead of worrying about them
80. Get a 20 minute power nap like Leonardo da Vinci
81. Light some healing and relaxation incense
82. Ride your bike to work instead of driving in the hustle
83. Get the kids off to a friend’s house for a sleep-over
84. Use some bath salts and take a long bath in a candle lit bathroom
85. Talk about your problems with someone
86. Plan a holiday you would love to take in the future
87. Cut out the sugar in your diet (it causes stress)
88. Take a relaxation supplement like Brahmi
89. Watch your thoughts without engaging them
90. Get to work early and finish the day’s work as fast as possible and then forget it
91. Unsubscribe from blogs that you really don’t need in your Feed Reader
92. Stop wasting so much time on Facebook, Myspace and Twitter
93. Spend some more time with your dog or animal (they’ll love you for it)
94. Throw out stuff around your house you really don’t need or use
95. Create a list of relaxation tips to help other people
96. Start a detox diet
97. Turn on some music and dance around your house
98. Have a warm glass of milk
99. Pick up a hobby you have neglected
100. Just relax!
Originally posted on June 25, 2008 @ 4:00 pm
