A weekend for you

These days, our precious time gets snaffled up so quickly, especially our downtime. With the weather improving and the Christmas season upon us, our diaries can fill up faster than ever, leaving us little me-time available. 

Downtime is so important for our mental health, sense of wellbeing and, studies have shown, can even increase productivity at work.

While it may not suit everyone to dedicate an entire weekend to some alone time, putting away our laptops, turning phones on silent and committing to a weekend for just you could be a great way to get an opportunity to practice some self-care and relieve some of that social and professional pressure. 

Here are some ideas of things we can do to promote relaxation for our planned downtime:

Exercise

Attending a fitness class, doing some yoga or going for a run can get you out of the house and can get those happy hormones flowing. 

Exercise helps us feel more energetic throughout the day, sleep better at night, have sharper memories, and feel more relaxed and positive about ourselves. 

Walk

Carrying on from exercise, Some recent studies have found people report a higher level of vitality, enthusiasm, pleasure and self-esteem, and a lower level of tension, depression and fatigue, after they have walked outside. People who exercise outside also say they are more likely to exercise again than those who stay indoors.

Meditate

When you meditate, you may clear away the information overload that builds up every day and contributes to your stress. Taking a short mindfulness practice can help relieve stress, reduce negative emotions and become more present to enjoy the time out you have gifted yourself. 

If you are new to mediation you could try this simple technique here or you could use some guided meditation sessions by downloading either the Headspace or Calm Apps. 

Read

Reading for me is the ultimate in relaxation because you really have to be completely focused on one thing – the thing you are reading, meaning you can’t get carried away with other thoughts. 

Reading is a stress reliever too. This article by The Telegraph explains how a research study found that its subjects only needed to read, silently, for six minutes to slow down the heart rate and ease tension in the muscles.

Go to the movies

Have you ever gone to the movies alone? It can be a daunting thought but it can be extremely empowering. 

Let me assure you, no one else there cares that you are alone…with that out of the way, you get to choose the movie, you get to choose the snacks and there is no one trying to talk to you while you are trying to follow the complicated plots. It really is one of life’s greatest pleasures. 

Shop

In need of some new season clothes? Or just fancy a little treat? Shopping can be stressful for some but for those that love a little spree, going on your own can be amazing. 

You get to go to all the shops you want to go to, you don’t have to wait around while someone else is looking at what they want to and when you’ve had enough, you can simply go home. 

Cook

Preparing a meal or baking can give you a chance to let your creativity flow and can be a great way to practice mindfulness. 

From making a 3-course meal to baking a cake, you can be entirely in control of what and how you cook. It can be as simple or as complicated as you like, no one is there to judge your skills and only you will know how much of that cake you ate later! x