It’s easy to get caught up in the busy-ness of modern-day life – endless meetings and school pick-ups and visits to the vet. We’ve got phones, blackberries and inboxes that seem to require non-stop attention. And we’ve got the stress levels to match.
If you don’t actively make time for periods of rest and repair, your body and mind (not to mention spirit) will never get the chance to fully recover. Instead, you’ll be consistently operating at a less-than-ideal rate, while your stress hormones – and waistline – continue to increase.
The past few months have been some of the busiest of my life, as The Heart Health Concierge has been taking off in a way that I couldn’t have imagined even just one year ago. I’m constantly telling my clients about the importance of some good quality R&R when it comes to their health, so it would be remiss of me not to follow my own advice!
I’m very excited to be heading on a much-needed vacation over the next few weeks. There’ll be plenty of time spent with family and friends, lots of sleeping in, and I’ve even booked in for a retreat, where I can really focus on relaxing and letting go.
Retreats are one of my favorite ways to indulge – having someone else prepare delicious, healthy food; having down-time to read a good book by the pool; perhaps even squeezing in a massage or two – what’s not to love?!
But let’s face it – holidays and retreats don’t come around anywhere near often enough (!), so this week, I thought I’d share with you my top 5 tips for bringing that relaxing, indulgent retreat feeling into your own life, even if it’s just an ordinary weekend. Get ready to unwind!
- Give your bedroom a retreat makeover
Who doesn’t love staying in a beautiful hotel with crisp white sheets, gorgeous fluffy towels, and – most importantly to our mental wellbeing – zero clutter?! It’s very hard to relax if you’ve got oodles of stuff all around you. This weekend, try to do a declutter of one room in your house, preferably your bedroom, so that you can spend time in there relaxing and luxuriating in the clean, calm space. - Use candles and oils
I’m a big fan of burning beautiful smelling candles and aromatherapy oils to make me feel indulgent and create a sense of peace in my house – nothing can change the ambience quicker than a flickering candle! Too many of us have candles on shelves or in cupboards that are doing nothing but collecting dust. Pull one out, light it up, and feel the tension start to melt away! - Schedule a sleep in
- Nothing feels as indulgent to me as a morning spent lounging under the sheets. Bonus points if you can convince someone else to bring you breakfast in bed!
- Spend time in nature
Whether it’s simply sitting in your backyard, walking to the park with your pooch, or hitting your local hiking trail, time spent in nature is always super invigorating and helps to replenish your energy levels. - Disconnect to reconnect
Give yourself one whole weekend where you don’t check your Blackberry, where you don’t check Facebook and where you’re not madly trying to respond to emails. Allow yourself to tune out from all the devices of modern day life, and instead tune in to… yourself. The people around you. Nature. This one might be a struggle at first – checking our devices has become such an ingrained habit – but it will be worth it, I promise! - Dive in!
If you’ve got access to a pool, lake or the ocean, take a dip. There’s nothing like being immersed in a big body of water for washing away your troubles and releasing your stresses. - Treat yourself
Make the time to treat yourself in those little ways that feel really good, but often get overlooked in all the action of our busy lives. Buy yourself a bunch of flowers or that new book you’ve been eyeing off, give yourself a pedicure or a face mask, book in for a massage, Netflix your favorite feel-good movie, or head out to your favorite restaurant. Show yourself that you matter and that you’re worth it.
What’s your favorite way to unwind and relax? Let me know in the comments below! Let’s start a relaxation revolution!
(Images sourced from 2 x 2 and Bay Therapy)