Some days it is incredibly difficult to wind down. When my job, or life in general gets stressful, I tend to let that stress fester inside of me and then it manifests itself as a headache, shoulder ache, etc. I've decided that I need to acknowledge that I require extra time to de-stress some days, and that there are things I need to be trying to do on a daily basis to help ease stress before it builds up. I want to have a more relaxed approach to daily life.
1) Meditate daily. It might be ten minutes in the morning and ten minutes at night, or it might be twenty minutes to a half hour in the middle of the day if I'm not working. I already know that this helps me immensely, so I just need to get myself back into a routine of actually doing it daily.
2) Practice Tai Chi daily. Ideally when I return home from work, as it is will help with the various aches and pains I have from being on my feet most of the day and has the added bonus of energizing me. Getting your chi flowing really makes you feel amazing.
3) On particularly tough days, spend fifteen minutes unwinding with a hot cup of chamomile tea. It's my go-to tea for relaxation and I don't make use of it enough. Half the fun is sitting there inhaling that wonderful floral fragrance. It's perfect after a long, hard day.
4) Go for a walk three times a week. I already walk a good 6-8 miles at work every day, but I mean an actual outdoor walk where I can lose myself in nature.
5) Read more. I can always lose myself in a good book, but lately I've been doing that less, and I don't like that trend.
