You just got home from a long, busy day. You still have to make dinner, do laundry, and feed your family. The day feels 40 hours long and you feel exhausted. By the time you finally hit the hay, it’s 11 pm, your mind is racing, and you’re thinking about all of the to-do’s that tomorrow holds. The clock is nearing midnight when your anxiety kicks in with the fear of insomnia. Sound familiar?
Considering all of the things swirling around in our heads—work, kids, spouses, emails, Instagram, laundry, shopping, etc. etc.—there are a few things we can do when we get home to help us wind down and release the tension of the day.
Try incorporating just one of these at a time, and see if it helps you relax when you get home; tell me which one’s your favourite!
If you have any tips that you’d like to share with me, I would love to hear from you!
Make your home a sanctuary
Create a space at home, that when you see it after a long day, makes you feel calm. It’s free of clutter, organized the way you like it, and maybe even has a picture of your vision board or your favourite things on it. Make your home a place that you love coming home to!
Listen to soothing music
This will help you relax and it has a powerful way of changing your mood in an instant.
Create strict(er) screen time rules
This is probably one of the most important ones, but also possibly the hardest. Turn off your phone when you get home! Less screen time is huge. The blue light from your screen disrupts the body’s natural melatonin production and tricks you into thinking it’s daytime, keeping you alert. Turn it off!
Take three deep belly breathes
This will take you less than 60 seconds and will drastically change your ability to relax. (Inhale slowly through the nose and fill your belly and chest with air, and exhale through the mouth as your chest and belly fall. Repeat three times). This is a game changer—don’t skip this step!
Light a scented aromatherapy candle
Relaxing scents are so great for calming down and clearing out tense energy. Light your favourite aromatherapy candle when you get home.
Have an early dinner
Finish up your last meal of the day two hours before bedtime. It’s harder for your body to wind down if it’s busy digesting food.
Vanessa Jahnke is the founder of PURE Gym & Juicery in Penticton, BC. She is a certified holistic health coach with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and the creator of Healthy for Life, a monthly online wellness subscription. Her blog is loaded with healthy, easy to make recipes and easy to implement tools to achieve a happier, healthier life.
The article was published in The Good Life.
