5 Ways to Decompress After a Long and Stressful Day

Whether it’s earning money during the COVID-19 pandemic that’s causing you stress, or rough relationships with family, friends, or your partner, it’s important for all of us to find ways to decompress. Taking just a few minutes a day to yourself can help you better manage your stress, uplift your mood, and bring on a better tomorrow.

In this post, we’ll be sharing 5 ways you can relax and unwind after a long or stressful day. And don’t forget to share your best tips with us in the comment section at the bottom of the post!

1. Go outside 

Spending time outdoors is a great way to minimize stress. In fact, spending just 20 minutes walking in a park or wooded area can significantly lift your spirits and lower your stress levels. Ongoing research aims to connect the brain’s reaction to nature and how exactly the great outdoors impacts our minds for the better, but some researchers have cited these elements to support their case:

• The sounds of nature are soothing and interrupt negative thought patterns.
• Being outdoors often involves physical activity, which also aids in stress management.
• Sights of nature can inspire feelings of relaxation.

So, how should you use the balancing benefits of nature to help you destress after a long day? In whatever way works for you! Take a walk in your local park, go for a hike on a nearby trail, or venture on a scenic bike ride for great views and an even better workout.

If you don’t have a natural space nearby, try to incorporate the essence of nature wherever you can. Studies have shown that listening to nature sounds and just looking at images of the great outdoors can have a similar effect.     

2. Break a sweat 

Exercise offers so many benefits for our physical and mental health. When you work out, your body not only flushes out toxins, but it also releases mood-enhancing chemicals and slows the production of stress hormones. Just a quick workout could leave you with residual feelings of happiness and balance for days to come.

But working out day in and day out is easier said than done, especially after a long day when you’re feeling stressed out. Building a solid workout routine is really as easy as, well, making it easy on yourself. If you have a hard time waking up for a morning session, try laying out your athletic wear ahead of time so that you have one less thing to think about when your alarm goes off. Also, make sure that you mix things up once in a while to keep your interest piqued.

Give these creative workouts a go:

• Zumba
• Barre
• Pilates
• Aerial yoga
• Rock climbing
• Rollerblading
• Trail running

3. Try CBD

CBD has been the hottest wellness trend over the last decade. Extracted from part of the cannabis plant, this non-psychoactive ingredient offers tons of health perks, including pain and stress relief. For many people, CBD has been an effective natural alternative to other stress management treatment plans. You can leverage the benefits of CBD by taking an edible, using a CBD vape pen.

4. Find a relaxing hobby

For most of us, the weekdays are spent planning, prepping, and being productive, with little time to unwind in between. And when you do have some time to yourself, you might be tempted to scroll through social media or spend more time on screens in general. But it’s worth noting that blue light can have the opposite effect on your stress. In fact, blue light exposure can disrupt your sleep cycles, which are key to managing stress.

Rather than picking up your phone, try out one of these interesting, relaxing activities instead:

• Journaling
• Reading
• Coloring
• Drawing
• Knitting
• Letter-writing
• Sculpting

5. Set yourself up for success

After a long day at work, school, or socializing, you might be feeling too burnt out to even think about what the next day has in store, but, setting yourself up can be a relaxing ritual and make life a whole lot easier. Simple steps like pre-packing your lunch, setting out your outfit, or writing a to-do list can make the next day’s tasks feel much less intimidating!

How do you unwind after a long day? Let us know!