Resting and unwinding in everyday life

With the summer holiday now most likely a distant memory, it’s a really good time to be reflecting on your relationship with unwinding and taking a break. For many people it seems there is an either/or going on, if it's not holiday time then it’s full steam ahead, all the time, with few changes of speed.

This is not a particularly sustainable way to live, it can lead to loss of motivation, dips in mood, chronic energy problems and other physical and mental health issues.

Here are some questions to reflect on your relationship with rest:

How do you relax and unwind?
What are the attitudes around you socially and culturally to taking time out? What messages are you receiving and do they support or hinder balance?
What breaks and pauses do you already have built into your daily and weekly schedule? How can you maximise the benefit of these?
What do you find relaxing and rejuvenating that you are not currently making space for? How might you introduce this?
What energises you in terms of activities? And social contact? How can you make sure that your activities are increasing rather than sapping your energy?

You may also want to reflect on what great holidays mean for you, and what you would like to do next, but for now, mid-autumn, it seems to be that building a life you don’t need a vacation from is the most powerful self-help going.

#relax #rest #selfcare #wellbeing #mentalhealth #health