Quick Stress Relief Unwinding After a Stressful day: A 5 Step Wonder

We all have good days and bad days. You want some days to freeze and not let time pass by while on others you find yourself counting every minute and the day doesn’t seem to get over. Reasons can be many: workplace, relationships, responsibilities, career, deadlines, pending results, health or just mood swings.

On good days, we are happy, inspired and enthusiastic but what do you do to turn your not so good day to a great day. As they say “All’s well that ends well.” Make sure before you go to bed you are feeling light and at peace with your surroundings. 

By the way, aren’t we giving too much footage to this word “stress” in recent times. From a toddler to older adults, everyone under the sun seems to be stressed these days. Specially since the pandemic came and never left like a nagging guest, even the conversations with people are surrounded with negativity and uncertainty about the future.

We need a stress busting routine to come out of the grimness of the surroundings, fear of the unknown and the negative emotions within us. So here is a 5 Step tried and tested routine, that I would recommend you to follow for unwinding after a stressful day. And well honestly, doing these things everyday will help you stay content in the longer run, personally as well as professionally.

Maintain a Gratitude Journal

Do you think you are grateful enough? Grateful not because today someone did a big favor for you, surprised you or maybe some miracle happened. Does being grateful really need a big reason? When we stop seeking constantly and take pleasure in the everyday things of life, that’s when gratitude will come without a reason.

Be Grateful for the smallest things, which in hindsight are the biggest things in life, however we become so used to certain people and habits that we tend to neglect that not everyone has what we do and nothing comes easy. For example, something as seemingly small as waking up healthy in the morning is a big thing to be grateful for.

So, my first advice to you is maintain a gratitude journal. As you take the day off, remember all the things that happened in the day and note down in your journal top three things that you were thankful for that day. It really brings a sense of joy and a feeling of happiness instantly.

Read a Book

It is no wonder that books are our best friends. Books have the power to transport us to a completely different world, a world which is entirely our own to imagine and live in. To open our perspectives and mind, it is very important that we read. The genre is not as important as just reading is. Be it a couple of pages, reading will take your mind off the various things that you might have been stressed about or just the bad day that you had.

I personally love reading motivational and self-help books whenever I feel low, they instantly lift up my spirits and my mood. On the contrary, some people would enjoy fiction more. Whichever side you are on, imbibe this practice in your routine to relieve yourself of any stress and overthinking.

Pamper yourself

Are you among those people who are highly impressed by Korean skin care regime or are you among those who can’t be bothered to do a seven-step skin regime with patience. Either way pampering yourself after a stressful day doesn’t harm anyone. It can be in any way you like. Thinking about trying on that face mask since very long? Do it! Wondering if the feet masks actually work?

You won’t know without trying. Planning to take a shot at the Korean glass skin care routine? There is no better time. Thinking of that ice cream in your freezer since morning? Go and eat it now. Pampering yourself will not only make you feel good about yourself, it will also give you a sense of fulfillment. So, every now and then, you deserve to give yourself enough time to do things you have been waiting for or thinking about.

Get some fresh air

Sit by the window with your cup of coffee, chamomile tea or your masala chai. Feel the breeze, just look outside and appreciate the beauty of your surroundings. Do not think about anything else and just feel happy from within thinking about all the good memories. Put on your shoes and go for a stroll. Wear your ear plugs and listen to your favorite music. Choose a company with you for the walk so you can simply talk about good things or just vent out. Just feel that air on your face and see how blissful the experience is.

Meditate

We have all heard about how mentally rewarding meditation is and the importance of meditation in bringing peace of mind. There is so much content on meditation that if one is interested they can even find tutorials and courses to master the art of meditation. Not all of us however want to excel at it, some of us just want to practice meditation casually from time to time, when we feel like it. No problem, there are many apps on guided meditation as well which help.

After a rather stressful day, it helps to just block away all thoughts and be with yourself. To not think about what happened in the past or what could happen in the future and just stay in the present. It will take away the day’s anxiety and give a sense of calmness and relief.

Affirmations help, put out to the universe what you desire and see how it follows. If you think something is going to help you, it most definitely will. All the five steps above are not some out of the box things. You all might already know about some of these. It’s all about actualizing it, making it a part of your routine and lastly but most importantly, believing that doing these things will help you achieve your end goal which for all of us is: happiness. The art of happiness lies in doing the small things the right way. So, make your way to peaceful sleep by going through this “five step wonder” whenever you can.

Authored by: Aayushi Maheshwari

About the Author: Aayushi Maheshwari is a marketing professional and fitness enthusiast. Driven by the philosophy of mind over matter she is passionate about exploring health and lifestyle trends.