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Sitting around and doing nothing is something which can feel very alien to many of us, as more often than not we wake up with a schedule to our day or a plan to tick lots off our never-ending to-do lists.
Over the past few weeks, we have had to adapt to a new normal and some days we have been unable to fulfil our weekly routines and tasks. Being restricted with our movements and needing to feel like every day should be as productive as possible to maximise on this time spent at home, it can leave us with feelings of frustration or guilt.
Whilst discovering a new skill or learning a new exercise routine is important, it’s also important to remember to take the pressure off yourself and ensure you have some down time to relax and refocus the mind. Having lazy days is just as important for our wellbeing as those busy ones.
Here are our top tips to help take the pressure off:
Roll with it
Don’t add too many plans to your schedule or unrealistic time frames to complete tasks. For example, if you have been wanting to sort through and organise your photo collection and know it’s a bigger job than when you first realised, don’t expect to complete it in a day.
On the days you feel more motivated you will be a lot more productive, but for the days you don’t feel as motivated it’s okay to not finish those jobs that have already been started.
Exercise (if you want to)
Doing exercise can help us feel uplifted, and it doesn’t have to be a rigorous workout class or mastering the art of yoga every day. A simple walk to the postbox or around the park is a great way to distract the mind, or even pottering about in the garden.
It’s important to listen to your body and do as little or as much as you like.
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Emotions – write down/share
Being in touch with our emotions is something we’re not very good at as we often don’t have the time or feel the need to check in with ourselves. It’s important to register how you’re feeling and accept those emotions, even the most optimistic, happiest people in the world have days they don’t feel 100% - we are only human after all.
Having a chat with a friend is a great way to help alleviate feelings of stress or loneliness, and writing your thoughts down can help free your mind of worries.
Relaxing with a book, film or boxset
Reading books and watching television can offer a source of escapism from everyday life, even if it’s just a couple of chapters of your favourite novel or starting a gripping series you’ve been meaning to watch on the TV.
Switching off is important, if you don’t want to focus on a new storyline or plot, play your favourite film in the background as you sit down and put your feet up with your favourite cup of tea.
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Music
Listening to music has been shown to heighten positive emotions and is a great way to fill the silence if you just want to sit down and relax. There’s nothing like a good song to bring you back to a moment or listen to some soothing tones to relax your mind.
If you would like to speak to a member of the team and find out a bit more about life at Mayfield Villages, call 0800 840 9020.
