In our daily life, at work, and through other commitments, we often push ourselves and have an unreal idea of how much we should be able to achieve. We try and be everything to everybody and forget about ourselves.
It can be hard to 'step off the treadmill' and give yourself a break plus we don't always remember that there are different types of breaks we can all benefit from once in a while.
With the bank holiday weekend coming up maybe it's a good time to press the pause button for a bit?
We've got a few ideas for simple ways of giving yourself a break...
5 Ways of taking a Physical Break
Replace strenuous exercise with something less intense like stretching or take a walk instead of going for a run.
Take a long, hot bath to take the weight off your muscles and joints. Adding a handful of magnesium salts to your bath will help to alleviate any aches.
Allow yourself extra sleep, whether that's by going to sleep earlier or staying in bed a bit longer.
Take a break from alcohol, processed food, and sugar to allow your body to cleanse itself a bit.
Relax in a sauna or steam room to sweat out the build-up of chemicals and let your muscles relax and recover.
5 Ways of giving yourself a Mental Break
Practice a deep breathing technique to calm your nervous system and clear your thoughts.
Immerse yourself in nature. Breathe in the fresh air, feel the ground or grass underneath your feet and focus on being present ... on enjoying here and now and the scenery.
Indulge in a guilty pleasure. Read a magazine or a book, go shopping, take time over drinking a delicious coffee or do something else you really enjoy.
Simply sit. Choose to do nothing at all for a moment - release all your thoughts. Just be.
Do something that is therapeutic for you - sing, do some gardening or baking, knit, dance, whatever takes your mind of things.
5 Ways you could take an Emotional Break
Replace regrets with dreams. Whenever you start thinking about what you should have done, shift your focus to what you plan to do now. It’s far more empowering and a lot less draining.
Make a Gratitude List. Write down the things you’re grateful for. Identifying the things that have brought us joy is a powerful way to create more.
Utilize progressive muscle relaxation, which involves tensing and then relaxing one muscle group at a time, starting with your face and then working down to your feet.
Breathe away negative emotions - hold your thought, take a deep breath and then slowly breathe out and blow the negative thought away.
Count successes. Make a note of all the things you’ve done well, and give yourself permission to be proud instead of dissatisfied with what you haven’t done.
Source: https://tinybuddha.com/
If you try some of these ideas and you find that some of them work for you it might be a good idea to take note of them and make sure you set time aside to take these little breaks regularly. Maybe even put a little note in your diary for when you plan to concentrate on some time for self-care again. It can really help to avoid reaching the point of burning yourself out before you realise it's needed.
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