5 Ways to sit back and relax

I like to make sure I set aside an hour a day where I don't have to do anything. If I have an endless list of things to do for the whole day, I go to bed wondering where the day's gone. It's important to take a second out to reflect or just switch off completely and there's a few ways you can do it, here are a few of my personal favourites. 

Listen to your favourite music - I'm very good at completely zoning out when listening to music, sometimes I find myself just staring at Spotify on my computer screen. When I'm listening to the right playlist I can switch off, there's not a single thought that crosses my mind. Although, sometimes I will pretend that I'm in my own music video, don't pretend like you've never done it! 

TV binge - There's nothing better than finding a show that you really get hooked on and you have a whole 6+ series on backlog to watch. I've recently discovered the Vampire Diaries and even though I was reluctant to let myself get into it at first, I soon found myself reaching for the Netflix button and spending hours vegging out on the sofa. 

Discover a good book - I make it no secret that I am possibly the worst reader of books in existence. Unless I'm reading a really good, enticing book I find it hard to motivate myself to read. However, I love to buy books, which means I have a tonne of books to sit back in a comfy chair and read. I love the feeling of reading a book and being unable to put it down, it also means I'm more motivated to take time out of my day to sit back and read.  

Take a Lush bath - Usually, if I've had a boring day or very stressful day I find I actually crave a Lush bath bomb. Not only do they smell amazing but they make your bath water a funky colour and just generally make bath time more fun. It's even better if you put on some relaxing music and just sink into the bubbles. 

Pinterest or Tumblr your heart out - What I love most about Pinterest and Tumblr is that they are very visual. There's little brain power needed in having a good browse and these two allow you to switch off and explore things you love most. If you want to plan your dream wedding, re-design a room or look up some new hairstyles, then Pinterest is a great place to get completely lost in and get creative with your own Pinterest boards. Or, if you're looking a bit of a laugh, want to look at some beautiful photography or if you're a part of a fandom and just want to fangirl out (hello Dean Winchester ;P) then go and get your Tumblr on. 

Let me know what kind of things relax you and wether you take enough time out of your day to sit back and relax. 

Meditation and Me

Meditation is something I always find myself crawling back to when my anxiety starts to take over my life. It's one of the hardest things to do but is one of the most effective and rewarding ways to combat stress and anxiety. 

It's not all om's, incense and chimey things, these days there are a bucket load of apps and websites to help you find your inner peace. Meditation is a very personal thing, some techniques work better for others and it really is about trial and error. For example, I cannot meditate to the sound of harsh instruments like pianos or the sound of singing. I'm more of a natural sound meditator with a dash of slowly building string instruments. 

That's one of the best things about apps like Calm, it gives you a catalogue of different soundtracks to pick from, so if one isn't working you can move onto the next and see if that does the trick. The hardest part of mediation is clearing your mind of all thoughts, I still haven't mastered this bit as my brain will try it's damn hardest to think of the most random things. 

I like to think of practicing meditation in a more scientific way, I think of my brain as a muscle (even though it's not) when you want a muscle to be stronger and do better at a certain activity you have to train it, which takes practice. Quieting your mind works in the same way, you have to practice and practice shutting up that voice in your head and eventually you can do it with ease. 

It takes a while for the effects of meditation to kick in, if you do it twice a day like I'm currently doing, it will take about a week to really feel a big difference. Depending on how much time I have in the mornings and the evenings I will meditate for between 10-30 minutes per session. Whenever I get asked how to manage my anxiety I always recommend meditation, most people will roll their eyes and put it down to hippy dippy stuff but it's a very portable and diverse skill to have. You can use meditation to calm yourself down in certain situations e.g. on public transport or before a big interview, it's such a great skill to have if you do have anxiety. 

Even if you don't suffer with anxiety and you just want a bit of 'me' time, check out Calm, you can use it either on their website or download their app. If that doesn't float your boat, try sitting somewhere quiet and focus on the sounds around you. It's all trial and error so don't give up after your first try.