woman relaxing on a couch with a cup of tea

4 ways to unwind after a long day

LIVE healthier | 3 MIN READ | 2018-01-19

Had a crazy day? Need to reset your brain and just ‘chill’? Don’t worry, we’ve got you. Here are some of our favourite ways to unwind after a long, stressful day.

Get zen

Meditation is right up there as one of the best ways to unwind after a long day, or any day really! The art of relaxing and focusing your mind is a great skill you can learn to master with time and a little bit of patience. If you’re a newbie, here’s a few tips to help get you started:

Find a quiet place – somewhere you’ll be able to tune out the world around you. It could be your bedroom, your home office, or wherever works for you! Haute Living suggests setting the mood with comfy pillows and blankets, opening up a window to let some fresh air in or lighting a candle or incense.

Turn it off. Yes, that means your phone, the TV or computer that’s humming in the background. Powering down your devices will help your body and mind know that it’s time relax.

Throw on some soft music or a guided meditation - there are so many to choose from! Scouring YouTube is one way to do it, or you could try downloading one of these mindfulness apps.

If you really want to ease into it, have a look at this learn how to meditate infographic or these 6 easy to do meditation techniques.

Sweat it out

Research says that exercise is not only key for your heart, but your head, too. It’s truly one of the best ways to melt away stress (and as an added bonus, a few calories!). Be prepared, however, to put in some hard work – and don’t expect to love it right away. According to Harvard Medical School, “in the beginning, exercise will be more work than fun. But as you get into shape, you’ll begin to tolerate exercise, then enjoy it, and finally depend on it.”

Treat yo’self

What could possibly be better than taking a little ‘me time’?! Popsugar has some great ideas when it comes to treating yourself – 12 to be exact. Here are a few of our faves that are good for the body, mind and soul:

Draw a long, hot bath. Don’t forget the fancy bath bombs and bubbles!

Treat yourself to a mani-pedi or salon service. Or better yet, save some cash and DIY.

Slap on a store-bought face mask, or better yet – make your own.

Show your muscles some love. Have someone give you a massage or take matters into your own hands and use a therapy ball (a tennis ball works wonders, too!) or foam roller to rub out some of those kinks.

Cook a nourishing meal. After all, taking care of your body from the inside out is one of the best ways to treat your body and mind!

Netflix and actually chill

When all else fails, there’s always Netflix. While we don’t necessarily promote binge-watching for days on end – there’s nothing wrong with zoning out on the couch from time to time. According to an article by Flare, plenty of successful, hard-working women turn to Netflix after a long day – like Chakameh Shafii, founder of the online therapy platform, TranQool. Her guilty pleasure of choice? Gilmore Girls. 

Speaking of – here's a little list of some of the best Netflix shows to watch after a long day to get you started.