We live in a fast-paced world where we are always on the go, pushing ourselves to the limit. We glorify overworking, but one must maintain a healthy work-life balance to avoid burnout and ensure a decent quality of life. City folk are especially susceptible to overworking. They say New York never sleeps, but social media suggests that Perth is actually up until later hours into the night, and even in a city that never sleeps, you can benefit greatly from a nap!
Both your body and your mind need a break and deserve some relief so that they can replenish their energy to get you through the next day. Read on to find out how you can rest your body and mind and recover from everyday stresses.
Off Days
If you push yourself daily, be it in the office or in the gym, you need a day off every now and then. Even professional athletes take days off. It helps you break from the routine, reduces your chances of burning out, and helps you find a change of pace that can have you back in the office or gym with an invigorated attitude and recharged body. Think about it this way, if you eat the same thing every day you will want a change of meal at some point; the same thing is happening to your body with work and exercise. Even if it isn’t as pronounced or as noticeable, it’s there. Take a day off every week or every two weeks to help you recover from the grind of everyday life.
Recovery Days
Taking time off to find physical and mental relief is great, but you can also be proactive in your recovery and help yourself feel better and recharge. Most of us work hard in the gym but pay little to no attention to stretching. Stretching your muscles is a great way to make sure they aren’t tense or cramped. Sometimes, we can have severely tight muscles and not know it. These can present themselves in a variety of ways. The lack of post-exercise maintenance can actually prove detrimental to your body. Long hours in the office can be just as impactful on one’s body. Most of us have bad posture, and even if you maintain good posture, maintaining the same position for extended periods can harm your body. The wellness consultants at Openspacehealing.com.au explain that consulting a chiropractor can work wonders to relieve stress on your spine that you were likely unaware that you had. Along with chiropractic adjustments, massage sessions prove to be immensely helpful in relieving both physical and mental stress. You don’t need a daily massage or chiropractic sessions; once or twice a week should be enough to noticeably reduce your stress and provide physical and mental relief.
Meditation
Another key benefit one gets from massages and chiropractic adjustments is the meditative component. Meditation can work wonders on both the body and mind. The great thing about meditation is that you can do it alone at any time in the day. Meditation sessions can be as short as 10 minutes and as long as an hour. If you are new to meditation, you can have guided sessions and many apps are available today to walk you through a meditation session. Disconnecting from the world or focusing your thoughts for a short period every day can reduce your stress both physically and mentally.
Meditation can also be physical; many practitioners of yoga tout its meditative aspect and its breathing exercises can help you relieve your body and mind of stresses. If you seek a lower impact activity for meditation, consider gardening which can be calming, meditative, and fun all at the same time. There are countless ways to meditate and you just need to find the method that works best for you.
There are countless ways one can give themself much-needed relief. Some of these methods may not appeal to your interests and lifestyle, but their benefits have been proven time and time again to be real and effective. Understand that allowing yourself a break and a chance to recover is not a weakness but rather an act of self-care. We allow all our devices time to rest and we service our equipment regularly, and it is crucial to do the same with your body. Our mind and body are connected, so you must make sure that you relieve both of their stresses regularly to ensure that you are as healthy and productive as you can be.
