10 Quick and Easy Ways for Women to Unwind and Relax

Women are the most amazing creatures on Earth. They constantly juggle families, work, life, adversity and anything else the universe throws at them, often to the detriment of themselves. But women are often so busy putting others first and getting sh!t done, that they forget or run out of time to unwind, relax and give their bodies the much needed time to re-energise in order to stay healthy – body and mind.

Once upon a time, we only had to do this juggling during week days. You would work hard all week, come home and do what you need to there, and then on the weekends, you would take it a little more easy, spend time with the fam, cook a Sunday roast, maybe even go to church (if that’s what you are into). But you had the opportunity to have down-time moments, and you knew, no matter how busy the week days were, you only had to push through until the weekend and you could let your body catch up with yourself and life.

These days, our weekends have turned into any other day, or they become the “catch up” days where you are taxiing kids to all their weekend commitments, doing all the housework and attending functions and events for one cause or another. It’s gotten to a point where we don’t get that down-time and a week day is just as hectic as a weekend day. If we do manage to squeak in a bit of ‘me time’, we feel guilty stopping and taking time out because we are not being productive and crossing things off our “to do” list.

So how do we stop and take that time to unwind and relax without taking too much time?

Well, it’s easier than you think and can be done in just a few moments a day.

Drink – Stop, sit down and have a drink. No – I don’t mean something alcoholic. I mean make or buy yourself a coffee (you could even make a coffee date with your friends at the local coffee shop). But only takes a moment to make yourself a cuppa at home and enjoy it. Why not even read your favourite magazine and catch up on all the gossip from ‘the glossies’ while you are at it! Herbal teas also are very beneficial for relaxation. Find one you like and brew it up!

Dance (this one is actually my favourite) – Pop on your favourite tune and just dance! As the saying goes, “Dance like no one is watching.” A song is roughly about 3 minutes long. You will be surprised just how much you can unwind and lift your mood in 3 minutes! Don’t have a favourite tune? I will lend you mine – it’s “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk The Moon. I’ll even give you a link to my favourite dance montage on YouTube with this song so you can learn some new dance moves. So no excuses now. Get dancing!

Home pamper – Give yourself a manicure, pedicure, facial, mask, scrub, self-tan, have a hot bath, use aromatherapy, enjoy a looooong shower (I wouldn’t do this one often with water restrictions in place – not very water wise), or a combination of a few of these things. Why not pop on a mask while you are enjoying that cuppa and reading ‘the glossies’.

Mindfulness – Mindfulness is available to us in every moment, whether through meditations or mindful moment practices like taking time to pause and breathe when things feel overwhelming. It can take as little as 5 – 10 seconds to breathe deeply, or you might like to try a mediation from apps such as Smiling Mind (available for free in your App Store on both android and iOS platforms).

Play with your pet – There’s something very therapeutic about petting or playing with a pet, even if it’s just for a few moments (Just ask my dog! He will tell you that petting him is always a good idea….but I think he may have an ulterior motive! Ha ha).

Practice gratitude – Write down 5 things a day that you are grateful for in your life. Put some real thought in to it instead of saying, “I am grateful for my French martini” (don’t worry – I’m often grateful for one of those, but you get what I mean). You might even like to start a gratitude journal. I learnt this one when I went to hear Opera speak in person on her Australian tour a couple of years ago. You can read about that experience here.

Get moving – Go for a walk, do yoga, exercise in some way, ride your bike, swim or dance. Whatever takes your fancy. Doesn’t have to be for long. 10 minutes can be good for the mind and 30 mins for the body. A very good way to clear your head and love your body.

Bake – Cook something you love to eat and enjoy every bite! Enough said on that one really (ha ha). For me it’s usually lasagne or something involving chocolate!

Laugh – Listen to a funny podcasts, watch a comedy show or a sit-com, cue up Australia’s Funniest Home Videos on YouTube or maybe a bit of catch up TV. Anything that will make you laugh. As another saying goes, “Laughter is the best medicine,” so find something that makes you laugh. Again, you could enjoy that cuppa and facial while you are doing it. An episode of your favourite sit-com only takes 30 minutes and some YouTube clips only last 3 minutes. Something I sometimes do is stream episodes of my one of my favourite comedy shows while I’m cooking something I love to eat (usually something like Mrs Browns Boys – not everyone’s cup of tea, but you get what I mean).

Act like a kid – Allow yourself to be silly for a moment every now and then. It’s another good way to bring a little bit of laughter into your day.

So sistas, I want you to fall in love with taking care of yourself for just a moment each day. It is very important, doesn’t take much and it makes the world of difference. Remember – It’s not selfish to love yourself. It’s a necessity. We all know the consequences if you don’t unwind and re-energise. Your body or your mind (or both) will fail you and nothing on that “to do” list will get done.