Taking time for yourself

As the summer continues and everyone enjoys some well-deserved downtime, why not take the time to put your feet up and relax. Whether that’s by running a hot bubble bath or enjoying a drink in the sunshine, the benefits of relaxing are numerous.

Relaxation has health benefits such as lowering our heart rate, reducing muscle tension, improving concentration and reducing fatigue. Taking just a few minutes out of our day to sit and relax really can pay dividends over the longer term, both for our mental and physical health.

One of the biggest things stopping us relax is our dependence on technology, endless notifications nowadays can make it feel like we are always ‘on’ even when we are at home. With that in mind, why not try a digital detox where you turn off your phone for a few hours and enjoy time in the offline world?

For some of us it can be difficult to relax when we’re busy with work and family or if you struggle to switch off. But it is important to look after ourselves, think of it as a form of self-care, you can’t look after other people if you aren’t looking after yourself first. If you don’t think you have enough time to fully relax, why not practice mindfulness or breathing techniques which can be done wherever you are.

Here are some of Sph2onge’s top 10 ways to relax:

-Listening to chill-out music

-Lighting scented candles

-Sitting out in the garden/park

-Running a bubble bath

-Practicing meditation or mindfulness

-Having a massage

-Organising or tidying up

-Having a nap

-Doing some exercise

-Going to a spa or sauna