Unwinding

School is tiring both physically and mentally. It is hard to tell when you are mentally exhausted, and it is quite a difficult state that can eventually result in burnout. To prevent that you should take time to unwind and recharge your brain. The main idea of unwinding is to focus on something completely different to the activity you have just done, whether that be a day at school or a revision session. Here are 10 different ways to unwind after a hard day:

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1. Exercising can release tension in your body and keep your body healthy.

2. Journaling has many benefits such as helping plan out your goals, expressing your emotions in a healthy way, improve your writing skills, and relieve stress.

3. Taking a break from social media can help you to focus on things in your life that are truly important. It’s common knowledge that social media can lower self esteem and waste time that otherwise could’ve been spent doing something productive. Additionally, social media can impair your sleep patterns. Blue screen light makes your brain think that it’s daytime. As a result, your sleeping rhythm will be off and when it’s time to actually go to bed, you won’t be able to fall asleep easily.

4. Clean and Declutter. Believe it or not, but one big thing that can stress you out is your space. Take some time to clean and declutter your house. It’s probably impossible to do it all in one day so break it up over several days.

5. Watch your favourite film or series. This can help your brain to focus on something completely different than your work.

6. Spend time with your friends and family.

7. Get Creative. Whether it’s knitting, painting, or making jewellery, crafting is a great way to unwind after school. Creativity-focused activities like these allow our brains release dopamine, which is a natural antidepressant. According to research, indulging our creativity not only improves our mental health, but our physical health too.

8. Relax in a warm bath or shower. Warm water has a calming effect on the mind and body as it relaxes the muscles. Combine this with an Apollo candle or some luxurious shower creams. Hot water also helps to prepare your body for a restful nights sleep.

9. Read a book. There's a number of reasons why reading a book is a good way to relax and unwind. Research has shown that reading a book for as little as 6 minutes can reduce stress levels, so it's the perfect hobby to relax and unwind after a day at work, and helps distract you from feeling stressed.

10. Go to bed early. Getting a good nights sleep helps to restore energy after a long day and prepare you for the following day ahead. If you want to get a good, relaxing nights sleep you should make sure your bedroom is free from distractions.