Mind the gap!

So this week I wanted us to focus on a time in our day that is a big part of the route to wellbeing but is often forgotten or downplayed or even resisted…it’s called relaxation.

 Whether you live in the city or live in the countryside, work from home or juggle long hours managing the needs of a family, a loved one, young or old, never has time seemed so stretched, as for everyone those usual boundaries of work and home life continue to be blurred, as a result of Covid and multiple lockdowns in addition to our ever growing attachment to our phones, meant our minds are just not having a moment  to recover from the stresses of daily life and this must effect our mental health.

This gap I’m referring to is that time when we come in from work, or have put the kids to bed, or have eaten supper, whatever we were doing, there is a time when we need time to switch off, to calm down, to recalibrate.

Here we are, jogging, exercising, eating well, all the things we have educated ourselves to lead a healthier life that will aid us to build our immune system, but some fundamentals are being missed off our list – and at Homebody, we believe that gap is vital to enhancing a good sleep routine that will ensure a great night’s sleep and that you feel top of your game

Getting yourself into a good daily routine  will help retrain the mind and bad habits will disappear  even though we  haven’t got those formal breaks at various times in the day that we lived by months ago, let’s bring them in now and  stick to it for that time in the evening when you are desperate to relax and switch off but find you can’t as you want to look at your phone just one more time– so what can you do?

Here are my tips:

  • As soon as you are ready to stop in the evening
  • Try to keep to the same time every night for your evening routine to begin and the mind will follow
  • Take a warm shower/ bath
  • Change out of the clothes you have been wearing all day
  • It is VITAL not to wear what you have been wearing even if you were dressed in loungewear all day…get changed!
  • Make sure that the clothes you change into are comforting and soft, clothes that you enjoy wearing – we believe that Homebody’s superior soft thermo regulates fabrics enhance that feeling of relaxation and create the perfect environment to restore both mind and body
  • Turn the phone off at least an hour before bed and no work thoughts before bed
  • Try meditation when the mind is particularly busy – is it possible for you to switch off for even five minutes – there are guided meditation apps that can really help for those short of patience but need some help to refocus
  • A restorative smell works amazingly well – anything lavender is so calming but it might also be a familiar smell that comforts you – spritz the bedroom!
  • A good book is a great way to relax the mind and if you have a little bedside light, you can hit when the eyelids start to close, you will sleep like a baby!

So instead of rushing through that gap tonight, make time to enjoy those moments of relaxation, learn to recalibrate and most importantly get back into a new routine that works for you – it isn’t easy, but watch how mind and body will be restored once you start living this way!