Relaxation is a privilege. Whether we realize it or not, the amount of time we typically devote to relaxation is pretty insignificant. Most of us fill our days with work and family responsibilities, hobbies, exercise, and other activities that build security and happiness. 

Although these endeavors are certainly important, relaxation also has a place in our lives. We must begin to prioritize time for relaxation to reap the benefits it provides for our overall wellness. 

To help you invite more relaxation into your life, here are five tips to introduce time to unwind. 

1. Drink Herbal Tea

Herbal teas that promote relaxation and calmness are essential for winding down at the end of the day. Adding in cozy habits like tea time can help you feel more comfortable and relaxed at home. 

Stick to gold standards for sleep like a chamomile and vanilla tea collection to achieve the greatest state of calm. Adding warm milk into your tea may also produce sleepiness and help you ease into relaxation faster. 

2. Create a Nightly Routine

Staying on top of a daily schedule is only half of the battle of creating restorative balance in our daily lives. We also need to commit to incorporating a nightly routine that allows us to fully relax and shake off the day. Find a nightly routine you enjoy to help you wind down from the day.  

Establish a timeframe for winding down and during this time, avoid using electronics and instead partake in soothing activities like taking a bath or journaling about your day. 

Teaching your brain to expect your routine can make it easier for you to adjust to new relaxation patterns and also help to prevent insomnia. 

3. Open Your Mind

Another way to add more relaxation into your life is to practice mindfulness meditation. The practice involves allowing thoughts to come in using observation skills rather than attaching to the ideas and forming judgments about them. 

Letting things come and go like waves in the ocean teaches your mind to detach from the outcome and achieve a more relaxed state of being. 

Mindfulness meditation can be practiced as part of your nightly routine or when tension is running high throughout the day.

 

4. Use Essential Oils to Wind Down

Calming scents like rose and lavender can be placed in an oil diffuser to provide a calming aroma to your bedroom. Take your time preparing your oils and breathing in the fresh scents to create a sense of calm and relaxation as you wind down for the night. 

You can also purchase essential oil pillow spray to inhale the pleasing scents all night long. To add to the relaxing ambiance, light a vegan candle. Aromatherapy is a cheap and effective way to promote relaxation. 

5. Read Something Before Bed

To help you drift into a state of relaxation faster, end your nightly routine by reading a few pages of any book. Just let the words swirl around in your mind until you’re tired enough to call it a day. 

If you’re not much of a reader, you can listen to bedtime stories for adults or nighttime meditations. Listening to someone speak in a monotone voice can act as white noise and help you unwind quickly. 

The Bottom Line

Relaxation does not come easy, despite it being something we all want more of in our lives. Start prioritizing your relaxation by taking up soothing daily habits that help you ease into relaxation regularly. Unwind and relax using the techniques mentioned above and learn to embrace relaxation like you deserve.