The clocks have gone back and the days feel shorter, darker and suddenly colder. Autumn is stepping aside for winter to come through and boy, are we starting to feel it. Most of us will have jobs where the run up to Christmas is full speed ahead, overflowing with deadlines and pressures from all angles. And even though the festive season is meant to be full of joy it can be exhausting. Knowing how to unwind is important regardless of the month, so I’ve teamed up with E.ON to share their tips on how to recharge.
According to their research, they found people spend on average two hours a day relaxing and they wanted to see how I can relax for the same length of time. Which, as the fast-paced girl I am, is often quite tricky!
We need to recharge our batteries
We live in such a high-speed society that we never truly switch off, I even tried once and lasted a week with a complete social media detox. It felt incredible, but I realised how much I depend on it and how negative and stressed it can make me feel.
Is it just the winter blues?
When we become exhausted it can quickly spiral out of control, with feelings of being lethargic and fatigue. Eating healthy and working out, are often the first things to take a back seat, which has a huge impact on our daily lives. Felt like that too? You’re not alone. According to E.ONs research, 42% of us Brits have lower energy levels and feel like we need a recharge at this time of year. Apparently, it’s increased since last year with most feeling like they have no time to recharge.
Time to change
This has to stop. We need to take care of ourselves and stop putting downtime on the back burner, it should be as the same importance as eating well, sleeping well and training well.
How to recharge your mind
I decided it would be wise for me to get into good habits, especially as I know the next few months are going to be hectic. Below are the areas I found worked best for me when trying to recharge.
Get outdoors
Even though I walk every day with the dog, we perhaps don’t walk enough or mix up our routes. I decided to map out a few new routes for us to take and gave us a full 2-hour walk on Sunday morning. Regardless of the weather, I loved this activity because the fresh air felt amazing, and just looking at all the nature around me was very relaxing.
Turning your phone off
I’d previously had a social media detox where I turned off my phone and found it beneficial. So, with that in mind I decided to do two things, invite a friend for a cup of tea, instead of Whatsapp conversations or texts. I also decided that when they came over, for the next two hours I’d also turn off my phone. No distractions just friend catching up over Pukka Relax tea instead of anything caffeine fuelled.
Prioritising a hobby
I got a piano a month ago and painted it blue! Not only did I relax and thoroughly unwind painting it, I completely switch off and focus on the music when I play the piano. Playing the piano has always been a hobby of mine and is a hobby on a par with my love of swimming. Taking the time to put what I love first was really important in this process.
Stretch it out
Running is quite relaxing for me, especially if I am out on the trails, but I find yoga to be a firm favourite. Thing is, hardly anyone does yoga where I live, so I hunted down a class! I’m thrilled I discovered one where I can stretch and really relax. We can develop unhealthy posture habits if we spend lots of time deskbound, and for health purposes, it is important to stretch and open the airwaves.
Beauty baby
Seems very old skool to say this but a classic bubble bath, face mask and manicure really chill me out! I love the pampered side of this activity, but it’s very relaxing to do and the feeling afterwards is fantastic. You feel relaxed but refreshed as well.
After my challenge of getting 2-hours of recharging time, I realised how important having sufficient energy was in my life. Without it, I seem to fall apart, so I needed to make it a priority, That is what E.ON think, that not only do we need to recharge our own mind, body and soul, but it’s also important to ensure we keep the heart of our homes, the boiler, in good service too.
My house is that old that I still have a back boiler – never heard of that? Exactly! It makes some horrible noises and I know it is on the way out so we need to replace it. My parent’s boiler packed up last winter and it was horrible, my Mum has since been badgering me to get mine to replaced!
Interested to get your recharge on? Find out more on how you can recharge here.
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