57 Relaxing Things To Do

Burnout can be a real thing. And denying it or trying to fight it can only prolong the inevitable. That is why I created this list of relaxing things to do for us. Because I need a reminder that it is OK to take time off and find inner peace and to recharge,

Maybe you can feel the same?

So when it comes down to it, lets give us the freedom and right to listen to our bodies and take a load off.

To recharge, whether it takes a day or a week, to come back stronger and happier and healthier.

57 Things To Do To Relax (In General)

Do Breathing Exercises (That Help Anxiety/Tension)

If you are like me, you may be more on the intense side. Maybe you are super driven towards your short and long term goals. Or maybe you simply just want more out of life.

Regardless, we can gain more control over our anxiety and tension by focusing on our breathing.

Here is a post I wrote for you if you feel as if good breathing exercises would benefit your life.

If you don’t have time, I get it. A simple one you can do without reading the entire article is to simple draw breathe into your belly through deep nasal inhalation. Push out your belly softly while inhaling. Then when exhaling, bring your belly button back towards your spine.

This is diaphragm breathing. Do 20 repetitions of these, and you will feel much better.

13 Breathing Exercises For Anxiety 

Journal

There is so much going on in our heads. Each thought we put on paper, the more quiet our minds become.

Don’t over think it. Just start jotting down things. Stream of consciousness. Whatever comes to mind, put it down on paper. Don’t judge yourself.

Then later on, we can start targeting subjects that cause us pain and anxiety. At first, just keep it simple.

Stretch

The benefits of stretching are endless.

And when it comes down to it, if nothing else, it can ease tension in our body and make you feel more calm.

Nothing wrong with that, right?

Keep it simple. Stretch your quads, calves, hips, spine, lats and hip flexors. If you have time, you can stretch out smaller muscles like your biceps, triceps, forearms and neck.

Resource: Full Body Stretch Routine 

Walk Through Nature

Nothing calms me more than this. For whatever reason, it brings tranquility to me like no other. I am able to be super present in nature. Especially if there are tall trees around, it is easier to simply feel immersed in a peaceful environment.

Relaxing Things To Do At Home

Take A Bath

A bath is likened to getting us as calm as a meditation session.

To supercharge your healing and relaxation with your bath, add these healing things to it:

• Ginger
• Peppermint Oil
• Seaweed
• Epson Salt
• Coconut Oil
• Lavender
• Oatmeal
• Honey

Have A BBQ (Even just By Yourself)

Even if the meat is just for yourself, it is super relaxing to grill up some meat and veggies. This could be a great opportunity to relax and store some food for the next coming days.

IF possible, have some friends over and feed them!

Go to A Dog Park

Dogs are the happiest and kindest animals in the world. They truly know how to live in the moment.

Meditation 

You can meditate anywhere. And yet I find it easiest to do at home as I am most comfortable and feel the most safe and secure in a known environment. Plus less distractions.

The benefits of meditation include more peace of mind, better immune system, more empathy and more energy.

If you have never meditated before, I wrote an article for you to get you on the right track. Check it out:

Mindfulness Meditation (Meditation For Beginners)

Read

Reading can allow us to forget about the world around us and let go for a bit.

There was a study done that talks about how reading alone can reduce our stress levels by 68 percent. There is a reason for adding reading to our daily schedule.

Take A Snooze

For me, I always get so much more done and feel much better throughout the rest of my day when I take a nap. I try to do so on my lunch break each day. It is like an extra cup of coffee!

Go Get A Massage

I read in a great book called Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker. He talks about allocating 10 percent of your money to investing, saving and then blowing on fun stuff.

I think it is a good message.

And you are a hard worker, why not treat yourself.

Not only will this be a relaxing thing to do. It will also allow you to reward your brain, which will produce dopamine. Encouraging you and letting you know that you have worked hard, you deserve good things. The cycle will continue through this process.

If you can’t spring for a real massage, grab an at home device. Small enough to even bring to the office so you can use it when you feel stressed at work.

Relaxing Things To Do Before Bed

Write Some Poetry

Not only is this mentally challenging, it is incredibly relaxing. For me, it is like a meditation process. My mind forgets about the world, and is super focused on the task at hand.

Resource: How to Write Poetry: 11 Must Know Tips 

Soak Your Feet

After a long day, nothing feels better than soaking your feet in some hot water.

It can relax us enough to sink into bed and fall asleep fast.

You can always buy a foot bath for detox purposes, and knock out two birds with one stone. Getting healthier while relaxing.

Tune Into Binaural Beats

There are so many benefits of listening to binaural beats, other than simply stress relief. Some of those benefits being: increased focus and attention, more creativity, better mood and even pain management.

Go For A Long Drive

Every time I go on a long drive, I am able to clear my head. I try to drive somewhere where there aren’t too many distractions.

Somewhere out in the country where there aren’t too many cars. Just coast along and chill out.

Call A Friend And Reminisce

Friend or family. I guarantee they would love to hear you. We are all looking to build good relationships, and it is always good to think back on the past and think about all the good and funny times you had with people.

I know this is super relaxing, and it helps me sleep better when I talk to a buddy or loved one before bed.

Cook A New Recipe (Or Meal Prep)

I am not the best cook, but I can lose myself in the process when cooking. I also feel great about myself when I pre prep my meals for a couple days or the entire week.

Watch A Comedy Show Or Funny Movie

Psychology Today talks about a study done that talks about how night time laughter can raise melatonin levels in the body. And that chemical helps us sleep better.

They talked about how women who watched a Chaplin movie had elevated levels of melatonin through the process of analyzing their breast milk every two hours.

Pretty cool!

Do Some Gardening

Not only can this help us de-stress, it can also help us save money on our grocery bills if we get a nice little organic garden going. Maybe even a side hustle by selling some of the produce!

Win win!

Hit The Gym

If you like are me, then you actually come down nicely from a workout at night. If you don’t have time to go to the gym at night, then take a nice little jog or walk in the neighborhood or city.

I know I actually calm down more when I am walking through a bustling city. It is like being at a coffee shop and getting work done. I feel as if I can get more done when it is loud at a coffee shop then at home!

Does that make sense??

Plan Out Your Next Vacation

Nothing makes me let go of my worries then planning out a stress free vacation. The excitement builds and the anticipation sets in!

It can also let us get through the tough parts of our day with more ease, as there is light at the end of the tunnnel!

No matter how much you love your job and life, we all need to escape and rest and recover and just take a load off.

Sip a Little Tea and Honey

Some nice chamomille tea at night with some honey always helps me wind down. Here are some of the best teas for sleeping better:

Best Teas For Good Restful Sleep

Listen To The Waves (Or Audio)

There is something super soothing about listening to the ocean crashing onto a beach. If you can’t be at the beach, tune into an audio of waves crashing.

There are a ton of great guided meditations on Youtube that can get you Zen in no time!

Adult Coloring

Thought this was a thing of the past!? Think again. Studies show that adult coloring can bring one more calm and peace.

It talks about how low stakes make it a more fun and relaxing thing to do. You are focused on the present moment, outside of yourself.

It allows one to reap similar benefits of that of mindfulness meditation.

Play A BoardGame

You can’t deny this. Anytime the whole family gets together and plays some sort of board game, stress melts away.

Again this is placing the focus on something other than our monkey mind.

Playing board games can also help you us learn how to set goals, be more patient along with improve our cognitive function.

Dance and Sing

Whether it be in the car or in the house, I know every time I crank up the music and just vibe out, I feel less stressed out!

Rise and Shine Before the Sun Comes Up

There is something peaceful about the early morning.

There are less noises, less distractions. Double up on relaxation by reading a good book. Or simply just laying in bed, listening to a positive podcast.

Fishing

Not only is this relaxing, maybe you can catch yourself some dinner. Whip up some fish tacos with your big catch of the day!

Fly fishing can be even more relaxing once you get the hang of whipping the line.

Cloud/Star Gazing

Day or night, we can gaze up into the vast sky above us. Daytime, we can float with clouds that pass by.

At night, we can try and find constellations.

Go To An Aquarium

One of my most peaceful memories has to be me going to the aquarium with my mom as a young boy.

It seemed that the outside world just didn’t exist any more. That everything was right in the world.

Ahhh I feel relaxed just thinking about this memory!

Go On A Hike

For me, I like to go alone, without anyone. I put my earphones in and just go at my own pace. It really isn’t a fitness experience for me. I truly try to be present with my senses. Feeling every step I take. The wind on my face. And the sights around me. The birds chirping.

Go For A Bike Ride

Just cruise and cruise and cruise. Maybe hit a trail or even just a nice ride around the neighborhood.

Smile at the people you pass. Just let go of all worry!

Squeeze a Stressball

Those little stress balls are all something we can think back about. We all at one point got our paws on one of those little things and felt a bit better afterwards!

Simply Stretch Out Like A Dog

You know in the morning where we take a big stretch before getting out of bed? It feels great!

Why not just do this right now? Jump on your bed and bang out a couple sets of these stretches. It can make you feel better.

Roll A Ripple Ball Under Your Feet

A few minutes of torture can reap many benefits of ripple ball rolling. Some of those benefits include: Decreased anxiety and stress, preventing injury, improved circulation and even better sleep.

It makes sense as our feet our one of the most used structures on our body. They are holding up all of our weight and need some love too.

Celebrate Something

Find something to celebrate. Even if it is simply just a small win that you had during that day. I mean lets face it, we can’t really be stressed when celebrating right!?

It is focusing on the positive in life. And what we focus on expands. We naturally default to the negative. So in a way, it is consciously reseting our default mechanism to a positive space.

Set Short and Long Term Goals 

I know that when I set and tweak my short and long term goals, I feel much better about my life.

It gives me hope that my life is getting better. That in the next year to 10+ years, I will be doing more with my life. Saving more, giving more, living more.

Resource: 201 Things To Do Before You Die

Watch a Sunrise or Sunset

If you are like me, I have the most anxiety at night. So for me, I know one the most relaxing things for me to do is watch night sunsets. Although morning sunsets can bring us a nice calm start our day.

Side Hustle

Engaging in a side hustle around my passions or simply just to make an extra buck, has always allowed me to feel more calm.

I think it is getting my mind off my daily life. Breaking up the monotony and also feeling productive as you are richer that you were when you started.

Utilize Guided Imagery

According to studies, guided imageries main purpose is to create harmony between our mind and body. It can create more harmony in our blood pressure, respiratory patterns along with offer more hope in courage to attack the world with.

Do a Body Scan

If you are like me, you hold a lot of your tension in your shoulders and trapezoid area. It can be hard to subconsciously relax sometime.

So what can really help is to consciously become aware of our body. Do a scan starting at the tips of your toes, and then all the way up to the top of your head.

Try and identify areas in your body that you need to release. A couple of conscious efforts to relax tight spots will help a lot in creating more harmony in your body.

Hire Someone To Do A Chore For You

Maybe it is someone coming out and washing the car at your house. Maybe it is cleaning your whole entire house. Or maybe it is to do your yard.

We can bring relaxation to our lives by simply outsourcing the things we don’t want to do. Sure it may cost you some money, and yet the things that we don’t want to do, end up taking much more time to do them, compared to someone who loves doing it.

It can give us some time to relax as well as work a bit extra as we aren’t doing the things we dread. Or give us time to focus on a side hustle.

Do a Youtube Yoga Class

Yoga is insanely relaxing. It is like meditation as well as you burn some calories doing so. Also, if you don’t want to do yoga, why not try to do a different workout that you aren’t used to doing. Like kickboxing, ropes or circuits?

Create a Vision Board

A vision board can allow us to think far ahead. Set up times in our lives where we can visit the places our heart desires too. To do things like getting married, falling in love, becoming more through self growth, breaking through comfort zones, starting that business.

Resouce: 450 Vision Board Ideas

Turn Your Phone Off For A Certain Amount Of Time

I know for me, when I didn’t have a smart phone for a while, my anxiety was way down!

It is truly an addiction for me, I will admit this any day. When I disconnect from my phone for a bit, it feels nice, as well as feels like a solid breakthrough when I do it.

The thing that helps me most is to not look at it for the first 30 minutes to an hour when I wake up.

It allows me to more naturally come into my day. Not worrying about whats in my inbox, texts and calls I have to respond to, along with keeping up with the Jones on social media.

Smile at Everyone You See Out

Not only will this make someone elses day, it will make yours as well.

It lets us harness the power of gratitude and simply spreading some love.

Vent To A Friend

We all have things in our lives that are internally driving us nuts. I know I bottle things up a lot.

Then someone that cares about me will ask me, not how I am doing, but how I am ACTUALLY doing.

Haven’t you hd this happen to you too?

Someone that actually cares, really digs deep. Then we vent a little bit, and we feel more optimistic about our world!

Why not schedule these little happenings? Vent with a buddy once a week. Just let it all out. Give each othe the freedom to simply just be an ear to listen to them with.

Learn a New Skill

Learning something new can be both challenging and relaxing. It also gives us a sense of accomplishment that can boost self esteem.

Here is a resource that I made for you if you want some ideas on new skills to learn.

Resource: 53 New Skills To Learn

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation is a wonderful stress relieving technique that we can ad to our tool belt when we are looking for relaxing things to do.

At it’s essence, this is all about taking one body part and tensing it completely. As tight as possible with hurting yourself.

Then slowly releasing this tension.

Usually you hold the tension for 15 seconds then slowly release over the course of about 30 seconds.

Keep Your Jaw Happy

Maybe slap away on some gum, or eat something crunch like carrots or celery sticks. The crunch or constant motion of chewing gum always makes me feel a little better as it helps relieve the tension in my jaw.

Put Your Head Between Your Legs (Below Your Heart)

This is known to reset the Autonomic Nervous System. It can really allow us to reset our body and mind and feel more calm.

Visualize A Calm Body

It all starts in our mind, if our mind is peaceful, than so is our body. If our mind is chaotic, than our body is going to feel out of wack and tense.

You can simply see yourself relaxing in a tall field of grass. Chilling out and just letting go completely.

You can also envision your dreams coming true. Feeling yourself already having, doing and being the person and things you want in this life.

Punch a Punching Bag

For a while I was going through a really tough time in my life, and when I would feel out of control, I would simply go punch the bag. I picked one up off Craigslist of like 50 bucks and was in business.

I felt way more calm after my boxing sessions. And know this can help you too!

53 – Declutter Your Space

It is said that when our mind is chaotic, so is our environment. So why not just switch it up and clean up our space. Throw away things that we don’t use anymore.

Do a little spring cleaning no matter what season we are in?

It will make us feel more calm and happy.

Binge Watch A TV Show

Even if it isn’t something that is incredibly captivating. It is purely for the purpose of letting a load off. Get to know the characters. Get lost in their world temporarily!

Resource: 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time 

Go Camping

Even if it is a one night stay, just go get out in nature and not have to worry about what you look like for a day and night. Do a little hike, go fishing, cook over a fire, tell some stories around the fire. Get off the map!

If you can, just leave your phone at home or at least completely of.

Staycation

I guarantee that if we plan it right, we can grab a pretty awesome deal at one of the resorts near by our place. Live in lavish on the cheap. Live it up, grab a massage, float in the hot tub and pool.

Conclusion To Things To Do To Relax