How To Relax A Busy Brain

Let me run you through a little pre-sleep ritual many of you may be familiar with. It's not one of those lovely bedtime rituals meant to help you sleep better; it's the ritual that takes place in my brain while it point blank refuses to switch off and let me get some rest. It spools through the day just gone, analysing everything from something stupid I've potentially said at work to what I've eaten and whether I enjoyed it before moving on to imagine the next day; what am I going to eat? (a lot of this ritual revolves around food funnily enough) what am I going to wear? is there anything pressing I still need to do to prepare for the day, anything I need to remember? And often after that, while my body tosses and turns to find a comfortable position in which to drift off, my brain moves further ahead into the future; what's happening (or simply, what could happen) a week, month, year from now?

And so not only sleep eludes me, but 'relaxing' in general does as my brain battles to be constantly busy; I can make mental to-do lists in the bath, worrying that the time I spend sat in said bath is simply wasted. Don't get me started on meditating, the supposed ultimate key to relaxing and switching off your brain; for mine it's simply the perfect opportunity to think.

Despite the above having been the norm for much of my adult life, I do feel like over the past year or so I've learnt a little more about how to relax in ways that actually work for me. They're not necessarily anything stereotypical, but they're nothing particularly ground-breaking either.

R E A D I N G // There's something about getting lost in a good book that distracts my mind completely; I was trying to decide why and I think it's because while you've got a physical book in your hands you can't pick anything else up (for example your phone) and while you're taking in the words your brain can't wander either. It's total distraction for me, it completely relaxes me and that's utter bliss. I've started doing it every night before bed and it sometimes works at sending me off to sleep quicker. (My most recent book recommendations are here).

T A L K I N G // Whether it's a natter with Matthew at home or a catch up with a friend over coffee, having a good conversation often means I'm not distracted by the 101 banal things whirring around my brain. By 'good conversation' I don't even necessarily mean it has to be good quality, just a topic that you can both get stuck into, whether that's politics or Love Island. Conversation is 100% underrated.

P  R O D U C T I V E  H O B B I E S // I suppose hobbies in general probably relax most people and that's why they do them (unless your hobby is fire eating or some such), and for me I find crafty hobbies the most relaxing. I can lose hours on my sewing machine creating something (sub-par, but creating something nonetheless) and despite occasionally getting a little peeved if things don't quite go my way, I've still spent a good couple of hours being completely into something and not thinking about anything else.

C O O K I N G // I know a lot of people would vote baking over cooking, but I'm not a massive baker and have always preferred cooking an actual meal. Taking the time out of  my day (when I have said time that is) to chop, fry, boil and present something tasty on a plate is super therapeutic for me, especially when I've got someone to cook for (I say someone, I mean Matthew) and sitting down to enjoy the meal is just as much a part of the enjoyment of the process. 

How do you relax?

Amy x