It’s that time of the year again when it’s dark in the mornings on the way to work and dark when we get home from the office at night. While I just want to hide under a blanket during these bleak months, Christmas is also fast approaching – in fact at lightening speed! On top of that, there are all those pesky little things that need to be ticked off towards the end of the year, such as my tax return, renewing my health insurance and my TV licence, making a dentist appointment, handing in uni assignments, all that ‘fun’ stuff. Sigh.
– put up things around the house that make you smile (holiday mementos, pictures of friends and family or snapshots of yourself as a child) or prominently displayed signs (on the desk, bathroom mirror etc.) that say “inner calm” or whatevery your favourite mantra is that helps you relax
– light a few candles in the evening as they give any living room or bathroom a lovely soft glow and help you to relax (make sure you put any candles out before you got to bed and NEVER light a candle in your bedroom as they are a real fire hazard)
– buy a room spray which is made of only natural ingredients, I use lavender in my bedroom and a mix of orange, lemon and frangipani for when I’m studying
– go to bed half an hour earlier than usual and if you read before going to sleep make sure it is something lighthearted or inspirational
During The Work Week
– go to a pilates or yoga class before or after work to warm up your muscles and relax your body
– if you feel you have too much on your plate, spend five minutes making a list of the things you need to do and sort them according to priority, ideally at the end of your work day, so the next one already starts with a bit less stress
– if you enjoy being in the water, swimming is really good for the soul (especially if the pool is part of a spa or has a steam room attached), if you can’t track one down close to your workplace or home, turn your bathtub into your personal spa, just add candles, relaxing music, bubble bath
– don’t take on other people’s stress or bad energy, be supportive, but always keep your own boundaries in mind as well
– one of the things that really keep me from panicking when I am snowed under with work is to only ever tackle the issues of that particular day and pushing aside any thoughts of the ones that can be dealt with the following day
– think of what you really value in life by e.g. drinking a second cup of tea with a friend (camomile or lavender work best for calming the nerves) instead of rushing away to buy Christmas presents half an hour before the shops close
At The Weekend
– book a city trip, e.g. to Budapest where they have some amazing thermal baths, I love making happy plans for the future, as they already make me happy at the time of planning them