Just relax, chill out, take it easy. If you are dealing with anxiety then you know this is easier said than done. But learning to relax and find balance is critical to your happiness and overall long term health. If you’ve been reading my blog for some time then you know how much I hate my current job. This can make it hard or dang near impossible for me to relax. And if I’m not careful the stress and anxiety from my current job situation can seep in to all aspects of my life. Especially during the weekend. As a side note I am focused on getting out of this situation with my ultimate goal being to exit the corporate rat race all together. This is always top of mind for me and helps drive my long term financial thinking. As I continue to deal with my crazy work situation I am so glad that I paid off my house a few years ago!
I used to get a bad case of the Sunday Night Blues and I would absolutely dread Sunday evening as I knew Monday was just around the corner. I would do anything to take my mind off things which many times involved me drinking a bit too much wine. However, I’m happy to say that I have created a new routine that does not include drinking alcohol and in the process I reminded myself how important it is to just relax sometimes.
Relaxing is Simple
The next time you’re feeling stressed try doing something you enjoy. I know it sounds simple but this has really worked for me. One of my favorite things in life is playing old school aka retro video games. So I built myself a cool little contraption called a RetroPie which is stuffed to the gills with old school video games like Shinobi, Galaga, Ms Pacman, etc.
So on Sunday evenings after the kids have gone to bed I fire up the RetroPie, turn on one of my favorite retro gaming podcasts, and drink some relaxing hot tea. This has become one of the highlights of the weekend for me! I’ve essentially created my “Zen Zone”! So even though this is on Sunday evening, I actually look forward to it. And having something to look forward to is so important. I get so relaxed doing this that many times I fall into a deep peaceful sleep.
While I’m playing I can feel my anxiety just melting away as I let the waves of nostalgia take me back to a simpler time.
So the next time you are feeling stressed just relax. If you are struggling with this sometimes it helps to just focus on your breathing. My anxiety is usually at its worse in the mornings before I get out of bed. I’ve found that just focusing on my breathing reduces my stress levels. Nothing fancy just deep slow breathes.
Find that activity that brings you bliss and inner peace and do that. Like I said, it really is that simple.
