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Inhale and exhale, because today, Tuesday, August 15th is National Relaxation Day 2023. It is a day about practicing self-care, taking care of yourself, and taking a break from the chaos of everyday life. It is important to supplement your hard work with rest and relaxation so as not to suffer from stress and fatigue. Doing so will not only make you feel better today, it will also help you be more productive later. So instead of worrying about that deadline, take a deep breath and give yourself a day where you can relax and take better care of yourself. Relaxing looks a little different for everyone, so we’re here to share a few different ways to reduce stress so you can decide which method works best for you and your needs.
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When is National Relaxation Day 2023?
National Relaxation Day is celebrated every year on August 15th. This year, that day falls on a Tuesday.
What is National Relaxation Day 2023?
National Relaxation Day is a day about practicing self-care and relieving stress by observing meditation and other relaxing activities.
What are the symptoms of stress?
There are many symptoms of stress, both physical and mental. Mental symptoms include being easily agitated, feeling overwhelmed, difficulty eating, low self-esteem and avoiding other people. Physical symptoms include low energy, headache, stomach pain (diarrhoea, constipation, nausea), insomnia, chest pain, flu, nervousness, dry mouth and teeth grinding.
What is burnout?
Burnout describes the effects of severe stress over a long period of time, often in a work context. This can cause physical and mental symptoms, including:
- Emotional and physical exhaustion
- Alienation from activity
- Reduced performance at work
These are just a few of the many symptoms associated with burnout at work. Knowing all the possible symptoms can put you in a better position to deal with your fatigue.
How to practice self-care for National Relaxation Day 2023
Focus on eating healthier
The saying goes that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. The way we eat plays a big role in how we feel and stress is no exception in this regard. Studies show that stress can lead to overeating and weight gain. This in turn can stress you out even more and cause you to eat even more. One way to break this cycle is to eat healthier and more nutritious foods. Still, eating healthier is often easier said than done. After a long and stressful work day, many of us would rather order something quickly than take the time to prepare food.
Luckily, you don’t have to sacrifice comfort for health. CookUnity is our favorite ready made delivery service. CookUnity offers a variety of delicious foods that you can filter using categories like “keto” and “vegan”.
Order CookUnity
Make sure you get a good night’s rest
After a long day, there’s nothing like a good night’s rest to recharge for the day ahead. Sleep is vital to our well-being—people who consistently sleep for less than eight hours are more likely to be unmotivated, lethargic, irritable and stressed. All of these symptoms are related to stress, so getting enough sleep can make you feel more relaxed.
We’ve tested countless mattresses in Reviews and have found the Tuft and Needle Original Mattress to be the best overall. Whether you sleep on your side or tend to sleep on your back, an affordable Tuft and Needle mattress helps you rest comfortably thanks to its foam that quickly conforms to your body.
$745 from Tuft&Needle
Next up: your pillow. You can’t sleep well without a good pillow and you can’t go wrong with the Original Pillow from Coop Home Goods. We tested it ourselves and love that it lets you fill it with as much or as little shredded memory foam as needed to meet your needs. Plus, it’s machine washable.
$72 from Amazon
Everyone knows what pillows and mattresses feel like, but what about weighted blankets? If you haven’t tried it, you should, as many swear by its calming and sleep-aid properties. The Gravity Blanket is pricey, but it more than meets its price point thanks to its luxurious feel and excellent weight distribution that kept our testers comfortable and at ease.
$200 from Gravity
Move your body by exercising
Exercise is another form of self-care that can be used to treat the effects of stress, as moving can take your mind off your worries. Exercise is great for your health, so it’s important to take time to move your body, especially if your job is mostly sedentary. You can even work out at your desk if you want.
If you’re going for a run, we highly recommend wearing the right shoes. Wearing the right running shoes, every step can feel like a smooth glide. For women’s shoes, we recommend the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 39 which provides better bounce when running than its predecessor.
$87 from Nike
For men’s shoes, we recommend the New Balance Fresh Foam 1080 V11 Running Shoe which is cushioned with breathable material to help the shoe flex and stretch as you run. Before you start exercising, be sure to take the proper steps to prevent heat exhaustion when exercising outdoors.
$135 from Amazon
For those who want to stay indoors while exercising, consider an exercise bike. The Peloton+ bikes are our favorites with their simple assembly process, easy customization, and many on-demand classes to get you started on your wellness journey.
$2495 from Peloton
Whatever exercise you want to do, a fitness tracker will help you stay on track towards your goals. The Fitbit Charge 5 is our favorite because it’s comfortable, easy to use, and tracks a lot of data—you can check calories burned, average running speed, and even how well you slept. Plus, it tracks stress levels by measuring electrical changes in your skin, meaning it’s the perfect tool to see how your fatigue is increasing.
$120 from Amazon
Change your perspective with yoga and meditation
Often, mental problems such as stress and anxiety can be reduced by changing your perception of the world and your role in it. Mindfulness meditation emphasizes mindfulness and acceptance to achieve a positive, calm state that has been linked to reduced stress and fatigue. This may be challenging for beginners, but there are apps that can help get you started. Headspace is our favorite meditation app and once you give it a try you’ll quickly realize why we love it so much. This application wastes no time getting you into a meditative mindset and offers many programs that will help you become more mindful. We also love that the program lets you customize the length of your meditation sessions and offers health-focused videos. Headspace can even help you fall asleep.
Try 14 days free on Headspace
Yoga is a form of self-care that combines meditation with low-intensity exercises focused on breathing and posture to reduce stress levels. For those looking to give yoga a try, the Alo Moves app is a great place to start. This is our favorite yoga app, as it offers a wide variety of yoga styles and teachers, and even personalizes suggested exercises for each user. Not to mention, its easy to use and rich content outweighs its price.
Try 14 days free at Alo Moves
To do proper yoga, you need the right equipment—at the very least, you need a yoga mat. Even if you already have a doormat, it may be time to replace it with a new one. Lululemon ‘The Mat’ has everything you could want in a yoga mat. It is large, provides perfect softness and is easy to clean.
$98 from Lululemon
You may want additional accessories, such as the yoga block offered by Gaiam. They hold their shape, provide a firm grip and are soft to the touch.
$11 from Amazon
Pay attention to other forms of self-care
There are many ways to relax and relieve stress. One way is through the art of massage. You can give yourself a massage using the convenient foot spa. We tested many foot spas and found Ivation Foot Spa Massage to be the best overall thanks to features such as adjustable heat, massage rollers, water jets, and a timer.
$90 from Amazon
Why settle for just soaking your feet when you can treat the rest of your body? Long soaks in the bath are a tried-and-true way to reduce stress. With bath bombs, you can elevate your next shower session and rest assured that it will make you feel like you are in the lap of luxury. They are pleasant, fragrant and quite affordable. In particular, we recommend the LifeAround2Angels Bath Bomb. Not only does it smell and look great, but it actually moisturizes your skin—all without staining your bath tub or towels.
$27 from Amazon
While you’re at it, surround yourself with the relaxing scents of essential oils to help you relax. We liked Saje Aroma Oum out of all the diffusers we tested. Cool design, easy to use, and made of high-quality materials.
$106 from Saje
When you head to bed, we recommend you use the Renpho Eye Massager, which will help relieve the strain on your eyes to make it easier for you to fall asleep.
$70 from Amazon
After you are done with your self-care ritual, put on a comfortable robe and try to focus your mind on positive things. Adult coloring books are a great way to keep your mind active and distract yourself from worrying thoughts. Cindy Elsharouni’s Stress Reliever Adult Coloring Book is a great choice, with over 60 cool designs you can fill in (even if you don’t have the best coloring skills).
$128 from Amazon
Another practice people swear by is the gratitude journal. Our tester found a gratitude journal to improve her sleep and overall happiness by simply writing down the things she was grateful for. While you can buy a new journal, you probably already have one at home that is perfect for the job.
$7 from Amazon
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