How To Decompress When You’ve Been a Busy Bee

I know I write posts like this approximately every two weeks as I’m sure the automatically generated ‘related post’ section under this copy will show you, however I feel like stress is an important topic to check-in with regularly. We all feel it. We’re utterly shattered from the previous week and ‘busy’ just doesn’t seem like a word which really sums up just how packed in with schedules, stuff and various social events we are these days. I think it’s time to invent a new word.

Whilst I mull on that, here are some ideas on how to decompress tonight and over the weekend. Yes, they’re pretty obvious ones, but hopefully they’ll serve as a gentle nudge; a reminder that you’re allowed to slice out some time for you to fill up your glass of energy, however works best. I’ve thrown some of my personal suggestions below, but feel free to adjust where necessary. In fact, this post turned in to a bit of a mid-month random favourites, with suggestions for my favourite T.V shows, cookbooks and podcasts. It’s brimming with heart rate lowering ideas to make you feel chill AF. Have a read…

MAKE FOOD. If there’s one thing in life that I haven’t yet managed to master, it’s the act of travelling whilst nourishing myself well. All concept of nutrition gets thrown out the window whenever I’m away from home for a diet of mini bar snacks, fries, desserts and French toast everyday for breakfast. IT’S HEAVEN. I dine out like I am never going to dine out ever again. So now I’ve got my feet back on U.K soil for the foreseeable future, it’s time to eat something that actually contains vitamins and minerals. Although I find meal planning a drag, I do enjoy cooking and trying new recipes. In fact in the week before Vegas, Mark and I ate exclusively from Dana’s book ‘Minimalist Baker’s Everyday Cooking’ which actually vegan and it was LUSH. Big points for the Apple and Beetroot Smoothie, Garlic and Pineapple Quinoa Stir-Fry and the Chickpea, Carrot & Potato Curry. There’s something about the process which calms me down and forces me to step away from the laptop. Plus, the end result is 95% of the time, worth it.

ORGANISE! This one is extremely applicable to me, but might not be such a stress reliever to people who aren’t so anal and organisationally obsessed. However, if you find yourself grinning like a Cheshire cat at the appearance of a charity bag and a feather duster then this might be a point to consider. Personally I know whenever I’m feeling stressed that it’s not only mental clutter but physical clutter too, that really starts to get my goat. I’ve earmarked the kitchen to be tackled this weekend, but a few weekends ago I sorted out our photo albums and afterwards I felt so flippin’ good (Oh man, listen to myself – Could I sound lamer!?). I stuck on some music, had a glass of wine whilst I did it, stopped regularly for breaks to look back at old photo albums and coo over pictures of our last flat and all our mates, ‘WE LOOKED SO YOUNG!’. Sometimes it’s the act of tidying, whilst feeling like I’m being a little bit productive that chills me out. I know. I’m an odd one.

BE A SOCIAL BUTTERFLY. I’ve been a pretty pants friend over the past couple of weeks. Being away for three weeks out of about five, hasn’t exactly helped that matter but when I have been home I’ve been buried in my office with my laptop or in the kitchen trying to make a recipe that actually includes vegetables to try and balance all the pizza/pasta/oodles of room service that I’ve been consuming. I’m someone who restores their energy from being alone and spends it when I’m around others, whereas for some that situation will be switched around. That doesn’t mean that I find being around friends a stressful task though, as it’s always the complete opposite and I leave feeling good and with my tummy muscles aching from laughing so hard. So I’m vowing to spend this weekend getting my battery levels back up to full and then diving right back in to being a good mate and actually having a social life again next week. Mates, prepare yourself for a barrage of ‘WHEN ARE YOU FREE?’ WhatsApps. You ain’t going to be able to get rid of me.

WRITE SOMETHING. This isn’t going to be universal stress reliever, but for some of us writing is a way to decompress whilst actually getting something done. For me I find writing a blog post a very relaxing to-do list item, and so if I’m having a day where my brain feels like it’s constantly buzzing then I ditch the tasks that are creating a hum and instead stick to tapping out some post drafts. Or I write thank you cards, which always feels like I’m back in school and doing some kind of test because I hand write so little these days. Perhaps you fancy yourself as an author so put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard and get scribing. Or maybe you just want to write your mate a letter. How nice would it be to receive a handwritten note?

A NEW PLAYLIST. I know I’m nuts for podcasts at the moment (The High Low, Who Weekly?, Love Stories, Couples Therapy and Popcast by The New York Times are my current favourites), but this past week I discovered that a well curated playlist can work wonders for the ol’ stress barometer too. I hasn’t made a playlist on Spotify for yonks and instead tend to download those created by others, or just add songs to one long list of current favourites which I began in March 2015 and is snappily called ‘March 2015’. But this week I made my top 10 favourite songs of all-time (which I’ve been keeping a list of for the past year in my notes app and re-arranging and tweaking as appropriate) into a playlist and played it through one day as I worked at my laptop. It was GLORIOUS. You try not to sing along during No Doubt’s ‘Don’t Speak’ and sway to the saxophone solo of George Michael’s ‘Careless Whisper’! Stick it on – dance, sing, go for a long drive – and I promise you’ll feel fab by the end.

THE OBVIOUS CHOICE. Of course the obvious choice here is to stick on Netflix and attach yourself in a semi-permanent way to the sofa. I ain’t mad about it. Sometimes getting engrossed in a new show is the only way to crowbar my phone out of my hand and that’s ok. If we’re talking recommendations here I haven’t got too many up my sleeve right now because if I’m honest I’m knee deep in Nora Ephron’s ‘Heartburn’ at the time of writing this. However The Defiant Ones is a cracking documentary on Dr Dre and Jimmy Iovine, charing the rise of hip hop in the nineties and the birth of of their electronics brand. Then of course I have to throw RuPaul’s Drag Race in there, which has been an absolute RIDE this season. I can confirm that watching Drag Queens identify an aubergine by using their buttocks is a great stress reliever (season 10, episode 7).

Photos by Lauren Shipley

*Sign up to my monthly newsletter ‘An Edited Life’ here*

SHOP THE POST