Follow These Tips to Help You Relax

Summer is known as a time to unwind, rest, and rejuvenate. Not all of us take the time we need to refresh and be ready to take on whatever responsibilities are left in the second half of the year. Why not try taking a Homebody Day? Give yourself a full day (or at least a solid, uninterrupted 12 hours) for some quiet time to yourself. Avoid doing chores or taking on a project—the point is to do something that you consider fun, relaxing, and reviving while not creating more work for yourself. 

Taking a time-out can help you make better sense of your internal dialogue so you can stop spinning your wheels and clarify the messages that you tell yourself… and the rest of the world. Whenever you’re feeling overrun with mental chatter, take some time with activities that will help you quiet it. 

Use these ideas to rest and recharge in the security and nurturing comfort of your own home:

Prepping for your Homebody Day 

The day before, set up your meals so you don’t have to worry about cooking or ordering takeout. Know what, when, and from where you’re ordering and schedule delivery times. (It’s going to be nice to not have to worry about this tomorrow!)
Make sure your alarm is not set. Jolting up from a sound sleep is not rejuvenating.
Write a list of all the tasks and mental chatter that has been clouding your brain space. 
Shut off any mobile notifications that could potentially cause you stress or frustration, or remind you of any part of the world outside that you want to forget for the time being. You can shut off your phone entirely, but it’s your call. If being unreachable is going to cause you added stress, it might not be worth it. 

Rise and Shine, your Homebody Day Has Arrived

If you’re energized enough to do so, get up (as in, out of bed) when you wake up. Or not. Stay in bed another 15 minutes... or an hour or two. 
Change out of your bedclothes. You can put on something just as comfy, but it should be fresh and clean. Think about it—you probably won’t feel rejuvenated during the day if you’ve been wearing rumpled, grubby clothes. 
Eat breakfast. Savor the tastes, colors, and textures. Eat your other meals at times that suit you, taking the time to savor them. 

Activity Time 

Take part in something at home without feeling like you’re really doing anything. No need to produce anything today. Anything you do today shouldn’t feel like work or a chore, and avoid picking any activity that will require a lot of follow-up (or clean-up) once the day is over. For example, you may enjoy working on a craft project or creating a vision board, but if it’s going to create a mess that you’ll have to find time to clean, it might not be as rejuvenating as other activities, like reading or binge-watching TV. 
Make sure whatever activities you do pick are low-maintenance, fun, and feel like “play.” Remember that whatever you are doing, the second it stops feeling like play, STOP the Nactivity and move on to something else. 
You can focus on one activity for the whole day or try out several. 

Reflection

Now that you’ve experienced your Homebody Day, take some notes based on your experiences. What did you like about taking this time? How did it help you? During what part of the day did you feel stressed, guilty, or like you should be doing something “more productive”?
Would you schedule another Homebody Day for yourself in the future? Why or why not? What elements did you find most helpful and how can you incorporate them into your day to day life? 

The Homebody Day should be a welcome, low-key respite from the demands of an overactive world. I hope you find some enjoyment in taking some time to unwind and recharge. 

—Victoria Crispo, July 2015 Career Coach