The best (eco-friendly) ways to destress this winter

Are you feeling stressed right before the holiday season? Well, that’s typical for the month of November. So here are some healthy and eco-conscious tips to step into the new year without carrying the burnout!

When we think of winter, we think of the holiday season. We think of reconnecting with friends and family and showing everyone how much we love them. Of course, we also think about all the stress that comes in the weeks and months surrounding the holiday season. 

The weather gets worse, and the days get shorter. Work pressures somehow always seem to mount up around this time, particularly now when everything is so unpredictable. Then there are all the coughs, colds and other various illnesses that come around hard this time of year. 

That is why it is so important that we find ways to relax, disconnect and destress. It has been a brutally tough eighteen months or so and we all owe it to ourselves to make sure that we can take a break before we start thinking about, well, all the other things that we need to think about. 

If you need a few tips to help you get started, here are our suggestions for the best eco-friendly ways to destress this winter.

Make Some Time That’s Just For You

Let’s start with one of the essentials, shall we? We all need some time that’s just for us. This is especially true if you have family responsibilities. If you have been craving a night or two away from everything, then think about getting a babysitter or sending your kids to their grandparents for a few days and heading away somewhere by yourself or with your partner. 

A family vacation is great, but something as simple as a night or two in a hotel where you do not need to be taking care of anyone else can make a real difference to your mental health. If you’re struggling to make a long break work, then something as simple as a walk in the park by yourself can be an invaluable way to step out of the current situation and re-orient yourself. 

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Get Into An Active Hobby

It can be difficult to summon the motivation to get outside into the fresh air when the weather starts turning. Sure, during the summer you can roll out of bed for a job before work, but when it’s still dark when you get up and it’s freezing cold and raining, we all tend to roll over and hit the snooze button. An active hobby is a great way to make sure that you are staying fit and healthy, and it can also be a great way to get out of your house and out of your head. 

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Cycling is fantastic exercise, and a long-distance ride is one of the best ways to disconnect that there is. You could even think about taking a cycling vacation. The USA has some of the best national parks and scenery in the world, so getting out of the city and into the great outdoors must be high on the list of any dream vacation. 

Now, it can be a little tricky to figure out the best way to take your bike with you so if you are wondering how to travel with a bicycle, check out this guide from Velosurance. Bicycle insurance is essential if you are hitting the road on your bike and they can help you find a comprehensive policy that is right for you. Safety comes first!

Practice Yoga or Meditation

Yoga is one of everyone’s favourite to distress & reconnect. When we think of yoga, we relate to the asanas or even the sitting meditation position, yet there is so much more involved in the practice. Yoga is not about working out, but working in. Like Jason Crandell says “Yoga is the perfect opportunity to be curious about who you are.”

In this beautiful Free Yoga e-Book we share some very simple Pranayamas (breathing techniques), Asanas and other really useful tools to get started on your yoga journey, and do it in the most eco-conscious way!

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Ditch The Screens

It should come as no surprise that screen time went up at a dramatic rate during the pandemic. We have all been spending far too much time on our computers and our phones, and while it has obviously been important to stay on top of the news, we all know that nothing good comes from doom scrolling. 

If you want to destress, think about how you can reduce your screen time this winter. It could be as simple as setting a time limit on your devices, or you could think about leaving them at home when you set out for the weekend.

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Listen To What Your Body And Mind Are Telling You

When we are having a hard time, it can be easy to ignore what your brain and your body are telling you. There’s no time to take a break, you have too many items on your checklist to go for a ride, and so on. As we head into the winter, those responsibilities continue to stack up, and you need to make sure that you start listening to what your body is saying. 

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We have learned a lot about mental health in the last eighteen months, and we know what can happen if we push ourselves to the point of burnout. So, if your body is telling you that you need to rest, find a way to take a step back instead of loading up on caffeine and sugar. If your brain is saying that you are taking too much on, reach out to someone and talk instead of putting your head down and getting on with it. Destressing is often about disconnecting but it’s also about engaging with yourself.