Time to adopt a more relaxing ritual in your life that helps you to be still and take a deeper breath. Try our new JOGB pure essential oil Mood Drops in Relaxing SLOJO. To view all new Mood Drop aromas check here.

Pause

Practice switching off and stepping away from a stressful situation for a few moments, or giving yourself time and space away from your thoughts and responsibilities may help you feel calmer and more relaxed. Above all, put your phone down.

• Read a new passage from a book, blog, or magazine. Set yourself a tiny manageable educational goal.

• Steal little moments in your day to do something different: have a candlelit bath, watch a funny film (family favourites include Some Like It Hot and Internship), or hug a pet.

Breathe

It’s surprising how learning to breathe properly from the stomach can help you feel much calmer.

• We love Alan Dolan aka thebreathguru (wonderful in person but great website and app) who recommends his fab Conscious Connected Breathing. Alternatively, try simply breathing in through your nose, from your tummy, then out through your mouth. Try to keep your shoulders down and relaxed, and place your hand on your stomach – it should rise as you breathe in and fall as you breathe out.

• Count as you gently breathe. Start by counting 'one, two, three, four' as you breathe in and 'one, two, three, four' as you breathe out. Try to work out what's comfortable for you and go at your own pace - nothing worse than conforming to someone else’s idea of how to breathe. It’s especially good for anyone with asthma or post Covid - but seek advice from your GP if you are at all concerned..

Unwind

You can move to unwind. No need to sit still to relax – try some gentle exercise instead.

• Take a walk outside in a park, at a slight incline if you can manage it. Above all move at your own pace. Just a few minutes will get fresh air into your system. Spending time in the countryside or green spaces can be deeply beneficial for your physical and mental health. Take a soulful moment to admire trees, plants, flowers, and birds along the way.

• Investigate a new class where you can meet like-minded people, such as Random Weaving, yoga, Pilates, meditation, or floristry.
  

Visualise

When you can't physically remove your body from a stressful situation, your mind and its imagination can transport you to a peaceful place

• Visualise somewhere calm and relaxing to you. This is important as something supposedly serene, such as the sound of the ocean, could be incredibly stressful to someone else. Choose your own memory of a place you've been. Close your eyes, then visualise each detail, from the way it looks, feels and sounds. Let your mind drift to this place and feel your body melt and relax.

  Create

Our creative side needs fulfilling as often as we can and can help us feel more relaxed and positive in the process. Remember, you don’t have to be critical and love what you do, just do it.

• Try making things: weaving (try Random Weaving -directions coming soon - it’s such fun), drawing, sculpture, painting, drying flowers, crocheting, knitting, sewing or baking. It’s all about expressing yourself and getting ‘lost in the moment’. Don’t worry too much about the finished product – just focus on enjoying yourself.

  
  Making a little extra space in your life for relaxation is only one part of managing your mental health. Check out our other Random Reads that can help managing anxiety and stress.