Well hello to you my reader chums! Life can be a lot sometimes, it can be busy, full-on and things can really get you down. It's normal to experience down days or times where you feel like everything is getting on top of you, but that's a signal to know that you need to slow down.

If the pandemic taught us anything, it taught us the power of rest, putting yourself first, and looking after your mental health and wellbeing. We all need to take it easy at times, and ensure our wellbeing is a top priority. If you feel like things are too much lately, here are my top 5 tips on how to slow down.

Acknowledge that life is a lot

Acknowledging your struggle is key to looking after yourself. It's important to know the signs of when things are causing you too much stress, life is too busy or you're experiencing burnout. When you know the signs, you'll know that it's time to slow down and the steps you can take in order to feel relaxed and resting.

Being self-aware is so important in everyday life. It's important to be aware of changes in your physical being and your mental health as then you're able to pinpoint when there is change and know, it's time for you to take a break and call it a day. You have the power to be self-aware and once you start to become more aware and be in tune with your body, you'll begin to understand what you need a lot more in order to feel healthier and happier.

Set a day of rest each week

It's not normal to constantly be working or constantly thinking about work. Whether you work for someone else or yourself, having a work-life balance is key to feeling less stressed and maintaining good mental health. My tip of advice for slowing down in this instance and with anything that is causing this level of stress is to ensure you have a day a week that you really focus on resting. I don't just mean sleeping, I mean, being away from anything work-related, or switching off anything that causes you stress. Spend that day feeling present at the moment, going on a peaceful walk, switching off your phone, and being with people who mean the most to you.

It's about resting your mind as well as resting your body. You need to give yourself time to recharge, just like your phone so you can spring back. If you don't give yourself time to rest, then you won't be able to give full energy to any of life's commitments.

Map out downtime/alone time

This is similar to having a rest day, but downtime/alone time is incredibly important. You need to have those few hours in the day or week where you can focus on being calm, being present, and giving your body and mind what it needs. Downtime and alone time is the period in the day where you need to be with yourself and your thoughts, spending that time reflecting on the week and how you're feeling. It's a time to check in with yourself and reflect on what's bringing you joy, what's causing you stress, and how you can combat this.

Alone time also helps you with moving forward in your self-love journey and benefits you in learning to love your own company, and not relying on others to fill the gap.

Actively seek opportunities/activities which keep you calm

During your rest days and downtime, that's the time you need to seek the things that bring you a huge sense of joy and calm. This could be anything from going on a beach walk, writing, doing some arts and crafts, baking or simply, watching your favourite film. It's all about finding the thing that works for you and practicing that more when you need that sense of calm. By working on being more self-aware, your body will tell you when calm and quiet is needed.

I find beach walks, writing, reading, and ensuring I have a good sleep pattern all help with me slowing down and feeling calm.

Learn the importance of being rested

Being well-rested is important for your physical and mental wellbeing. It gives you the energy in your day to interact, work and pursue your passions. Without the right amount of rest, you can find yourself being irritable, unhappy, overly stressed and really, falling down a glum path. Rest is number one importance and having a good sleeping pattern goes hand in hand with this as your body will get used to a routine. It's important to practice rest the same way you ensure you're at work every day, or prioritising eating well and staying active. All of these healthy patterns feed together to help you be the best version of yourself.

I hope you enjoyed this post. What other tips do you have?

Thank you for reading <3