how I unwind: 6 tips for relaxing when you’re a mom.

pjs. book. mug. duvet. pillows: 1,2,3. tray. candle. throw. swiss cross (made by me, similar here and here.)

I know that everyone is busy, I don’t think I’m alone in that, but one of the hardest things I’ve had to learn how to do as a mother, is find a way to relieve stress.  Especially once I had 4 kids, because there is always someone vying for attention.  Now that I run two businesses on top of being a mom, it’s easy to feel like I’m never off the clock.  Just the idea of that stresses me out.  Taking time out of my life every week to just unwind has become a vital part of my routine.  It helps me to think clearer, work more effectively, and be a generally more cheerful and happy wife and mom.

Here are my 6 tips for relaxing when you’re a busy –well anything.

1.Unplug. There are screens everywhere these days.  TV, computers, iPads, phones.  It’s easy to let all the screens in our life kind of run everything, but it’s really important to unplug.  And so many studies have shown how hard it is for our brain to truly relax when it never gets a break from the screen.  When I need to unwind, I make a rule for myself that all the electronic devices get put away.  I close my computer, put my phone in another room and (although we’re not much of a tv family)  I make sure that is shut off as well.

2. Be someplace nice and quiet.  Quiet is in short supply when you’re a mom of four, but I do try to find a few hours of peace a week, when Ava’s napping and the kids are at school or on a Sunday afternoon after church when the kids are playing quietly together.  I need that peaceful time to get centered again, and the older I get the more I realize how important quiet is.  I also can’t relax in a messy space.  So the first step for me is to clean up, or find a clean spot to take a break in.  I’ve historically neglected our master bedroom, because nobody sees it but me, Craig and the kids, so decorating it was always the last priority and it became the perpetual laundry dump.  In the last year or so I’ve realized how important it is for both me and Craig to have a retreat.  Especially a retreat that is a nice place to be in.  When I need to unwind, a clean, brightly lit space that’s put together in a way I like does wonders for helping me relax.

3. Put on something comfy but pretty.  I’m not much of a stay-in-my-yoga-pants person; I can’t relax if I feel like a slob, it actually has the opposite effect on me.  I just generally feel better when I’m dressed and ready for the day, but I also like lounge clothes as much as the next girl.  When I need to relax, one of my favorite things to do is put on something that’s both pretty and comfortable.  I feel less like a zombie mom when taking a break if my hair is fixed, makeup done and I’m wearing a pretty floral set of satin pajamas, and double bonus, they’re even more comfortable than a pair of sweats.

4. Put your feet up.  There’s nothing more relaxing for me that laying down somewhere super comfy.  I’m not a firm mattress girl.  I like my bed as soft and squishy as possible, with a million cozy pillows that I can just sink into and drift away.

5. Drink something warm and soothing.  I’ve been a hot cocoa girl my whole life, but in the last few years I’ve discovered my love for herbal tea as well.  (My favorite is Celestial brand Peach or Sleepytime Peach tea.  So good.)  Both do the trick to help me relax and while I slowly sip them all my stress just kind of melts away.

6. Get lost in a book.  I don’t know about you, but I’m one of those people that has a really hard time turning my brain off.  I’ve always got a billion and one things I’m thinking about, mulling over, trying to keep straight.  When I need to check out of life, going into a quiet room just gives my brain all the room it needs to starts running over all the things I need to get done, who needs what, what deadline is coming up, and so on… Reading is one of the best ways for me to keep my brain engaged and also let it relax.  Filling my head with a good book does wonders for me, let’s me escape the normal stresses of life for a couple hours and I always feel refreshed after I’m done reading.  Plus, I think reading keeps my mind sharper.

Here are some of my favorite books ever to get lost in.

So how do you unwind?