10 Ways to Find Balance and Serenity After a Productive Day

Note: This is  a guest post from Madison Sonnier of Journey of a Soul Searcher
One important way to achieve mental stability and contentment is to have a good balance of work and play in your life. It is not good to be either over-worked or under-worked. Most people never take the time to just breathe and relax after a long day of stress. A person can rest much easier at night if they get things done and still have time to spend with their family or with themselves.
I have come up with ten simple ways to relax and reflect after a long day of productivity. Everyone should be rewarded for working hard. Coming home to these ideas is a good way to end your day on the right note.
1. Cook your or your family’s favorite meal. Take the time to prepare some good comfort food for you and your family. Be sure to sit down and enjoy it with them as well. Preparing your favorite food and sitting down to eat it with your family is a good way to set stress aside and enjoy the company of the people you love the most.
2. Read. I’m the type of person who almost always has a book to read. I finish one and then start on another one. If you’ve been wanting to get back into that good book you’ve been reading, take a little time each day to do that. Curl up in your happy place, whether it be on the couch with your pet, by the fire, in your cozy bed, or outside on the patio. Escape from your world and into the world of the book you’re reading.
3. Take a walk. Go for a walk in your neighborhood or in your favorite part of town. Taking a walk clears your head and gives you time to reflect on your day. It’s also a good way to get some exercise in, which is good for both your mental and physical health.
4. Play with your pet. Unless you have a goldfish or something, your pet will love to spend quality time with you. Take some time at the end of the day to show your pet some love. Pull out their favorite toy, take them for a walk, or teach them a new trick. Your pets will feel loved and happy and so will you. And if you do have a fish, then simply enjoy watching it swim around for a few minutes. It’s surprisingly relaxing!
5. Meditate. If you are good at meditating, find time to do it every day. It re-charges your mind and helps you become more relaxed and focused.
6. Go for a joy ride. There is nothing wrong with driving with no place to go. Roll your windows down, turn your music up, and just drive around town for a few minutes. It is not a waste of gas if you enjoy the ride and the quality time with yourself.
7. Watch a movie. Rent that movie you’ve been dying to see or find a movie on television. Watching a movie lets you unwind and take a break for a couple of hours.
8. Write in a journal. Writing in a journal helps you sort out and make sense of whatever it is that you’re feeling. If you feel stressed, angry, sad, or confused, write it down and get it out in front of you. It’s a great way to empty out all the negative feelings and thoughts.
9. Create a goal sheet or a bucket list. If you’re the type of person who can never sit still, why not spend your free time writing out new goals to accomplish? It will give you something to work on and look forward to.
10. Watch the sun go down. Watching the sky turn beautiful colors as the sun goes down is very calming and peaceful. Imagine that the sun is your stress or worries. Any problem you may have had that day is slowly sinking down into the earth to rest for the night. The day is coming to an end. Let it all go.
These are great and simple ways to step back and allow yourself to re-charge after a long day. It’s always good to have balance in your life. If you work too hard, you burn out. If you don’t work hard enough, you come up empty. End each day on a good note by taking time to enjoy some of the simplest and most beautiful things that life has to offer.
Madison Sonnier is an aspiring writer aiming to help people think positively, have hope, and become more in tune with what they really want out of life. You can follow her blog at http://journeyofasoulsearcher.blogspot.com/
Photo by Per Ola Wiberg