A Feather On Your Path - Create A Calm Routine

Take yourself from tension to tranquillity by creating a calming routine

The What -

Incorporating a calm routine into your daily life can work wonders for both your physical and mental well-being. Start by focusing on relaxing every muscle in your body, from your toes to your forehead. Tense each muscle for 3 seconds and then release, allowing the tension to melt away. This practice is particularly beneficial when you want to relax, unwind, or prepare for sleep. To enhance the calming effects, follow this routine by reflecting on three things you are grateful for and three achievements from your day.

If you use this routine to sleep, don't fret if it doesn't work the first few times. Just get up if you can't sleep, do something for a half hour and then go back to bed and repeat. Over time it starts to work like a clear signal to your brain that it's time to go to sleep now but it can take a while for your brain to truly learn the habit.

The Why -

Our bodies can hold onto tension and stress without us even realising it. By practising muscle relaxation techniques, you can become more aware of where you carry tension in your body and learn to release it during times of stress or when you need to wind down at bedtime. Tension tends to accumulate in our jaw, shoulders, or neck, so focusing on relaxing these muscle groups can reduce your stress levels and send you off to a blissful slumber.

You could also do this before you leave the house or get out of your car, just sitting in a chair. It's a great way to pause for a minute and find some calm before transitioning to the next part of your day.

Relax every muscle

I try to follow the below order so that I make sure to tense and then relax every muscle - 

Toes, feet and ankles, shins, knees, thighs, hips/butt, stomach, lower back, upper back, fingers, hands/wrists, arms, chest, shoulders, neck, jaw, lips, tongue, cheeks, nose, eyes, eye brows, forehead. Then when I can feel all of my muscles have relaxed, I think of three things i'm grateful for and three achievements so far in my day (however small they might be).

If you find tensing a particular muscle to be uncomfortable, particularly if you have suffered a past injury, you can always wiggle that muscle instead or even just focus on that area for the 3 seconds before relaxing it. A wiggle and a deep breath will still do the trick! 

Some other ideas for calming routines that you could try include;

• Use visualisation exercises to create a peaceful and serene mental space. You could picture yourself in a tranquil setting, such as a beach or forest, and imagine all your worries melting away. Or, my personal favourite, imagining being on the most perfect, blissful and beautiful holiday of a lifetime.

• If you're into it, you could incorporate aromatherapy into your calm routine by using essential oils or scented candles. Lavender, chamomile, and bergamot are known for their calming properties and can help create a soothing environment. I have a diffuser in my living room that gives off a lavender scent in the evening and a lavender spray for my pillow and I swear I really notice the difference in my sleep from these.

• Take a 'mindful' walk to connect with your surroundings and promote relaxation. Focus on each step, the sights and sounds around you, and your breath as you walk. List all the good things you see and focus on appreciation for them.

• Create a tea time ritual as part of your calm routine. Now some people swear by the benefits of herbal tea, so if that's your bag, great but personally I think it's pretty awful tasting stuff. So I go for a warm milk, a hot choccy or a good old Tetley brew. As far as I can tell, the calming effect is pretty much the same but with a much better taste!

• Dedicate a few minutes each day to writing down the things you are grateful for. A lot of people prefer gratitude journaling to visualising/thinking about the day, which is totally cool, whatever works for you. Whichever you choose to do, just use it to reflect on the positives and keep your focus on the present moment.

• Invest in some light dimmers. I know this sounds a little 1980's but even unnatural light has quite the effect on your brain. So if you spend the evening with the main light on, change it to a dimmer or get a lamp. Do the same for your living room and bedroom so that your mind starts to associate the light reducing before bed, with it being time to relax and unwind.

All the many benefits

Relaxation techniques, like some of those above have been found to trigger the body's relaxation response. This response can actually lower your heart rate, reduce your blood pressure and even in some cases reduce inflammation and improve heart function. So clearly there are some potential physical benefits to this! When it comes to the mental benefits, consistently practising relaxation techniques has been found to reduce anxiety levels, enhance concentration, and give you better sleep quality. So i'm all in!

I know most of us also tend to have a pretty long to do list in a day so I like this self care technique as it takes so little time and even less effort. So when the to do list is long, this is still so easy to fit into a busy day!

The Who -

This feather was kind of weirdly inspired by my dog. He is a real stickler for routine and any change to it makes him super restless. Over time we built a perfect bedtime routine for him to wind down, relax and signal to him that it's time to rest, not play. In the process us humans in the house basically became part of that calm routine too and it worked pretty well at making us more chillaxed as well!

I also tend to feel pretty physically wound up when my mind is racing so having a calm routine that incorporates muscle relaxation techniques and positive thinking really works for me. So as it has helped me, I really hope that incorporating this simple calm routine into your daily life can bring you the same sense of peace and balance that it has given me.

Lou @ Feathered Paths Xx