A stress-free day is a necessary indulgence every once in awhile. Modern life is busy, and most of us spend our time zipping from appointment to appointment, trying to juggle work, family, friends, and much more besides – so taking the occasional break is important, a day that is designed simply to allow you to relax, give yourself some time to breathe, and boost your overall wellness as a result.
However, stress-free days rarely just “happen”; without a little planning and preparation, there’s always a risk that a problem might arise. Thankfully, you can prevent such issues by following the follow six-step prep plan…
Step One: Clear your schedule
The most obvious step, but the most important of all. You’ll need to choose a designated day, ideally a few weeks in the future, to focus on. When you have your date in mind, you’ll first need to request the day off from work, and ensure that your boss knows that you will be out of contact for the entire day. Secondly, cancel any regular social events or responsibilities you may have that fall on your chosen day.
Step Two: Tell your friends and family
Stress-free days can quickly be disturbed if a friend or family member asks you to run an errand or help out with a project during your time off, so get in touch with your nearest and dearest at least a week before your planned day and explain that you’re going to be out of action.
Step Three: Work through your to-do list
On your stress-free day, remembering a lingering task on your to-do list can quickly transform the day into a stressful day, so work through your to-do list in the lead up and clear off as much as you possibly can.
Step Four: Consider how you’ll spend your time
Most people find that a good stress-free day is a blend of an activity that will allow them to relax alongside free time that they can use as they see fit. When choosing an activity, relaxation should be your key goal; an at-home spa day might be the most natural choice here, but finding out the answer to “what are isolation tanks?” is also beneficial; the experience is a little outside the box, but undeniably worth considering if relaxation is your goal.
Step Five: Think about your meals
As your stress-free day approaches, it’s worth thinking about how you will handle food for the day. Unless you love cooking and plan to spend the day in the kitchen for the sheer pleasure of it, you can simplify your day by preparing your meals for the day in advance, or deciding which restaurant you might want to dine-in or get a takeaway from.
Step Six: Go digitally silent
As well as taking the day off from work, it’s also a good idea to take the day off from the digital world; it’s far easier to relax and kick back when your phone isn’t constantly pinging. As a result, your last prep step should be done the evening before your stress-free day begins; set up an auto-reply for your email and then silence notifications on your phone.
In conclusion
The six steps above should help to ensure that you can enjoy a much-needed stress-free day in the near future – enjoy!