How to Relax at Home

After a long day at work, you walk in the door of your home and probably feel relief--finally, away from the stress of the job! Or perhaps you even have a whole day off ahead of you--another great feeling. Then, thoughts of the many chores you have to do and errands you have to run start to fill your mind--instead of relaxing at home, shouldn't you be running the dishwasher, mopping the floor, picking up prescriptions, or finally fixing that loose shutter?

That's when the guilt starts to creep in, and you may soon be spending all your time doing busy-work around the house. This gets exhausting! It's important to know how to relax at home, so that you can be your best self at work and in your personal relationships. Even an hour of re-charge time can help.

Read on for tips on how to relax at home--even when your "to-do" list seems as lengthy as War and Peace.

When you have time at home, you may not only be under pressure from yourself to get things done--there may be children or a spouse asking you to do things as well! Of course, these things usually have to be done, but it's okay to say, in most instances, "I'd love to do X, but I need a little time to unwind first." Or, make a trade that lessens your own task list--"Sure, while I do X, can you do Y?" With a little help, you will have more time to relax.

Another way to make sure you get some downtime at home is to set a schedule--it seems a litle silly, but scheduling in relaxation means you will actually get around to it! Give yourself half an hour or an hour to just kick back and enjoy yourself--take a bubble bath, watch a show, sit and read a book. Do something mindless and entertaining, and you will be surprised at how refreshed you feel afterwards.

If you're feeling really stretched thin and just need a break, but feel guilty at how much you have to do, just tackle the necessary tasks--the rest of it will still be there tomorrow.

One reason it might be difficult to relax at home is that you have not developed hobbies that you can enjoy, either alone or with a family member. If you find yourself bored and restless, and just cannot enjoy being at home, it may be time to think about hobbies.

Hobbies, in addition to being entertaining and sometimes productive (as in the case of gardening), can also be a source of relaxation and bonding.

Consider the following hobbies (the list includes those you can do alone as well as those you can do with another person):

• Gardening
• Cooking
• Baking
• Reading
• Watching films
• Video Games
• Scrapbooking or crafting
• Writing
• Painting

If you invest in an instructional video, you can also relax at home with Pilates, yoga, barre workouts, or other exercise; you can also try meditation as a method to de-stress.

If your home is a chaotic place, it will be very hard to enjoy your time there. One of the keys, then, to true relaxation at home is to make your home a haven of peace!

To make your home a more relaxing place, consider doing the following:

• Keep candles lit--lavender or baked good scents will be particularly soothing
• Paint your walls a serene color, like a light blue
• Keep clutter to a minimum--a cluttered space is a stressful space
• Hang sheer curtains to filter light
• Play soft music
• Make it comfortable--luxe throws, comfy pillows, and a chair that you love to sink into
• Make a "spa" corner in your bathroom--keep face masks, thick lotions, hair masks, and other such items there--and use them once a week!

If you can relax at home, it will decrease your stress levels exponentially. And when you're less stressed, you will perform better at work, be able to devote more of yourself to maintaining your personal realtionships, and just generally feel happier!