The best ways to decompress and de-stress at home
In a culture where more people are working long hours and taking work home with them, having a home that’s a calm haven where you can kick off your shoes and unwind at the end of the day is more important than ever.
Brigid Walsh, general manager of Golden Door Elysia Health Retreat and Spa, spends her working life helping guests relax and has a few tips as to how people can unwind from a stressful day in the comfort of their own home.
The former yoga instructor and qualified fitness trainer says the hurly-burly of modern life has resulted in an ever-increasing demand for safe havens that allow us to find those moments to slow down.
“We need to find moments to hit the pause button, which helps us to get through the day and shift our mindset away from work and the stresses in our life,” says Walsh, who lives at the Hunter Valley retreat in Australia.
“We are always on our phones and laptops and we are totally overstimulated and stressed out. It’s because of this that the need to pare things back and nourish the soul is more paramount than ever,” she says.
Walsh says the retreat, which has a backdrop of the Brokenback Mountain ranges, has been designed to fit in with the natural landscape because research shows that humans improve their mindset when they experience a connection with nature.
“You might not have a water feature at home. But it costs nothing to just step outside into the fresh air, burn some lavender oil or go for walk – all very easy stress less steps for you to emulate at home,” Walsh says.
“Research also shows that one of the best ways to de-stress is to connect with other people. I would encourage people to sit and practice mindfulness at home.”
One easy technique that Walsh says can improve mindfulness and enhance wellbeing is by using those two-and-a-half minutes while waiting for the kettle to boil to focus on your breathing.
“I’d also advise anyone experiencing stress to get outside and go for a walk to establish those social connections. It’s those shared connections that build our sense of self-worth. Our brains are wired to crave those connections,” she says.
Walsh says another hot tip for taking time out is to aim to undertake an activity such as tai chi, deep water running, yoga, meditation, and pilates – all classes designed to slow us down and achieve strength of mind, body and spirit.
Other activities that encourage relaxation and can be easily done at home include curling up for a spell in a favourite chair, setting up a special reading nook to inspire a regular reading routine, and taking 10-minutes out of your day to practice meditation.
Waterfall by Crown Group is a new development that’s taking at-home sanctuaries to the next level, by building inner-urban homes that return residents to nature. The four-tower apartment complex will include a custom-fit vertical garden with a 22-metre-high waterfall as its centrepiece.
Julian Sedgwick, Crown Group’s head of sales and marketing, says the project has taken cues from health retreats and day spas, employing similar aesthetics to create living spaces that include adaptive indoor-outdoor spaces that allow for a more spiritually fulfilling life.
“Bringing an awareness of nature to a built environment allows for a bit of flexibility with those luxury spaces and encourages us to be in the moment. The best way to relax at home is to have little rituals – such as settling down with the newspaper in that special chair in the sun, having a cup of tea on the rooftop after dinner or getting up early for a walk with a friend,” he says.
Crown Group’s founder and chairman, Iwan Sunito, grew up in Kalimantan, Indonesia and could hear the rustling of the leaves, the sound of the rain and the birds and his vision for Waterfall was to replicate those memories by curating spaces that are similarly soothing.
Sedgwick says Waterfall can accommodate activities that range from quiet restful reading to listening to a podcast on a plant-filled patio or hosting a pool party for teens.
“We are selling a lifestyle. Waterfall’s indoor-outdoor living areas are composed with balance and harmony because we want to promote serenity and contentment and give our visitors an everyday awareness of nature. By calming the mind, we are more equipped to put things in perspective,” he says.
Five tips on how to de-stress at home
1. Start the day with 10 minutes of mindful meditation.
2. Bring down your stress levels by going for a walk with a friend.
3. Pour yourself a pot of tea and take time out in your favourite chair.
4. Create a nook for books and get into a regular reading routine.
5. Make the time to have coffee and a chat with a like-minded friend.
Written by Carla Grossetti. First appeared on Domain.com.au.