5 Activities to Wind-down (no screens needed)
Practice Yoga Nidra. Distinct from meditation and other forms of relaxation, Yoga Nidra is a structured/ guided practice that is designed to induce deeper states of relaxation and awareness. There is evidence that practice can be helpful in managing the physiological and cognitive symptoms of anxiety (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6134749/). There are many free resources available for at home practice. Once you’ve selected a video, set aside your device and just listen. Here is one lovely practice to try: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mM5Oks8yZc
Listen to a favorite podcast episode. Here we’re looking for something that is engaging, but not overly stimulating or too important to tune out, in the event you start to feel more tired and want to transition into rest. Once you have your episode (maybe 20-30 minutes) selected, hit play and set aside your device.
Write down the lingering thoughts from your day. While there are many ways to use a journaling practice, it can be particularly helpful at the end of the day to use writing as a means of giving any open items or unresolved matters from the day a place to reside, until it’s time to attend to them again.
Contemplate what you’re most grateful for from the day. In addition to savoring positive experiences, this practice helps us stay in the present, rather than skipping ahead to the next day and anticipating what it may bring. Even if it objectively wasn’t the most pleasant or productive day, take some time to identify one or two simple joys or moments of ease.
Create something. Anything, really. Maybe you enjoy sketching, knitting, sculpting, mood-boarding, or decorating. Even for those who don’t feel as connected to their creative side, we can all benefit from setting aside windows for creative thinking or expression, which has been linked to an increased sense of fulfillment. It doesn’t have to be the most artistic of endeavors, just something that allows you to connect to your expressive side. When our executive functions join together with the default mode network, we tap into our creative capacities. For further reading, please see this APA article: