8 Ways to Unwind Without Drinking Alcohol

With competing demands and duties in our adult life, more and more of us share one major characteristic – we’re all stressed out! As a result, finding appropriate ways to unwind is critical for our mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing.

It’s all too easy to use substances like food, drugs, and alcohol to unwind after a rough day or week, but if you truly want to grow as a person and be the best you can be, you’ll need to create healthy habits on purpose.

It all starts with figuring out how to make the unpleasant things of life bearable.

Today, I’ve compiled a list of 8 healthy strategies to combat stress, relax, and live a happy life.

1. Get Some Physical Activity

Exercise does not have to be strenuous to be beneficial for stress relief.

Walking outside in fresh air for 10 minutes or becoming bendy with gentle yoga will go a long way toward freeing your body and helping you relax.

So, even if it doesn’t sound like your idea of a relaxing, pleasurable time, challenge yourself to get moving in some way when you feel tension rising, and you might find yourself feeling better faster than you expected!

2. Writing Down Your Thoughts

Before you explore harmful ways of avoiding what’s bothering you, it can be highly beneficial (though rather counter-intuitively) to lean into it, pull it out, and confront it. But it is effective!

Taking the easy way out by overeating, drinking, or smoking to relax may feel better in the short term, but it’s avoidant behaviour that won’t serve you well in the long run.

If anything is bothering you, writing out your thoughts and feelings may be beneficial.

I propose purchasing a cute journal, such as this one.

Sometimes what you need is to let go of your ideas and face them, rather than trying to suffocate them.

3. Call a Friend

When we want to relax, sometimes all we need is to get things off our minds.

Calling or visiting a friend is a far healthier option.

One of the most beneficial things you can do is to spend time connecting with others. When life hits you hard, feeling loved and supported can help you relax and de-stress.

4. Look After Your Body

Physical self-care is an excellent way to unwind. It may seem insignificant, but taking the time to groom oneself may be really relaxing.

It doesn’t have to be something spectacular.

Deep-conditioning your hair, clipping your nails, and cleaning your teeth are all small but significant steps.

Being conscious of yourself and improving your self-care are excellent ways to calm your mind and cultivate good habits.

5. Create something.

Even if you swear you don’t have a single creative bone in your body, being constructive (rather than destructive) is an excellent method to divert your attention away from your troubles and channel your tight energy into something new and possibly even useful!

Even if you believe you have little talent, there are numerous creative options for you to consider. One alternative is to convey your sentiments through poetry or haiku. Another thing is to try a new recipe.

6. Practice Gratitude

I understand why this seems new-aged If you’re not that sort, you’re probably thinking, “What the heck?” But it is effective.

I keep a gratitude journal in which I exclusively write about the things I’m grateful for. Making this a regular practise has greatly aided in the relaxation of my thoughts.

It gets pretty fantastic after a while because you have a vast vault of positive things that are all true in your life to look back on.

I immediately feel all of the emotions and want to be fully present in that incredible time. IT DOES WORK.

But, you know, writing isn’t the only method to express gratitude!

You can record your voice, draw, or make brief films.

7. Create a delectable beverage

When I’m feeling down, nothing soothes me more than preparing a good big mug of wonderful tea and writing out everything that’s upsetting me. The combination is a tremendous gain, and it’s something I’ve relied on for years when I’m feeling down. If tea isn’t your thing, there are plenty of alternative options.

If you enjoy drinks but wish to avoid drinking during stressful times, why not try a new mocktail recipe?

Alternatively, make yourself a nice cup of coffee, a nutritious green smoothie, or simply some sparkling water or lemonade.

8. Take a long bath.

Finally, while this may appear to be a simple task, it is not.

I’m a big fan of long special baths. When I stopped drinking as a stress reliever, I used part of the money I saved to treat myself to higher quality, “special” products and snacks.

In my opinion, I owe it to myself to treat it! So… bath bombs?

This is a wonderful choice for luscious, rich, lathery bath bombs. Also, fragrant candles. It’s beautiful and very calming to soak in something smooth and wash away the day. You deserve it if you’re doing something as profound as purposefully changing how you deal with life’s curveballs.

While there are many more healthy ways to relax and destress, I believe that focusing on a few major ones to begin with is a terrific idea.

You’ll develop your own personal groove as you try new things and become adjusted to the lifestyle changes you’re making. You may notice that as you mature, you become more easygoing and upbeat in general.

Best wishes on your journey. And I wish you the peace, quiet, and joy you so well deserve.