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This past year has been a stressful ride. Many of us have faced uncertainty and a reduction in our normal, social activities. Understandably, many of us use social events or nights out with friends as times to Relax and unwind. Without these, we may struggle to destress.

When we’re spending a lot of time at home or at work, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut and feel bored with everything. Other times, we can feel like our stress valve has no release. We don’t want to feel tense and on edge all the time, but we just can’t seem to find a reliable way to let go.

When these feelings strike, it is a good idea to change things up and try to find some new ways to relax. This can involve trying something different, learning a new skill, or even giving a wacky new relaxation technique a whirl. We take a look at some of the weird and unusual ways that people have found relaxation and solace so far in 2021.

9 Unique Ways to Relax

1. Watch Someone Make an Ebru Painting

The great advantage of being stuck at home in 2021 is our access to the internet. With resources like YouTube and Netflix, it’s easy to keep ourselves entertained. If you’re looking for some relaxing content, why not give Ebru videos a try? It’s one of the best ways to relax after a stressful day.

So, what is Ebru painting? Ebru Painting involves dripping colorful dye onto a body of water to create a beautiful pattern. Watching the colors run and blend together is truly mesmerizing and will have your eyelids drooping in no time as the tension leaves your body. It’s also a fun potential new hobby to try.

 2. Sink Into a Sound Bath

Sometimes finding ways to relax from stress is a matter of engaging the senses and drowning out unhelpful or obsessive thoughts. A sound bath is a fantastic way to do this. You will be exposed to melodic cacophony or relaxing sounds during a sound bath, such as gongs, vibrations, and bells.

These sounds mixed together have a healing quality and tap into your energetic resources. It’s one of the most helpful ways to relax before bed and can help you fall asleep and feel refreshed the next day. You can find sound bath recordings online or book a session with a professional.

3. Organize Your Social Media

We know, we know – Social Media is often the opposite of relaxing. However, having a social media decluttering session can be surprisingly therapeutic. Start by going through all your profiles and looking at the ones you actually use. If you never log in, consider deleting this account.

If you’re currently dating online, you could also look at the platforms you use for this. Maybe write some notes about your experience on these apps and figure out which ones are working for you and which are taking up space. If you’re looking for some reviews or inspiration, sites like HookupDate can be a real find!

4. Take a Cold Shower

Again, when you’re thinking about good ways to relax, standing under a freezing water jet may be the last thing that springs to mind. However, many studies show that, over time, regular cold showers have a therapeutic and calming effect, as our bodies get acclimatized to the cold endorphins released. If we do this over a long enough period of time, our baseline level of happiness gradually increases. Plus, it’s a great challenge for your body and mind.

5. Try Some Sand Art

Drawing is one of the best ways to relax on the weekend or after work. It releases your creativity and helps you get into a flow. To increase the relaxation factor, why not give sand drawing a go?

Watching the sand slide into patterns is a satisfying and soporific pastime. You can even purchase mini zen sand gardens, which include toys and tools for drawing and arrangement. Perfect when you want to set your mind at ease.

6.  Have a Dance Power Hour

Got some cleaning or housework to catch up on? Stick on your favorite playlist and enjoy a dance power hour. Dancing is one of the greatest ways to relax the mind and body. The movement is good for your body and helps release endorphins. Meanwhile, the flow of matching your body to the music is a great way to untangle your mind. You’ll feel calm and productive when you’re done!

7. Wild Swimming

Wild swimming has recently had something of a moment and has become an incredibly popular lockdown exercise. If you’re looking for ways to relax during Covid, finding a safe spot for an outdoor swim is a great option. The cold water feels great on your skin and has amazing physical effects in terms of burning fat and boosting your mood. Just make sure you pick a suitable area, warm-up straight away afterward, and always tell someone where you’re swimming.

 8. Play With Clay

You don’t have to get out a kiln or wheel, just grab some kids’ play doh or clay and enjoy. Doing something with your hands is a great way to quiet intrusive thoughts, and the creative aspects of sculpture and play are good for inner serenity. There’s also something comforting about knowing that, whatever you make, you can always start all over again.

9. Walk Barefoot

Getting out into nature is one of the best ways to completely relax and leave your worries behind. Turns out, going barefoot might make it even better! Take a walk in a clean, scenic area with some grass, sand, or wood chips, and enjoy a barefoot stroll. The grounding effect helps clear your mind, and the exercise will boost your mood. Just be sure to take some shoes so you can build up slowly and toughen up your feet gradually.

Conclusion

Relaxing in our hectic modern world can be tough. These tips are perfect ways to relax at night or on your days off. So, get out of your comfort zone and tune in to some serious downtime.

Final Call: What helps you unwind? Have you found relaxation tough during the pandemic? Have you tried any of these tips? Let us know in the comments!

About the Author

Miranda Davis is a freelance writer in the relation and psychology area. Miranda is interested in such topics as building healthy relationships between people, love/sex compatibility, and how to find the right balance in life in general. She is currently doing specific research on the topic. Miranda loves cooking and long-distance walking.

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