Key takeaways:
-
Chilling out starts by taking good care of yourself. Try to get adequate sleep, and know your limits at work and in social situations.
-
Try calming techniques like breathing exercises or light stretching routines.
-
Whether it’s just sitting in the sun or taking a walk, it’s important to spend time outside.
-
Put on a good show or movie, but cut the doomscrolling and instead make time to do something creative or enjoy your hobbies.
-
Let Camino gummies help you find your chill.
When life gets going too fast — which, let’s be honest, seems to happen too often — taking a figurative chill pill (or literal gummy, if you’re like us) can help slow things back down to more manageable levels. But that’s easier said than done, especially if you don’t have any sort of game plan or go-to tools to help rein in all the noise.
That’s why today we’re going to go over a few methods that can help you chill out and re-find some of that calm that we all need in life. Let’s take a deep breath in…out…and get to chillin’.
Catch Some Zs
Ah, yes, the magical but often elusive phenomenon that is sleep. Look, by now we all know getting sufficient quality sleep can do wonders for us, but that can be hard to do when it feels impossible to relax. But, you gotta try. Getting a good night's sleep is proven to help us feel better the next day, and it’s all about stringing together good days.
While we’re on the topic of sleep, it’s time to throw away any stigmas people have with naps. As kids, we’re forced to have them, but as adults, napping is all of a sudden taboo? Yeah, we’re going to have to disagree. Take it from historic figures and modern athletes: napping can be a powerful tool for helping you find some chill in your day. So whether it’s Salvador Dalí’s one-second micro-naps or Winston Churchill’s full one-hour nap, don’t be ashamed to catch a little shut-eye in the middle of the day.
And hey, on those nights when you feel like your eyelids have springs keeping them open, it doesn’t hurt to turn to a gummy friend from Camino who might be able to help. (If you’re curious about how hemp-derived THC can send you into dreamland, check out our deep dive into what happens when you take a gummy for sleep here.)
Just Breathe
Want to chill out? Just breathe. Or rather, breathe with purpose (other than, you know, staying alive). Breathing exercises can be a great way to give yourself a little reset and help feel a little more relaxed.
There are countless breathing exercises you can do (here’s a quick little guide to save you some searching), but it can be as simple as blocking off anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes and practicing any breathing technique that helps you decompress.
A quick and easy one that many people find relaxing is called 4-7-8 breathing, and it goes like this:
-
Take a breath in through your nose for 4 counts.
-
Hold your breath for 7 counts.
-
Breathe out through your mouth for 8 counts.
Not only can this help with feeling more physically relaxed, but the focus on counting can also help shift your mind away from whatever’s making you feel, well, unchill.
Biiiggg Stretch(es)
If you’ve ever taken a chill yoga class (and no, not one of the kind that takes place in a room that feels like an oven in the middle of Louisiana in July), you’ll know that stretching your body is a great way to recapture some moments of zen. All you need is a little bit of space… and maybe some acceptance that you might not be as flexible as you once were.
Here are 7 daily stretches you can try to help ease your mind and body (follow this link for more details on how to do each stretch)
-
Child’s pose
-
Spinal twist
-
Happy baby
-
Glute stretch
-
Forward fold
-
Chest opener
-
Neck rotations
Hold each stretch for 15 to 30 seconds, repeating each one anywhere from 2 to 4 times. All said and done, it’ll only take a few minutes, which is totally worth it if it helps you relax.
Don’t Overwork Yourself
For those who pride themselves on being in the first ones in and last ones out, we commend you… so long as it isn’t negatively impacting your life. We all have to work, but if all that work is keeping you from chilling and enjoying life, it’s a sign that you might need to find a way to cut back. Now, we know that sounds unrealistic for some, but hear us out (or rather, hear out Harvard Business Review): Overworking not only keeps you from finding your chill, it also makes you less productive.
By finding some time to take a beat, you’ll both feel better and produce better work. So, whether it means ducking out just a little earlier on Fridays, letting your emails rest over the weekend, or doing whatever you can to keep yourself from being overworked, just give it a try.
Hang Out With Your People...or Be Comfortable Saying “No”
Sometimes the best way to chill is to surround yourself with the people who help take your mind off all the things that have you on edge. For some, it’s family or friends, and for others, it’s not people at all, but rather a four-legged friend (or bird, snake, fish…whatever floats your boat).
On the flipside, if you’re a full-on introvert who needs some peace and quiet to chill out, it’s okay to say “no” to hanging out. Remember, sometimes saying “no” to others is saying “yes” to ourselves.
Go Outside or On a Walk
Most of us spend all day working inside, only to go home (or change rooms if you work remotely) and plop down in some other indoor space. Turns out you might be feeling less-than-chill because you haven’t gotten any sunlight. Studies show that being outside in the daylight has a positive impact on your overall well-being, and there’s nothing more chill than feeling good.
And for our folk in less sunny areas, there’s still hope! You’ll want to find ways to beat feeling S.A.D. (seasonal affective disorder), and one of those ways still involves going outside by taking a little walk. Whether it’s a 5-minute stroll down the street or a 20-minute walk through the neighborhood, walking has been proven to help people shake off some mental and physical woes. Heck, if the weather is looking extra scary, you don’t even need to go outside, so long as you have access to a treadmill. The point is just to get up and get moving a little.
Be Deliberate with Your Screen Time
Let’s talk about screen time. Popping on a show or movie can be a great way to chill, and there’s nothing wrong with that! But we live in a world where a lot of us work in front of a screen (computers), move to bigger screens (TVs), and then get distracted looking at little handheld screens (phones).
Screens are cool, so long as you’re deliberate with your time in front of them. Commit to watching a show or movie, but avoid things like mindlessly doom-scrolling or binge-watching a show until the wee hours of the morning — being exhausted the next day is definitely not the recipe for feeling chill.
Do Something Creative
Bob Ross was about the chillest dude to ever exist. It’s probably no coincidence that he also spent most of his life painting (including those happy accidents). Whether it’s painting, drawing, crafting, playing an instrument, or knitting, taking some time to do something creative is a great way to relax the mind.
Bonus tip: Paint and gummy nights are a great way to double down on the chill vibes — especially with the right gummy.
Make Time for Your Hobbies
You know what grandma always said: All work and no play keeps chill vibes away. Okay, maybe grandma didn’t say that, but it’s still valid. Finding an outlet can be the ultimate way to chill out. So, whether you like to cozy up with a book, play some golf, or base-jump (maybe not that one so much), make time for the hobbies that make you happy.
Chill Out With Camino
Before we let you go chill out, there’s one last suggestion that we can personally say helps us get our vibe right — Camino gummies. Heck, there’s literally a flavor called Wild Berry 'Chill'. Pair it with any of the suggestions above, or just grab a gummy and see where it takes you, so long as that place is chill.
Cyrus Grant is a writer from Southern California with a background in law and dispute resolution. When he isn’t writing, he can be found deep-diving into the latest technology trends or simply spending time at the beach.
Sources
News in Health - Good Sleep for Good Health
The Guardian - From Aristotle to Einstein: a brief history of power nappers
HuffPost - These Famous Athletes Rely On Sleep For Peak Performance
Healthline - 10 Breathing Exercises to Try When You’re Feeling Stressed
Cleveland Clinic - How To Do the 4-7-8 Breathing Exercise
Everyday Health - 7 Quick Stretches for Stress Relief You Can Do Right Now
Harvard Business Review - The Research Is Clear: Long Hours Backfire for People and for Companies
UCLA Health - Being in natural light improves mood, increases happiness
