I've mentioned before how important it is to set aside time to take a vacation once or twice per year. No one likes the feeling of burning out and we all know the great feeling of anticipation leading up to a great trip! But sometimes you just need a break without jetting off to some tropical oasis halfway around the world at a moment's notice. That's why it's really important to learn how to recharge and decompress without going on vacation.Everyone has different things that stress them out and everyone has different ways of decompressing and relieving stress. I'm a firm believer in trying new things because I think it helps you to get to know yourself and what works for you. There are a ton of surefire ways to recharge after a long day or week at work, you may try one out, and realize it is NOT for you. Or you may hear of something that sounds like it would never help you and it could totally change your life for the better. You never know until you try. Here are some ways I like to recharge and refresh...

5 Ways I Recharge and Decompress Without Going on Vacation

Daily morning workouts

I know this is something I have said multiple times before, but in the last 8 months or so, working out has really become a great outlet for me to relieve stress. It helps me to decompress and it sets a positive and productive tone for the rest of my day.

Read

I have always been a big reader. Fiction, historical fiction, dystopian young adult, non-fiction, I love almost any kind of book! Sometimes, if I'm feeling particularly overwhelmed, I'll plan ahead and set aside an entire afternoon or evening just to read. If the weather is nice I might read in my backyard with a glass of wine or sometimes I'll take a bath while I read...two relaxing activities at once!

Remember Why You're Hustling

It's easy to get frustrated or overwhelmed after working full-time all week, coming home to work on my hustle every night after work then setting aside most of my weekend to work on my businesses. But if I just take a minute to remember WHY I'm doing all of that work and WHAT I want to accomplish, it really helps to put everything into perspective. Reaffirming why I work on all of my side hustles is one of the fastest ways for me to recharge and motivate myself.

Focus on self-improvement

There are some days where I just can't get going. When I am feeling stressed and overwhelmed I have trouble executing. Instead of wasting that time reading random stuff on the internet or mindlessly watching tv (although that does happen from time to time) I try to work on some self-improvement. That could mean a listening to a podcast, reading a self-improvement book or reading some business based articles I've saved to read for later. Doing this means I'm not banging my head against the wall trying to get things done, but I can still feel like I'm relaxing and finish feeling refreshed.

Meditation and journaling

I tried meditation a few times after my workout in the morning, I really enjoy it and it definitely feels great! But, I found that it didn't really positively affect my day like a morning workout does. So now I try to either meditate or take the time to do some journaling, either in the morning or at night, if I'm feeling stressed or overwhelmed. Basically, it's all about taking time to reflect. This ties in very closely to #3 remember what you're hustling for - except that meditation and journaling is when I like to focus on my whole self, not just my side hustles.

How do you de-stress and recharge without taking a vacation?