4 Simple Things You Can Do at Home to Feel More Calm

There’s a lot of advice out there about how to feel calmer.

Meditate for 20 minutes. Do yoga. Take a bath. Put your phone away. Go for a walk. Create a morning routine.

And while all of those things can be super lovely, sometimes I think we make rest and relaxation far more complicated than they need to be.

There are some incredibly simple things you can do at home, often in just a few minutes, that can create a little more space to pause.

Here are four of my favourites.

1. Try humming

You don't need to be able to sing, and you certainly don't need a good singing voice.

Simply humming quietly to yourself for a few minutes can be a lovely way to slow down and bring your attention into the present moment. Try it when you're feeling stressed, before bed, or simply when you notice you've been rushing around all day.

If its comfortable close your eyes, take a gentle breath in and hum as you breathe out.

Notice the vibration of your own voice. There is something wonderfully simple about using something you already have, 'your own voice' to create a moment of pause.

2. Do absolutely nothing

This one could be the hardest. We're so used to filling every little moment in our day. We reach for our phones, put something on in the background, check our messages or find another job that needs doing.

But rest doesn't always need an activity attached to it. Try sitting or lying somewhere comfortable for five or ten minutes, with no phone. No podcast. No meditation you have to “do correctly”.

Just stop. You might find that your mind wanders and thats totally okay.

The aim isn't to achieve a perfectly empty mind. It's simply to give yourself permission to stop doing.

3. Make your out-breath longer

This is something we use regularly in my sound baths.

Try breathing in gently and then allowing your out-breath to be a little longer than your in-breath. Don't force it or take huge breaths, just keep it comfortable and natural.

For example, you could gently breathe in for four and breathe out for six. Try it for a few breaths and notice how you feel.

It's such a simple practice that you can use almost anywhere, sitting at your desk, before going to sleep, in the car before you go into an appointment, or whenever you feel you need a little pause.

4. Let sound do some of the work

This is probably my favourite. We often think of meditation as something we have to actively do, focus, concentrate, clear our minds and try to become calm. But sometimes you can simply lie down and listen.

That's one of the things I love about sound rest. Instead of trying to switch your thoughts off, you give your attention something gentle to rest upon.

It might be the sound of singing bowls, the birds outside your window, rain, the sea, or even the ordinary sounds around you such as the cars driving by. You don't have to make anything happen. You can simply listen.

You don't have to do all four

That's probably the most important thing. You don't need another list of things you should be doing.

Just choose one.

Humming for two minutes.

Five minutes of doing nothing.

A few slower breaths with a longer out-breath.

Or lying down and listening to some gentle sound.

Rest doesn't have to be complicated, expensive or take up an entire afternoon. Sometimes it's simply about creating a small space where you don't have to do anything at all. And that's really what I love about sound baths.

You don't have to be good at relaxing and you dont have to clear your mind, just get comfortable, listen, breathe and give yourself permission to rest.