How to Relax Once the Kids Go to Bed

It might surprise you, but one of the hardest things to do once the kids have gone to bed is actually relax. To be able to sit back and just enjoy some time for yourself, it’s not the easiest thing to do, especially when you can look around the house and see multiple things that still need to get done. Most parents wait all day for some time to themselves, and it doesn’t mean that they’re bad parents or that they don’t want to be around their kids. It just means that sometimes you just need a moment to breathe away from the noise, away from being touched, and away from being needed by so many small people for so long.

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Most people want to use their time after the kids go to bed as productively as possible, but sometimes you just want to unwind and breathe. You are still a person even when you’re a parent, so if your version of relaxation means sitting back and doing absolutely nothing with the TV turned off, you are more than welcome to do that. You need to be able to feel peaceful so that you can recharge your battery for the next onslaught the next day. Being with your kids is a wonderful few hours, but sometimes you just need to feel like an adult again. With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of things that you could be doing once the kids go to bed so that you can finally let go and relax.

1. Run yourself a bath. Normally we wouldn’t put anything that’s to do with hygiene on a list of things to do to relax, but a bath is not really the same thing as having a scrub down shower. Drawing yourself a bath means lighting the candles, adding the bath bomb, finding a great book or a TV show on your iPad and really getting the place set up. If the kids are trusted enough to sleep through, then make sure that you can grab yourself a glass of something delicious, whether it’s a cold Coke with some ice cubes in it or a lovely glass of chilled wine. Some people like to even add a snack bowl to a bath board so that they can sit and relax in absolute bliss. A bath gives you a moment to soak and gives your muscles time to relax and unwind. If you’ve been dealing with carrying a baby around all day, your back and shoulders need a break and a bath can give you that.
2. Play some games. Whether it’s at the table with card games like solitaire or you like to be able to dive onto your favorite online games, playing games is a great way to relax when you’ve been with the kids all day. Card games that you play with other people are also fantastic, but sometimes if you just want to sit in the choir and busy your mind in other ways, solitaire is a fantastic game to play. If you like to win money or prizes, or you really enjoy building up levels on Nintendo as if it’s the 90s again, then online gaming can be a fun adventure. Playing bingo, Playing poker, no matter what the game is that you choose, the point is that you’re choosing it for yourself.
3. Got a new TV show? Some evenings you just want to sit down in front of your favorite TV show and watch it without anybody interrupting you with your favorite snack and just as a way to escape from the world that you’ve got during the day. Choosing a new TV show to watch from start to finish is fun. You can choose to watch one or two episodes at a time and have this routine going a few nights a week so that you on your own or you with a partner or even with friends, can sit and dissect what happened on a TV show that you get hooked into. Watching shows that have already run their course is great because you know that there is a start and finish, and you’re not having to worry about trying to rewatch the whole thing and wait for the episodes.
4. Play board games. If you’re unwinding with a partner at the end of the day and all the kids are finally gone to bed and the house is clean, breaking out a board game and having a giggle together is a great way to relax. Some days you just want to flop in front of the TV, but other days you want to be a bit more interactive and board games can give you the chance to have a laugh. There are games such as Scrabble or Trivial Pursuit that you can play with two players or more, but there are even some sexy games out there if you’re looking to reignite your sex life. Either way, choosing a board game that you like to play together is a great way to unwind and relax because you’re going to be able to laugh and let off some of that serotonin.
5. Go to the gym. If you have somebody at home to watch the sleeping kids, then take yourself to the gym and go for a swim. Going for a workout can help you to work off any pent up energy or anxiety that you’ve built up through the day, and it also gives you time to work on yourself. Taking yourself for a swim before you go to the gym and then going into a steam or a sauna afterwards is a great way to unwind and relax. Not only will you have got rid of all of that nervous energy and adrenaline, you’ll be able to feel good about yourself, which is key to feeling relaxed. Once your gym session is done and you’ve had a steam in, the sauna or hot shower can make you feel refreshed and ready for the evening ahead where you can curl up in bed and actually sleep.
6. An early night. When the day has been busy and you’re exhausted, all you want to do is tuck yourself into your bed and go to sleep, and it’s a wonderful way to unwind. You need to have at least nine hours sleep a night to be able to function correctly. Sure, you could probably function on four to five hours of sleep, but why should you if you don’t have to? You deserve to feel rested, and that often means making sure that you are sleeping longer. An early night can help you to do exactly that, and it helps you to feel less stressed the next day because you feel better rested.
7. Meditate. We talked about going to the gym or going for a swim, but what about yoga? What about Pilates? What about using a YouTube video to sit and just breathe? Some evenings you just want to be able to empty your mind and do absolutely nothing, and meditation can help you with that. You’re going to try to get out of your comfort zone and you’re going to feel a lot better if you can get more out of your time in the evenings.

Whatever relaxation looks like to you, dive into it the moment the children go to bed. Remember that you are still a person and yes, the house may be a little messy while you do something for yourself, but it can wait. You can’t.