How to stop feeling restless

It may be a part of your routine and you may think that you can’t function without it but it could be the cause behind your restlessness. Caffeine is a strong stimulant, which is why you feel a rush of energy once your coffee kicks in. But if you’re more sensitive to it or overdoing it, you could be feeding your agitation with this habit. Reduce your intake or switch to decaf and notice the changes.

Leading a sedentary life carries many health risks. If you’re feeling restless and don’t have much of a physical outlet, it’s time to switch things up. Take out a few minutes in the morning and gradually dedicate at least half an hour every day to doing some form of exercise. From walking your dog to dance classes, kickboxing to table tennis - there are a million fun ways to go about this. Pick one you think you can commit to and start today. You can always do a different activity next week, and keep switching between your favourites every few days. 

Some things we do because we want to. Others we do because we feel like we have to even though we don’t want to - like certain family obligations or meeting certain slightly-toxic friends. If the latter is causing you restlessness or making it worse, like anxiety, you need to prioritise your health. Put your needs first and take a break from these activities and people. If it makes you happier and eases your restlessness, you might want to stick with it. 

Meditation is the best way to calm your mind and body and train it to not feel restless. There are also many different techniques you can employ for this - what might work for one person, might not for another. So whether it’s movement meditation like yoga or focused meditation like staring at a candle flame, take a few minutes out daily to do this. It’ll help centre your energy and bring you some peace of mind.

Multitasking is a lie. You might think you’re making the best use of your time by doing 3-4 things at once, but research on the topic actually suggests that it can take your productivity down by 40%. So take a breath - and focus only on one task at a time. Streamline your thoughts on that and you’ll notice how this helps you feel less restless with time.

We have many great tools that help us with our day-to-day tasks. But they can also end up distracting you unnecessarily. Reading the same paragraph 5-6 times because you kept looking away to check your notifications and the ping on your laptop - sound familiar? If it does, try adopting an old school approach to tech for a while. Turn your phone off for dedicated periods of time, turn off the notifications for apps that constantly keep you distracted and use noise-cancelling headphones if your workspace is extremely noisy. If you have any other distractions that are unique to you, find a way to reduce your exposure to them as well. 

Restlessness can also be stemming from unresolved feelings about people in your life or your relationships with some of them. Talk to them, share how you’ve been feeling and try to get to the bottom of the situation. Bottling up your feelings and letting them fester will only cause you harm. 

Diet and sleep patterns are very important aspects of your life. Having a balanced diet and getting 7-8 hours of sleep could help you live a healthy life. If your current lifestyle does not allow this - for example, if you order out most of the time or the combination of your work and social commitments only let you sleep for 4-5 hours a day - then you need to consider making a change to it. An unhealthy lifestyle can only be sustained for so long. You might only be feeling restless right now, but it could result in many other health conditions in the long run.