We often think of our homes as a place to relax, recharge. It’s our space to come back to at the end of a long day. But what do you do when you’re unable to calm yourself down while at home?

Whether you’re going through a tough time, or simply feel as though you’ve got too many things on your plate, it can sometimes be tough to calm your mind. Especially after a long day or work or school, you may find yourself with racing thoughts that are difficult to slow down. This can make it difficult for you to genuinely relax, and even contribute to losing sleep and making for an exhausting next day.

The fact is, though, relaxing your mind is necessary to living a healthy life. You need to prioritize genuine rest to be able to handle life’s daily challenges. To help you reach a state of zen, here are five ways to calm your mind at home:

Try meditating

Meditation is a great way to relax your mind and body from tension and stress. This practice allows you to get in touch with your body and focus on relieving the anxious thoughts racing through your head.

If you’re new to meditation, consider a guided meditation video to walk you through the process. There are plenty of excellent videos on YouTube to take advantage of. These videos will take you through each step of your meditation process, including deep-breathing techniques intended to regulate your breathing and help you relax.

If meditation isn’t your jam, consider yoga or some stretching exercises to loosen your body up and relieve some of the tension causing you to feel stressed. You’ll notice a difference almost immediately, even on your first try – if you make it into a regular routine, you’ll see a world of difference.

Start journaling

Though it may not seem helpful to some, journaling is a great way to calm your mind and help you relax while at home.

Journaling allows us to write out all our anxious thoughts and worries in a safe space. Think of your journaling process as physically taking these anxieties out of your mind and placing them on a page. This process relieves you of your worries and gives your mind space for more positive thinking.

Once you’ve expelled your mind of the bad thoughts, consider taking your journaling to the next level by doing gratitude journaling. Take the time to write down 3-5 things you’re grateful for every day: even small things, like cooking your favorite dinner, are worthy of being one of the things you’re grateful for that day. Continuously keeping up with gratitude journaling will leave you in a better mind, and remind you to focus on the positives wherever possible.

Clean your home

While many people see it as a chore, cleaning your home is a great way to calm your mind. If you’re noticing you’re unable to relax and settle down, try cleaning up around the house to help you calm down.

You don’t need to clean the entire house to reap the relaxing benefits of cleaning. Simply choosing a room or two to tidy up can help you calm down immensely. Maybe clean the bathroom you’ve been putting off doing?

Cleaning works to calm you down because it forces your mind into focusing on something else besides your anxious thoughts. Keeping your hands busy and giving you a task to work on will help you to stop overthinking about whatever is making you anxious or stressed.

Using cleaning as your relaxation technique also guarantees you’ll have a clutter-free space after. Being surrounded by clutter leads to anxiety for many people, and cleaning up ensures you don’t have to worry about it. After you’ve finished, you’ll have a clean part of the house to relax in.

Set the mood

Sometimes, a little pampering and mood-setting goes a long way to help you calm your mind.

If you’re feeling wound up at home, try putting on some of your favorite music to sing along to. Focusing on the lyrics will engage you to prevent you from ruminating on anxious thoughts. You can light a candle, or burn some incense to fill your home with calming scents. Even cuddling up with a soft blanket or plush pillows can make a huge difference. If you’re in need of some serious R&R, consider running a hot bath with a bath bomb to help you unwind.

No matter what you do, focus on filling your home with things that make you feel happy and relaxed. Surrounding yourself with things that stimulate your senses while providing some level of calm will help you to calm your mind better.

Engage in a fun solo activity

Sitting at home alone can be anxiety-inducing for anyone. Especially if you’re used to living with family, roommates or a significant other, you may not know how to spend time alone with yourself.

If you’ve got racing thoughts and need something to focus on, consider engaging in a home activity you enjoy. Reading a good book, playing video games, or even something as simple as painting your nails will help you distract you while also relaxing you in the process.

These activities engage your brain and keep you stimulated while keeping you from ruminating on anxious thoughts or twiddling your thumbs. Find a few activities you can do by yourself at home to ensure you always have an option to occupy yourself and help you calm your mind.

Calming your mind at home doesn’t have to be hard. There are plenty of ways to relax yourself and reduce anxiety. If you find that you have a hard time unwinding while at home, consider these activities to kickstart your relaxation and calm your anxious thoughts.