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Tag Archives: Relax


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Relaxing things to do in Manchester

After a hard day, it can sometimes be difficult to unwind and relax, especially if you live in a city. If you are residing in the Manchester area, these are some of the best ways to relax. 

  • Wander around St John’s garden
  • Enjoy a coffee in the trees
  • Stroll around Sale Water Park
  • Admire art at Manchester Art Gallery
  • Indulge in cat therapy 
  • Find tranquility at Rena Spa 
  • Create a work of art at Seven Limes Pottery 
  • Travel back in time at Heaton Park
  • Reach new heights at Manchester Climbing Center

Wander around St John’s garden

Where the St John church formerly stood in central Manchester, there is now a beautiful garden.  Developed in 1932, the small but beautiful St John’s garden is home to an urban orchard, beautiful flower beds, and plenty of benches to sit and relax on. In the center of the garden, you can find a memorial to the church, and those that were buried in its adjoining graveyard, placed exactly where the entrance to the church once was. St John’s garden is the perfect place to unwind with a book, or simply sit with your own thoughts. 

Image by  Gerald England

Enjoy a coffee in the trees 

The Whitworth café has been beautifully designed with floor-to-ceiling windows so that guests can enjoy a coffee in the trees of Whitworth Park. As you sip on your coffee and nibble on an incredible seasonal menu, that is both ethically and locally sourced, you can enjoy the nature of Whitworth Park and the urban sanctuary of the Art Garden. The Whitworth cafe is the ideal place to enjoy all that nature has to offer, no matter the weather. 

Image by  David Hawgood 

Stroll around Sale Water Park

Sale Water Park is a social hub, making it the perfect place to relax, especially with friends and family. Located in the south of Manchester, you can find beautiful woodland, meadows and, in the center of it all, the lake at Sale Water Park. During the summer months, locals and tourists alike flock to the lake to sail boats or ride jet skis. Nestled within the park is The Boathouse Restaurant, which offers panoramic views of the park. 

Admire art at Manchester Art Gallery 

Sometimes the best way to relax is to go somewhere quiet, where you can focus on something other than your stresses. Manchester Art Gallery is perfect for that. There is no admission fee to access the gallery, so you can wander around at your own leisure, admiring and getting lost in the art on display. Whether you are interested in fine art, sculptures, or even textiles, Manchester Art Gallery has a wide variety of beautiful pieces, that are guaranteed to satisfy even the toughest critic. 

Indulge in cat therapy

It has been proven that petting and being around animals has a calming effect on humans. In fact, stroking a cat can lower your blood pressure and increase positive thoughts. If you are a cat lover but do not own one, then you can visit Manchester’s Cat Cafe and enjoy unlimited access to a group of furry friends. For £12 an hour, you can enjoy bottomless hot and cold beverages, whilst stoking your new feline friends. 

Find tranquillity at Rena Spa

The ultimate relaxation experience is visiting a spa. The Rena Spa, located in the The Midland Manchester hotel, is an award-winning retreat away from every single stress you may be experiencing. Whether you are looking to massage the stress away, enjoy a dip in the relaxation pool, or release your pent-up frustrations in the steam room, there is a treatment for everyone to enjoy. You can find an escape at The Rena for a few short hours, or book a spa retreat, either way, you will leave feeling refreshed, revitalised, and, most importantly, completely relaxed. 

Photo by John Tekeridis from Pexels

Create a work of art at Seven Limes Pottery 

When you’re feeling stressed it can be useful to throw yourself into a creative project. Seven Limes Pottery offers small and friendly classes to potters of all levels. You can dictate what you would like to make, and the tutors at Seven Limes will help guide you through the process until you are left with a beautiful piece of pottery at the end. If you aren’t completely sold on the idea of making pottery, you can try a taster class.

Photo by Natallia Rak from Pexels

Travel back in time at Heaton Park 

At first glance, you may mistake Heaton Park as just another serine park, but you would be wrong. Not only is the park itself listed as a historical site, but there are also several buildings and landmarks nestled within its grounds that have been classed as historic sites. As you walk around the park you can observe these beautiful, historic, structures, before heading to the animal center, where you can see several farm animals roaming alongside alpacas and peacocks. With there being so much to do and see, Heaton Park is a great place to stroll around, at your leisure, and feel yourself relax into a calmer way of life. 

Reach new heights at Manchester Climbing Centre

Any form of exercise releases endorphins which help to relax and make you feel happy. What’s even better, is when you can exercise in a fun and adventurous way. At Manchester Climbing Center you can reach new heights by climbing the walls of the reformed church that the center is housed in. If you’ve never tried rock climbing before, you can do an intro class for £15 where you will be shown the ropes (pun intended) and given a full health and safety briefing. After completing the introductory class, you can pay £9 per session, or buy a membership for £45 a month. 

Photo by Allan Mas from Pexels

Laundry is never a relaxing task to complete, so let us do it for you. Book your Laundryheap service by heading to the Laundryheap website or downloading the free Laundryheap app.


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Going Home For Christmas: To Do List

Christmas is once again upon us! The trees are up, decorations at the ready and you are presumably thinking about going home for Christmas. Before you pack your bags or start fantasising about your mothers Christmas pudding, there are some crucial things to remember.

Make sure you have everything on this list covered so you can unwind, stuff your face and saviour this magical time of year.

  • Make sure you are up to date on work 
  • No need to over pack 
  • Don’t forget to pack all your presents 
  • Turn everything off
  • Empty your fridge
  • Be cyber-safe when leaving
  • Forget about work for a few days
  • Try not to become a complete slob
  • One last check before going home for Christmas

Make sure you are up to date on work

As exciting as it can seem to be finishing work for the Christmas period, you should still try to stay ahead of your responsibilities. No one wants to spend Christmas stressing out about reports when we should only be worrying about eating our body-weight in turkey.  

We can’t think of anything worse than returning to work with a week-long hangover, and finding yourself buried under a pile of work. Getting ahead will allow you to go home for Christmas and have a truly relaxing time.

No need to over pack 

How much to pack before going home for Christmas ultimately depends on how much time off you get. Whether you get a few days or a few weeks off, be sure to bear in mind that there will be a washing machine where you are going. With this in mind, do you need to take your whole wardrobe home for Christmas? 

You will be especially thankful for this tip when you are watching an army of poor souls dragging their suitcases through busy stations. By packing less, you will be the envy of everyone on your carriage. 

Don’t forget to pack all your presents

In stark contrast to the previous tip, we are now encouraging you to load up your luggage. Although, rather than filling up your baggage with clothes you don’t require, why not load it full of presents you’ve bought friends and family.

Make sure you make a note of everything you buy with a gift list. If not, you could end up forgetting grannies gift, and what a disaster that would be. Travelling back to collect it might not be an option, and posting it later may be expensive. So, if you take one thing from this list, remember your gifts!

Turn everything off

With so much spinning around in your mind before going home for Christmas, be sure to remember to switch everything off! Central heating? Off. Lights? Off. Wifi? Off.

The last thing you want when you return home is a mountain of scary bills on the floor when no one has even been home over Christmas. Worse yet, imagine getting to your family home and having a sudden panic that you have left the gas on the cooker and you are 150 miles away.

Empty your fridge

No one wants to return home after a pleasant, relaxing Christmas to find a carton of milk that’s spoilt and looks more like a carton of cheddar. Make sure you completely empty your fridge before returning home for Christmas. If not, the smell that will greet you on your return will be revolting. You may find yourself spending all of next year trying to get rid of it.

Be cyber-safe when leaving

One common mistake people make when returning home for Christmas is they post about their trip on social media. We can’t stress this enough: DO NOT announce online that your house will be empty for days, maybe weeks. 

Christmas time is one of the busiest years for burglaries because the criminals know people go home. Try not to make it easier for them by letting the world know you won’t be there. 

Forget about work for a few days

Christmas is a magical time of year, so relax and enjoy being back home. Try to wash any impending deadline or reports that need to be in for the new year.  

Set aside a few days between Christmas and New Year to go over anything bothering you, if it makes you feel better. Still, make sure you are not distracted and enjoy your quality time with family. After all, you may not get a chance to see them again for a while, and don’t want waste your Christmas fretting about work. 

Try not to become a complete slob 

We all know how easy it to return home for Christmas and turn into a clone of our teenage self. Just because your adoring parents are happy to have you back, it does not mean you have free licence to do nothing at all.

Try to make every effort to fall back in line with how your parents want you to behave at home. You have no doubt both changed slightly in your time away. In this case, just wash your dishes, clean your dirty pants and don’t expect your parents to wait on you hand and foot. 

One last check before going home for Christmas

Just before you go home for Christmas, double-check you have all your essential bits and pieces. These include your purse or wallet, train tickets, laptops, presents and your mobile phone. 

It seems obvious, but with so much on your mind before returning home, it can be easy to forget trivial things. You do not want to get on the train only to find out you left your laptop with all your work saved on it. This stuff does happen, so don’t let it be you. 

Thinking about travelling home for Christmas and want a load of fresh laundry waiting for you when you return? Laundryheap can solve all your laundry pressures over the festive period.


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10 Ways To Relax After A Stressful Day At Work

We all experience a stressful day at work, sometimes a stressful week. Then you go home and have other household responsibilities to take care of like cooking and doing the laundry, making you more stressed. Over time, this can affect your well-being, mentally and physically.

It’s important to give yourself some downtime to relax. If you find it difficult to unwind and want an instant solution to de-stress, here are some things you can do to help you relax after work.

10 Ways To Relax After A Stressful Day At Work

  • Go for a walk

It’s always good to walk off the stress and clear your mind after a long day. If you have the opportunity to walk after work even if it’s to a bus stop or from the station, then take it. It ‘s even better if you can take a quick stroll through a park. 

If the tension is too much and you need to escape the stress during work, go out and get some fresh air or take a quick walk around the building.

  • Listen to music

Shut the world out and relax your mind by listening to music that will instantly make you feel change your mood for the better. Promote calmness and relaxation by listening to music that sounds soothing, or listen to upbeat music to help brighten up your mood and bust the stress.

  • Have a laugh with friends

Call your friends and have a catch-up or have a spontaneous after-work meet up. Vent about how bad your day was and then change the topic to get your mind off things. It’s always good to laugh as this releases endorphins making you instantly feel better.

  • Watch Netflix

Whether it’s on your journey home via public transport or during the spare hours you have left before you go to bed, watch a movie or series on Netflix. Have a laugh and watch a stand-up comedy or be entertained by discovery or baking show. 

  • Have a cup of tea

Sit back and enjoy a nice cup of tea while watching series or reading a book. Tea such as green tea, peppermint tea and Jasmine tea, are known remedies for relieving stress and anxiety.

  • Aromatherapy

Relax and unwind by using essential oils to regulate emotions and help calm your nerves. There are several ways to use essentials oils. You can add a few drops of essential oil to your lotion or directly on your wrists to keep the scent with you. You can use a diffuser to spread the aroma around your home, or mix it with water in a spray bottle and spray on your furniture.

  • Take a hot bath with essential oils

Take a soothing hot bath to relax your muscles and ease the tension in your body. Try adding a few drops of essential oils to your bath water like Lavender or pink grapefruit. Alternatively, you can light up aromatic candles around your bath tub or take a hot shower.

  • Do yoga

Find serenity by doing 15-20 mins of yoga. This mind-body practice will help you to unwind and release tension, leaving you feeling refreshed and restored. The combination of poses, breathing and meditation will help to enhance your mood and well-being.

  • Art therapy

Distract your mind and occupy yourself by doing something creative like draw, paint, sew or do a DIY and make something.

  • Use Laundryheap

Laundry is a daunting household task that takes up a lot of time that we sometimes don’t have. It is certainly not something you want to do after coming home from a long day at work either. No matter how big or small your laundry pile is, take the load off and get Laundryheap to take care of your laundry so you can then have more time to relax and pamper yourself.