A National day to relax? Yes, please! Happy Relaxation!
Honestly, I didn’t know about National Relaxation Day until this year. I have no idea how I did not know about this magical day of relaxing, but now it’s on my calendar. I plan to share it with all of my clients and my friends like you because we all need time to relax and unwind from the stressors of life.
I have a keynote presentation on self-care that when I talk about the benefits of relaxing people roll their eyes at me and start to reach for the phones. But then I capture their attention when I show 2 tombstone epitaphs, 1 reading “His inbox was always zero” and another, “She posted on Instagram every hour” it starts to make sense.
Relaxing isn’t about doing something mindless or the feeling when your inbox gets to zero. It’s from the inside out, where your mind is clear and in the present, your body is relaxed without tension and you generally feel good.
See, in our society, we are pushed to our max more than ever before. Mindfulness (or being in the moment) is seen as something for vegan eating man buns and not for all people. That just isn’t true!
The Downside of Stress:
The reality is that there have been numerous studies that show prolonged high levels of cortisol (a.k.a the stress hormone) can cause or exacerbate cancer, autoimmune disease, heart issues, infertility, and advanced aging, yikes!
The Benefits of Relaxing:
On the other side…there have been numerous studies that show lowering cortisol can reverse the negative effects and even lengthen our telomeres (part of our DNA), essentially reversing the aging process, yes, please!
Here’s a book recommendation if you’d like to read more about telomeres and mindfulness:
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The Signs:
Learn to recognize your signs of stress. For example, if your shoulders feel tense, you clench your jaw while you sleep, you can’t focus and feel the tension. Once you know your signs from your body and mind you’ll be able to remind yourself it’s time to relax.
How to Relax:
This is up to you, but I will suggest avoiding social media, text messages, or TV. Try to get out in nature or someplace quiet where you can be alone with your thoughts, uninterrupted. Some people do this walking, some sit and meditate. Some even exercise or take a candle-lit bath. I’ve had clients who lock themselves in a dark closet and listen to yoga music because that’s the only place that worked!
This weekend, take on National Relaxation Day with a promise to yourself that you will find 10-30mins to yourself to relax, unwind, and enjoy the moment.
Tell us on social what you do to relax.
Happy Relaxing!
❤️Amy x
