National Relaxation Day
Relax. It’s a word we don’t hear very much any more and something we do even less. We’ve begun to lose sight of the meaning and relevance of relaxation.
- To seek rest or recreation
- To become less intense or severe
- To become inactive
- To cast off social restraint, nervous tension, or anxiety
Experts believe that our technology-filled lives are partly to blame for our inability to relax as much as we used to. Hectic schedules, deadlines, social pressure, cell phones, computers, Blackberries, and iPods keep us ‘wired’ or stressed all the time, connected to external stimuli that drown out our natural inner craving for rest.
Relaxation is the adult version of a “time out”, a moment to experience calm. We often think of stress reduction in terms of a day at the spa, a massage or hypnosis. Yet relaxation need not be expensive. Nor does it doesn’t mean (necessarily) that we do nothing, just that we pause, even for a few minutes each day, to be present.
Relaxing can be as simple as doing 5 minutes of Tai Chi in the backyard or turning off cell phones at dinnertime to fully engage in family conversation. Or it can be as drastic as setting the cell phone to emergency calls only for the day and taking off for parts unknown. The point: to reduce stress by slowing down long enough to reconnect with our essence, our authentic self on a regular basis.
Today (August 15th) is National Relaxation Day. Celebrate by embracing the practice of relaxation. Snuggle up with a book. Nap in the hammock. Eat slowly. Walk a nearby labyrinth. Share a home-cooked meal. Meditate. Read to a child. Laugh for no reason. Breathe.
How will you relax? Share your favorite ways below in the comments section below.
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