Find relaxation that works for you and it will be more likely to become a part of your life, rather than a stranger.
What's Inside?
What works for one person may not work for another. Find something that works. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. It doesn’t have to be planned weeks in advance. It can be very simple and even spur of the moment.
Make relaxation work for you by making it something you would enjoy. The more you enjoy it, the more you will do it. The less complicated it is, the better the chance of you doing it frequently.
Focus on relaxation that allows you to shut your brain off with no outside input. Yes, the TV often makes us mind-numbed, but we are still receiving input. No, you don’t have to only think of meditation as there are other ways you can do this. The main point is to allow your brain to power down to a more relaxed level.
Relaxation That Works
Some of the ways I do this include going to the ocean and just bathing in the sounds of the waves, or gazing into the vast horizon of the ocean.
Sometimes I’ll go and sit in the park, just observing and listening and taking in all that I am surrounded by in that moment. Yes, it is input, but it is an observational and letting go type of input, not one where you are numbed to everything. It is all about sensing and feeling, being caught up in the moment, and letting go of all the external stuff so that you can relax.
In my book, Overcoming A Mysterious Condition, I talk about the first weekend in a hospital where I could just sit outside. I could feel the sun and wind on my face. The birds were chirping and flying around me. The clouds were floating by effortlessly in the clear blue sky. There was nothing I had to do but sit there and bask in the simplest parts of the moment.
A Good Place To Start
Sometimes just powering down and letting go of all that we think we need to do is a good place to start finding relaxation that works. Maybe some light, slow, and connected movements can help prepare us to let go.
You’re looking for things that take you out of the routines of life and allow you to have moments where you need not worry or fret or partake in the stress of the day. It is a moment of selfcare and letting go, not being engaged in anything that is required of you.
The more you can laugh, feel, sense, observe, and notice, the more you will be stepping outside of the stressors of life. It will allow you to relax and enjoy, not dread and suffer through all that is happening in your life.
Relaxation that works can be something as simple as a walk in the park or sitting on a park bench. It could be taking a leisurely walk or bicycle ride where you leave all the stresses of the world behind you. Maybe it is sitting with a pet or singing and laughing when no one is watching.
Possibilities Are Endless
The possibilities are endless and it only requires our creativity and imagination to find them. Don’t make relaxing difficult because if you do, you will get tired of it. It will be no fun and you will likely give up on it.
Make it something you want to do which will lead you to wanting to do it regularly. Remember, your life depends upon it, so the more you embrace it into your life, the more it will be there for you.
If it feels like you’re resisting it too much, take note of what is happening. Is it not something you enjoy? Are you making it too difficult? Is there something standing in your way of embracing relaxation and making the choice to do it? If there is, change what you are doing or how you are relaxing. Find relaxation that works for you.
How To Relax Series
Keep checking back and reading the other parts in this series on relaxation and stress. These are easy and simple strategies that I hope will help you in your life.
These have been posted weekly beginning on 7/1/2020.
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