Self-Care for the Overwhelmed

Today is National Relaxation Day! I know what you’re thinking…yay, another random and superfluous holiday that’s not really a holiday. But, what if we look at this another way?

Every day, we’re surrounded by machines and computers that are pushing our days forward. We wake up to alarms, our coffee pots buzz at us, our cars/trains/busses hum and roar, our phones beep, buzz and vibrate so constantly that we have phantom vibration syndrome. It’s all so much and it’s all of the time. 

Let’s, for one day, try it a different way. Let’s think of National Relaxation Day as a reminder that we don’t have to be a big ball of stress or an overwhelmed mess. We can decide, in this day, to take a little time to relax. It doesn’t have to be the entire day, but a little bit of relaxation time – 20, 30, 60 minutes – might be the highlight of your week. 

Now that we’ve decided that we don’t have to take the entire day to relax, but we can relax at our leisure, what exactly should we do to relax? Well, I have a few suggestions for you…

      Take a walk in the park: For most of us, being in nature is inherently relaxing. Strolling through the woods, listening to the birds chirping and hearing the wind blowing through the trees…absolutely relaxing. If you happen to live near water (I’m lucky enough to be minutes away from Lake Erie) find a park near your lake or river and walk there. Adding the lapping of waves or the rushing of a stream to your walk will connect you even more to nature and help you to detach from the constant stream of tech and reconnect to yourself. 

  

     Eat your favorite meal: There’s something to be said about comfort food. On a day where we’re attempting to relax, why not approach it from all angles, including from your center (or your stomach). Now, I might be suggesting this because I love to eat – and I love to cook and I find both activities very relaxing, but I’m guessing I’m not alone on this one. Even if your favorite meal is prepared by your favorite restaurant, go ahead and indulge. The key to keeping this activity relaxing is to truly enjoy your meal and enjoy yourself. Eat slowly, much slower than normal. Taste the food. Enjoy it. And don’t judge yourself for enjoying it. 

Tune out early: About an hour or so before you go to bed tonight, turn off or silence all of your tech – including your TV. In our age of technology, we tend to undervalue silence. Moving about your night-time routine in silence will help to restore your mind and give you some much needed relaxation before hitting the hay. This type of tech-time-out gives you an opportunity to clear your mind and prepare yourself for a restful night of sleep.

Those are all of my tips for the day, and although it is rainy and a little dreary here, I think I’m going to take my own advice. It’d be great if we could find time every day for relaxation, but today – it’s the official holiday – you’ve been given permission (and a few suggestions), now get out there and relax!

*Written by Lindsay S., a proud writer, swimmer, and Redwood resident.