Learn to Relax – how spend time relaxing
If you find yourself ever lying awake at night, unable to switch off or feeling as though you never stop running around, then you may be one of those people who finds it impossible to say “No” and to relax.
For those of you out there who know you need to relax but simply don’t know where to start, we have put together a few pointers for you and asked some of our friends and colleagues for their ideas on how they spend time relaxing:
- Learn to say “No”. Be selfish occasionally, the world can go on without you, someone else CAN baby-sit, drive your kids somewhere, the meeting can wait, the garden/washing/house work can wait.
- Ask yourself – “If I got hit by a bus tomorrow, would all these things I am worrying about really matter?” – you’d be surprised how many times the answer to this question is “No”.
- Have a Bath – It’s true, having a bath really is wonderful! I forgot how lovely it was to lie in a bath full of warm water, smelling of delicious scents and closing my eyes. Even if you’re only in there for 10 minutes – it truly is fabulous!
- Put your favourite music on and turn it up loud! Dance around the lounge room and who cares who is watching!
- Play with your pets – Studies support the theory that those who own animals live longer healthier lives. Watching your dog tear around the back yard chasing a ball or patting your cat and listening to its purr is a great way to take your mind off things.
- Go For A Drive – Now this one isn’t for everyone, as some people cannot relax when they are driving. But if you like to drive, drive somewhere pretty, stop the car and sit and look at the surrounding nature.
- Go to the Beach
- Read a book
- Draw a picture – it doesn’t matter if you’re a natural-born artist or not. Just getting some pencils or textas and drawing whatever comes to mind can be great fun. The same can be said for painting!
- Gardening – there is much to be said for grabbing a shovel and digging in the garden!
- Go for a walk
- Pack a picnic
We hope you can utilise some of these ideas. These things may seem incredibly obvious, however you may be surprised how quickly we forget. Make yourself a list of your most favoured ways to relax and stick them up on the fridge so that you remind yourself to do some form of relaxation at least once a week.
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