Do you know how to relax?

Greetings SASSY women (and men)!! This time of year seems to be the busiest for most people and oftentimes, the monotony of our busy lives can sometimes lead us very little time to stop and “smell the roses.”  I was recently reminded of this when a few weekends ago, I was momentarily relieved of my responsibilities and told to “Go Relax!” and “Find something to do!”  Now, being a young woman in her mid-twenties, I would love to say that despite the chaos I sometimes call my life; I know how to kick back and relax.  But not true.

At a time when I should’ve been calling up the closest girlfriend, throwing on my cutest pair of skinny jeans and stilettos and getting my SASSY on, I was standing there dumbfounded trying to figure out what exactly I could do with myself that would allow me to say, “Yes, I got some rest” or “I (insert activity here) and relaxed a bit.”  But, somewhere along the line, I’ve forgotten how to REALLY relax and since this discovery, I’ve been on a quest to figure out what I can do to re-learn how to gain some moments of genuine relaxation in my life amongst all the ripping and running I do on the daily.

The word ‘relax’ means to seek rest or recreation; to become less tense; to cast off social restraint, nervous tension or anxiety.  My life seems to be the exact opposite of all those things.  I tend to stay tense, restrained, and anxious about getting the next thing done, often worrying about that next thing while doing my present thing.  But did you know that the body was not designed to effectively handle multiple stresses at the same time?  So when we overload ourselves with activities and thoughts, our body reacts by making us increasingly fatigued and weakening our immune system, making us more susceptible to colds and infections.

This is why it is important to find time to relax because relaxation helps to keep our stress levels down, and consequently improves our health.  Too little relaxation can result in mental health problems, memory failure and even heart attack – and none of us want that.  By taking time to pamper our minds   gives our bodies that natural rejuvenation it needs to keep us healthy.

In my quest to re-define my ideas of relaxation, I’ve formulated this list of easy to do things you can do to relax. And if you’re a person who finds it hard to relax or have to come to realize that your mind often wanders when you attempt to relax, this list is for you, my SASSY sisters (and brothers).

1. Indulge in a hot bubble bath. Just a 30 minute soak in a warm bubble bath will help you feel relaxed and lighten your mind.  Warm water loosens up muscles, so it’s a great way to feel pampered without doing a lot.  It will also deepen respiration and take any tension away from your body.  So break out your most aromatic candles and bath salts and soak away.
2. Relax with some soothing music. Oftentimes, putting on a good CD, being still and listening has helped ease some relaxation into my day.  Additionally, it is a known fact that music that has a tempo of 60 beats/minute works in harmony with the human heartbeat, and therefore creates a relaxing effect.  It slows down the heart rate, breathing rate and thinking rate, and lets you relax into deep levels of rest.
3. Learn the power of the word “No”.  This one is fairly simple.  If you are constantly bombarded with additional tasks that would cause your life to become more hectic than it is, just say “NO!” to these things.  Be selfish occasionally, the world can go on without you; someone else CAN baby-sit or drive your parents somewhere.  The meeting can wait and the garden/washing/house work can wait too.
4. 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 ( like I do ), drive somewhere pretty, stop the car and sit and look at the surrounding nature.  You’ll become one with yourself, your environment and free your mind of its stress.
5. Get a massage. Massage techniques are known to cause states of deep relaxation.  As the muscles loosen, the mind releases and lulls you into a state of peace.  Do some research in your city and find a spa that offers affordable massages.  Often you may find that a Swedish massage can run less than $50 if you’re willing to splurge.  Or if your boo’d up, ask them to come over and loosen those muscles for free.
6. Take a nap. Sleep forces our bodies to find states of natural relaxation.  By lying on your back, your muscles relax on their own, allowing you to let go of some of the tension without even trying.  Make sure that you nap without the TV or radio on, as this will force the mind to continue to be active and you’ll absorb those sounds into your psyche – causing you to never enter the REM stage of sleep.

Other things you may want to try: yoga, pilates or deep breathing techniques.

I hope you’ll be inspired by my list to take some time to relax by adopting some of these things or by creating your own imaginative ways to include moments of relaxation in your day.  Share with me in the comments what you SASSY folks do to relax both daily and when you have free time to partake in more lengthy relaxation activities.  If you do nothing today, take a moment to relax!!
Yours in SASSiness and relaxation,
Mignon

Tagged as: love yourself, relaxation, self-care

About the author

Mignon

Mignon Renee is a writer and Master's of Arts Candidate in Cultural Communication and New Media at Prescott College. You can find her regularly posting her personal musings on life, culture and love at intellectualsoul.com.