When was the last time you relaxed? Honestly, when was the last day you let every ounce of your body relax and were just in the moment of life?
Too often we think that productivity is what life is all about. We strive to accomplish as much as we can in as little amount of time possible. We do this without stopping to ask ourselves if everything we are doing is necessary or worth it. With that said, removing all productivity from our lives is not a good thing, but accepting that every moment in our life does not need to be productive will allow our bodies to relax, recover, repair and refocus. Breathing life into our day through relaxation processes will not only help your body come back from stress, but provide continued success at whatever your goals were prior to the relaxing period of that day.
There is never a day in our lives that goes by that does not allow for even a small amount of relaxation. The key is finding those times in the day to relax as well as ways to do so. The following are times and ways to not be consumed by everything you are supposed to be doing and start implementing relaxation into your daily life.
- Breathing – I attempted The Happy Self’s 100 breathes challenge and failed miserably. It wasn’t for me. However, it may be for you. You can also attempt other breathing focused exercises which help increase oxygen flow to your entire body, release carbon dioxide and cause a natural muscle relaxation.
- Exercise – Though this may not sound very relaxing, many types of exercise, like yoga and walking, help relax and stretch muscles without causing complete stress on the body like weightlifting and running do. Swimming is also a great way to relax and get the kinks out with zero to little stress on the body.
- Enjoy Nature – Head to an area that is peaceful with few people, no electronics, and only natural noises. The calmness and serenity that comes from nature cannot be matched.
- Lie Down – Do not lay on your bed. Rather lay on a flat surface like carpet, a hardwood floor, or grass. Focus on maintaining a proper posture where you are looking straight to the sky. Try not to fall asleep and just focus on the earlier mentioned breathing techniques.
Hopefully, these tips will help you recognize the need to allow relaxing to become a part of every day. Your life will be much longer and less stressful if you do.
David Damron
The Minimalist Path
Click here to get a copy of PROJECT M-31: Simply Your Life in 31 Days
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