10 Easy Ways to Chill Out on National Relaxation Day

If you don’t already know, Thursday August 15th is National Relaxation Day. That’s right, a day to chill out, veg out and just be lazy take it easy. Being that I work with moms on learning how to recharge, reconnect and rediscover, what better day to focus on that than National Relaxation Day? Got a busy day planned for tomorrow? Don’t think there’s any room in your schedule to chill out? I beg to differ. We all need to be reminded to take some time out to slow down and rest.

Did you know that National Relaxation Day was first celebrated as National Slacker Day in Britain in 2001? Over the past several years, it has caught on in the United States to promote leisure and wellness activities. We live in a time where we are busy being busy. Everything is fast-paced all the time. So in honor of this great day of rest, here are 10 easy ways you can incorporate some relaxation into your day.

1. Go for a walk. It can be a short walk, it can be a long walk. Just get outdoors to clear your mental space. Sometimes we just need to declutter the noise that invades our minds on a daily basis. Simply stepping out to get some fresh air can do wonders to get you out of your overwhelm state and back to focusing on the things that really matter. 

2. Go get a massage. If your money is tight and schedule is hectic, check out your local massage school. Did you know you can sneak in a massage for sometimes as low as $25 for an hour? Some massage schools may even offer free massages so that their students can gain experience. Be sure to also check out local community colleges and hospitals in case they have a massage training program.

3. Say no. To e-mails, to phone calls (especially the ones you don’t want to be on anyway), to social media. For someone like myself who needs to be on social media to work, this will not be an easy task. So I’ll start by deleting the social media apps on my phone for the day. You can join me too. I promise, we’ll survive it together.

4. Take a nap. Oh yes, there’s nothing like a good ol’ nap to calm you down and put you in a place of zen. So when you lay the kids down, that’s your que to freeze: stop all housework and hop into your cozy bed for some much needed shut-eye time.

5. Take a bubble bath. Light some candles, close the door and put a “Do not disturb mommy” sign on the door. Sometimes a good soak is all we need to get the blood flowing properly again.

6. Go for a swim. Or just wade in the water. Our bodies are made up of about 70%  of water, so it’s only natural that being around it will calm us down. A nice swim can be just what you need to release stress and increase relaxation.

7. Go to the aquarium. Water, water everywhere. Several studies have shown that viewing a fish-filled aquarium can lower both blood pressure and stress levels. How’s that for relaxation?!

8. Drive in silence. Are you one to blast music, talk on the phone (hands-free of course), or listen to audio books during your long commute? Try turning everything off and drive in silence. Give yourself a chance to think. Give your mind a chance to declutter.

9. Breathe. When you’re overwhelmed, stressed and anxious the last thing on your mind is stopping to breathe. The one thing we do without even thinking about it is a big stress reliever. Deep breathing is not only relaxing, but it’s scientifically proven to lower stress in the body.

10. Shut off the electronics. iPads, iPhones, tablets, TVs, etc. Find an elecctronic-free activity to induldge in. Go bowling, play golf or take an exercise class like yoga or pilates. I’m one to always have my phone on me 24/7. Instead of going to my kindle app or iBooks store, I’m going to grab a book off my bookshelf. Will you join me?

So whether you are working full-time, working from home, or just have a gazillion things on your to-do list for tomorrow, be sure to add relaxation to it.

What will you be doing to celebrate National Relaxation Day 2013?

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