The benefits of relaxation are many, and include:
- Reducing the activity of stress hormones
- Helping to avoid mental overload – your brain is constantly on the go, dealing with multiple thought processes, so it needs to have the chance to switch off now and again
- Lowering your blood pressure and heart rate
- Improving digestion and easing the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome
- Improving blood flow and reducing muscular tension
- Reducing inflammation, which may help with chronic pain conditions
The problem is that the same modern lives that cause so much stress and make relaxation so important, result in us having little opportunity to relax properly and experience these benefits. In an ideal world we would be making time for 10 minutes of meditation every morning and 10 minutes of mindfulness every evening, but in the rush to get the kids to school, get to work, sort out homework and after school clubs, make dinner and somehow fit in all the other chores of the day, those 20 minutes can be very hard to find.
So what’s the answer?
Well, ideally, we would all go on miraculous time management and productivity courses and discover how to be so organized we can fit everything in and still find time to look after ourselves. There are always improvements we can make to the way we run our lives, and we all tend to procrastinate and not spend our time in the optimum manner. Having said that, this miracle transformation is not likely to happen for everyone, and certainly not immediately. The answer might be in looking for other ways to relax and make time for ourselves.
A change is as good as a rest…
…as the old saying goes. It is true that doing new and different activities can refresh the mind and distract you from your everyday stresses. The methods of achieving this may not be immediately obvious, but the trick is to combine your relaxation time with another activity in your life. For example, if you wanted to get fit but didn’t have time to make regular visits to the gym, you could use the time you spend with your family, get them involved as well and all go walking or for a cycle ride. In terms of relaxation, think of the current ways you spend an afternoon with the kids, and see what activities you could do together that would be diverting but not stressful.
Board games
Good old board games can be great fun if you choose something that suits everyone and that makes you think. If you’re a realtor, Monopoly might not be the best choice, or if you’re a surgeon you might want to give Operation a miss. Go for something that has no relation to your everyday life, so your mind is sent down new pathways and gets a break from the well-worn roads it must travel every day. There are lots of fantasy based board games available now, in fact there is a surprisingly large variety of games covering all sorts of interests. Try some space exploration, or different countries and time periods.
Computer games
You could try multiplayer computer games, providing you and your family members or friends aren’t likely to get worked up and frustrated when playing, which would defeat the object of the activity! Interactive gaming and location-based augmented reality games like Pokémon Go! are something you could easily get lost in.
Mysteries
A good mystery can be completely absorbing, which is one of the reasons crime novels and dramas are perennially popular. The human brain loves to figure out riddles and solve puzzles, so a mystery activity would be a great way to give your mind a break. If you think your family would love having a well-plotted interactive crime to solve, have a go at something like the Breakout Box. When you subscribe, you get a box of objects every month which form clues leading you along the trail to the murderer. There are twists and turns on the way and some red herrings to try and confuse you, but while you and your family are playing detective, your thoughts will be far away from the unpleasant client you have to deal with at work the next day.
Joining in
One simple way to divert your brain is to take up something new that requires you to concentrate on learning unfamiliar skills. This will occupy your attention, leaving no room for the mind to wander back to the worries of the day. As these are suggestions for combining your activities to encompass relaxation time, this doesn’t mean trying to find time to start a new hobby. If you take your daughter horseback riding every Saturday morning, why not have a go yourself? Instead of watching her or sitting in the car wishing they’d hurry back from a ride so you could get on with other things, go out with her and enjoy the magical feeling of riding while spending time with your child. If you don’t fancy riding, see if you could walk or cycle along with the riders.
There’s plenty of evidence to support the claim that setting aside time for relaxation each day can be highly beneficial. If you are feeling overwhelmed by having so much to do, you are probably in need of some chill-out time, but making relaxation a priority might not be that easy for you, whether due to time constraints or an overriding compulsion to work hard. But with some thought and planning, you can divert your thoughts into activities with your family or friends that will relieve your stress on a regular basis whilst not disrupting your existing schedule. Once you’ve given your brain a chance to rest, you may find you naturally become more productive, and fitting in a daily meditation session will seem more feasible. Or you might find that the enjoyment of horseback riding or solving mysteries is exactly what you needed!
