The cares of the world rest heavily on many people’s shouldersand if you are one such you must set aside some regular time during your day to relax and let your worries and anxieties float away. This is, of course, easier said than done. ‘To do nothing at all’, remarked Oscar Wilde, ‘is the most difficult thing in the world. ‘Most animals instinctively know how and when to relax, and seize every opportunity to do so. We humans, however, have become so conditioned to being busy and active at every possible moment that we’ve invented sins such as ‘sloth’ and ‘idleness’ to describe the moments when we’re not frantically busy. The books of Jerome K. Jerome (Three Men in a Boat, Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow,etc.) make both funny and astutely-observed comments on this particular human condition.
There is a school of thought which holds that depression, that curse of modern society, is actually caused by too much unremitting exposure to anxiety-producing situations.If we lived in the wild, we would respond to a prolonged period of stress (such as a shortage of food) by slowing down or even hibernating.The round worm, for example, can bring its body’s metabolic processes to an entire halt during stressful periods when the environment is dry and arid: scientists have shown that this particular animal can survive for up to twenty-three years in a state of suspended animation. Other creatures ,too, know how and when to take it easy-the sloth has a notoriously indolent disposition (food can stay inside its stomach for a whole month just being digested) and regularly spends seventeen hours every day asleep, and a further three hours just hanging around, not doing anything much in particular.This leaves the sloth just four hours out of every twenty-four for food gathering, eating, mating and so on and it seems to survive pretty well on it.
From a biological point of view, nonproductive work is a useless waste of time and energy. So for humans, activities such as anxiety, worrying and fretting are entirely unproductive consumers of our precious energies. Nevertheless, many of us feel hopelessly guilty if we put our feet up, and inflict mental torture on ourselves until we return to some form of activity again.
Relaxation has its positive aspects which many of us overlook all too readily. Some of the world’s most creative people have often received inspiration when lazing away by the fireside or even when asleep. Salvador Dali derived the stimulation for much of his surrealist work like this. Dr Johnson, Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin all indulged in long periods of peaceful contemplation out of which great ideas arose. And Plato records that Socrates stood perfectly motionless for nearly twenty-four hours while solving onee specially complex philosophical problem.
It is good, then, for our minds and bodies to relax, and we must make time to do so every day. It is one of the diseases of our present-day world that we all too easily feel ashamed or uncomfortable if we’re caught napping or taking well-deserved time to reflect and ponder. ‘Death’, some perceptive humorist once remarked, ‘is just nature’s way of telling you to take it easy.’ A wise person will heed the warnings long before they become so final. Here, then, are some tips to encourage you to make time in your schedule to relax.
Top 10 (Ten) Relaxation Tips for your Healthy Living
1. Setting regular time aside for relaxation practice is good because it encourages you to build your schedule around this important activity. Learning a relaxation technique such as Transcendental Meditation can often help you to develop this skill quickly and effectively. Some people dislike TM because of the religious overtones and the cost of courses can be very expensive. There are other relaxation courses, based on meditation, that don’t have these drawbacks, and your local authority further education department may be able to suggest some good classes to join.
2. Going out to some form of relaxation class is a good way of developing this ability, particularly if your home environment is in a state of continual disruption (or if you lack the will power to practise by yourself). Yoga classes are available just about everywhere and most include a major element of relaxation. Remember there are so many styles and teachers of yoga that if you don’t happen to like one particular class there are plenty of others to choose from.
3. Watching television is not a good way to relax. Programmes (and particularly commercials) continually bombard us with an ever-ending series of arousing visual images. This is quite deliberate, because the producers and advertisers want us to stay watching and not to switch channels or switch off. This means, however, that our brains can never unwind; you can feel very tense or mentally exhausted after an evening’s television. Also, the flicker rate of the television screen, although too fast for us normally to detect, is not conducive to relaxation.
4. Attending a concert or operatic performance can be very relaxing-just look around at all those other heads bowed in a state of near sleep!
5. It is often said, with a fair degree of truth, that a change is as good as a rest, A weekend break, a night or two away at a friend’s house, or a long walk in the country can all serve to break the monotony of daily life and give you a fresh and brighter perspective on living.Taking up a new recreation(literally re-creation) can also be a tonic-have you ever considered bird-watching, kite-flying or amateur drama?
6. Swimming provides excellent exercise for all the body, can be taken up by anyone at any time of life or physical condition(most public pools run special classes for people with special needs) and will leave you feeling both invigorated and relaxed.
7. Studies show that people who look after pets have healthier, happier lives.There are all too many dogs and cats who need good homes-contact your local animal shelter to choose oneto suit you and your circumstances. Alternatively, you could consider helping out at a local shelter or sanctuary-many of them are run on a shoestring by dedicated people who love their charges and desperately need help. Contact between humans and other animals is important and helps us to put ourown petty affairs in perspective.
8. Creative occupations such as painting, drawing and sculpture are both refreshing and stimulating. Many people go all their lives without trying to contact the creative spirit that exists within us all. A well-taught art class can begin to bring talents to the surface which you never thought you possessed and can renew your sparkle.
9. Prince Charles isn’t the only person to find the company of plants refreshing. Gardening-whether indoor or out doorisan enthralling and rewarding pastime, which relaxes as it brings you into closer contact with nature. You must remember, however, not to undertake too much in an initial surge of enthusiasm. Plants need regular attention and the last thing you want is to be worried about the state of your garden andthe lack of time which you can devote to it. Indoor plants are every bit as fascinating as outdoor varieties and usually needless attention.
10. In recent years a number of biofeedback techniques have been developed which may help some people to quickly and effortlessly gain a deeply relaxed state. One such fascinating technique is to monitor your brain’s own alpha waves via apair of headphones. By using such equipment some people report that they can easily train themselves to relax on command.
