Simple Ways to Relax and Regain Your Footing
By Sandy Schroeder
The one thing most of us need right now may be to actually relax. The holidays were busy, and now the New Year is moving ahead at an even faster pace.
Keeping pace is important, but knowing how to really relax could be even more crucial. It is easy to lose your footing in your daily tasks, but when your health stumbles it can be hard to put the pieces back together.
Researchers tell us we can usually handle short bursts of stress, but few of us can weather stress that simply refuses to stop. When stress becomes an unrelenting force in our lives, it is really only a matter of time before we crash, either on the job, at home, or both.
Before that happens, consider three simple things that you can do to relax.
Put Your Phone On A Leash – Breaking away at the end of the day for a sit-down dinner and a relaxing bedtime could be amazing. All of those crucial calls will be waiting for you in the morning. Meanwhile, you may actually talk with your family and enjoy a relaxed meal. Later, head off to bed, minus your phone, laptop, or late night TV shows; that's what TiVo is for.
Establish a Bedtime – One of the ways to sleep better is to have a regular bedtime. As you repeat the same night time and morning hours, your body will respond to those cues. Be sure to avoid naps, and cut off caffeine in early afternoon. Ban all electronics from your bedroom, and create a sleep haven with a good mattress, plenty of pillows, blackout drapes, soft music and warm baths.
Explore Meditation – The benefits of short stops, such as a three-minute meditation, can help you early in the morning, at work when you need a break, and later as you wind down in the evening.
A favorite author of mine has written a book about this process. David Kundtz entitled his book, Stopping – How to Be Still When You Have to Keep Going. He explains the process, “Stopping means doing nothing as much as possible for a definite period of time to become more fully awake to remember who you are.”
As you do, you may realize you are now in charge of time, instead of letting time tell you what to do. Of course, we all have to show up and be productive most of the time. But learning the art of small pauses could be the way to actually increase the value of our lives, preserving our spontaneity and creativity, and holding on to our connections with our friends and family.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic.