Relax! Don't remember the last time you did? Me, either. "Relax" is a word that's nearly extinct. We're too busy with work, kids, or chores to do it. Even when we DO take time and slow down, we call it "downtime" or "chillin'." Not relaxing. Let's look at these other words.
Downtime is a strange word that implies we're spending our time unproductively. When the economy takes a dive, the experts call it a downturn. Same concept with downtime. It's as if any time we take for ourselves is considered negative. In our multi-tasking society, we try to "double up" the time we have in order to get more things done. When we finally take time to unplug, it's called downtime, as if taking time for ourselves is a bad thing.
Chillin' means we "chill out." Does this mean we were overheated to begin with? Maybe. Multi-tasking our way through our days and trying to complete two, three, maybe even four things at once could indeed overheat our nerves. Perhaps we need to "chill" every once in awhile. Chilling out, though, also has the connotation that we are frozen-- not moving. Not getting things done.
And yet, what happens when we get back from vacation? After the usual "getting back into the swing of things" occurs, we usually find ourselves refreshed and ready to take on our tasks. We can get back to focusing on the tasks at hand and usually are more productive at our jobs.
So, is relaxing such a bad thing? I don't think so. Because our running around from job to job can overheat us. Our minds keep going, clicking through everything we have to worry about today, tomorrow, and next week. Besides vacations and days off, I think we should all strive to have at least an hour at the end of each day to relax.
Try making a list of things to remember and/or things to do. Hint: Write it down on paper. There's something about using your hands and seeing the words as they exit your brain through your fingers that helps you remember them. Get everything down on that list. Then put the list in your wallet, purse, briefcase, backpack, or whatever you will take with you tomorrow. THEN, relax. Sit down. Watch TV. Read. Play a game. Write in a journal. Take part in your favorite hobby.
Relaxing is not only a good thing, it's vital to your mental and physical health. Consider it your vitamin R. Relaxing is just as important as taking your vitamins, so don't forget to take your vitamin R!
