National Relaxation Day is observed annually on August 15th—a holiday designed to bring some much needed calm into our over-scheduled, very hectic lives.
There’s little information available as to how this brilliant National holiday officially came to be, but it appears that Sean Moeller, a fourth-grader, founded National Relaxation Day in 1985. In an interview with Valerie Monson in The Des Moines Register, Sean suggested people shouldn’t do anything of real value. Cleaning and real work are not part of relaxation. (Smart kid!)
Here are eight ideas to help you chill out on National Relaxation Day:
1. Ignore Your To Do List
Most of us have lists with errands, appointments to be scheduled, or jobs to be completed that just never go away. Whether you’re a stay-at-home parent or work a full-time job, take this one day off from your to do list.
2. Unplug
If ignoring your to do list is difficult, disconnecting yourself from social media, constantly checking e-mails, or texting all day long might also be a challenge. However, if you can convince yourself to stay unplugged for even several hours today, you can use that time to daydream or do something else calming that you normally wouldn’t make the time to do.
3. Find Water
One of the most soothing ways to escape from a stressful day is to indulge in a luxurious hot bath. Of course, during the heat of summer, that might not sound appealing, so find another way to enjoy the comfort of water—taking a cool shower, sticking your feet in bucket of ice water, hydrating with a fruit-infused seltzer water, or heading to a lake, pond, beach or pool. And, If it happens to be raining, stand outside and let the natural drops soak into your face and skin.
4. Meditate
An instant way to destress is to practice meditation, and it doesn't require anything but your mind to do so. You can practice meditation wherever you are—whether you're out for a walk, pushing your baby in the stroller, making dinner, or even in the middle of a difficult meeting with your boss you can get quiet and in “the zone” to change your mindset. The Mayo Clinic has some helpful tips on how to get started in this article.
5. Shop Until You Drop
It’s true, shopping can help ease our stress and make us feel happy. Yet you can still experience the temporary rush of a good shopping spree without spending a dime. Simply head over to any of your favorite on-line shopping sites and place any item your heart desires and then abandon your cart by clicking out of it. You don’t have to buy a thing but can still reap the benefit of a good shopping fix.
6. Read
One of the easiest, most inexpensive ways to escape real life is to pick up a good book and read. Reading can be a wonderful and healthy escape from the stress of everyday life and can even relax your body by lowering your heart rate and easing the tension in your muscles. A 2009 study at the University of Sussex found that reading can reduce stress by up to 68%. So grab your favorite read and let the unwinding begin.
7. Sneak in a Power Nap
Just 10- 15 minutes of a relaxing power nap can do wonders for your stress levels, and over-all outlook on life. This may be easier said than done but it is definitely doable and becoming increasingly popular in workplaces nationwide. For some great tips, read The Best Way to Nap.
8. Eat Pie
It just so happens that August 15th is also National Lemon Meringue Pie Day so if all else fails and you still haven’t found a way to relax today, eat pie!
For more tips, visit the Mighty Mommy page.
Image courtesy of Shutterstock.
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