I don't know how people with children and jobs manage. I work but I live alone and so I don't have people clamoring for my attention. However, I recently went through a very anxious period, although I have no idea why. In the past I would smoke for relaxation but I gave that up two years ago. I also am in recovery so there is no way I can say have a glass of wine. I really found it hard to relax. But I just told myself to try and I did do some gulp breathing which is close to deep breathing. Eventually I was able to calm down by distracting myself with the good old TV. Yes the Golden Girls reruns is really the trick for me.
Hi, Merely Me.....I would have answered this last night, but fell prey to the technical gremlins on HealthCentral! Anyway, being retired, what do I have to complain about? Well, one can still feel stressed and anxious about any variety of things. One thing that helps me is to spend time with friends and people I like where I can be myself and not feel like I'm being judged. And a glass of wine doesn't hurt! Sometimes singing helps, but right now it's one of my sources of stress since we're getting ready for a show!
Another thing that helps me is remembering how hard it was working full-time and having two little boys who each presented special challenges and we didn't get much help from family. I'm glad those days are in the past! Now I just get to fret about my sons AND my grandson, LOL. The worries never go away!
Well, relaxing used to be very easy for me. I did not need to do anything. I just could sit and be and went into a very relaxed state. I also exercised about two to three hours every day then. In nature too a lot. As I got older and responsibilities and stresses grew, it grew harder.
Still, it is nature, exercise, and meditation or just sitting. Although now, my worries seem to have been with me nonstop for a long time. I am however about to go to a naturopathic psychiatrist! funny seeming oxymoron huh. I am very excited. She has ways to help people with anxiety, depression all natural and helps people get off antidepressants and stay off and reduce anxiety. I am hoping she helps at least some.
Two hours of exercise a day does help me. Tennis, biking, running, anything but it has to be in nature.
I am hopeful about incorporating some more natural sedative type supplements into my diet to calm me down more. And eating raw foods is something I am trying as well.
Laying down on the ground and looking up at a tree for hours relaxes me.
Or sitting by a stream.
Or being near goats or chickens.
Total quiet relaxes me with a bed to lay down on, close my eyes and just be.
Being in Mexico although I haven't for years.
Holding a cat.
Singing.
walking on dirt roads
Thanks for this post MM. Relaxation is something that seems so simple and has so many positive affects but...we can't seem to be able to fit in our busy lives.
How do you relax? I don't relax very well. I have to "Plan" my relaxation times and they rarely seem to materialize. There is always something else that I feel like I need to be doing. Guilt plays a big part in this. I feel good about myself if I get things accomplished. If I don't feel like I have done anythink positive, I feel guilty.
Do you have any special relaxation techniques you care to share? When I do find that I can relax, it seems to be with music playing or reading a book. I also love to camp or just be outside. If I can get to the point that I am outside/camping and just enjoying being there and not actually doing anything, I love it. It is very relaxing and peaceful to me.
Is it difficult for you to slow down and take time for yourself? YES! I now that taking time for me ad actually relaxing my brain and my body are wonderful. I love how I feel when I can do this but...getting there is a very rare thing. I really need to work on this desperately!
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Relaxing is difficult for me. For some unknown reason (yet) I feel guilty relaxing, like I'm not being "productive", or I can relax when I get everything. Planning on changing that. Today was wonderful. I had
Don't know what happened to my sharepost, but Ill just pick it up from here. It seems like someone must give "me persmissiion to relax", figuratively speaking. I carry a lot of tension in my body, and try to bring that down -eg, my neck, my chest, my jaw. I think it is so important to relax - The inner tensions can get so strong, that I don't know if I would make it otherwise. One example main example for me of relaxation is going to, say, a state park and walking the trail, enjoying all that nature gives us, and and photographing some highlights -like the reflection on a lake, a waterfall, an unusual tree. It is also soul inspiring!
I'm not a big daily exerciser, but the walking is great, thus the (moderate) trails.
I used to do yoga for years and loved it. I have neck problems and that put and to that last year. Can't even do the very light yoga - maybe again.
My husband and I were in a car accident a couple of weeks ago. We were rear ended. My husband escaped injury, but I came out with a severely painful neck and lower spine, and seeing a spine specialist in Atlanta, at our nationally known Emory hospital. IT IS PAINFUL, and makes it difficult to relax. If no major damage, then I will relax
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I've experienced taking some ani-depressants which resulted in the inability to relax. They hyped me up, created more anxiety, so I got off them quickly, thinking I'm aleady full of anxiety, don't create more!
Hope everyone has the very best weekend they can. Gina