Why We Need to Relax

We all need to … Relax! Special gift for mom’s this week….but Shhhh, it applies to us all! Our gift to mom’s this week – give yourself a break and enjoy some relaxation, we know you deserve it.  All week long you’ve got meetings to attend, and a looming work project that’s going to keep you up well past when everyone else goes to bed. You’ve got kids to get to sports and music lessons, and somewhere in there you are trying to get in your workout and make healthy meals for everyone. To say you’re stressed would be an understatement. Too many of us get caught up in the Flight or Fight response mode and never remember to take time out for relaxation. When was the last time you stopped and simply enjoyed being out in nature? Took a long hot bubble bath, or lost yourself in a really good book? On the flip side, how many have gone out of the way to get out and move...not simply out in nature, but really doing something that requires you to focus with all of your physical being? A 5K for some, a marathon for others, it can be anything completely physical which allows your body and mind to shift focus from getting out of your head and into your body.

Relaxation allows you to:

• Naturally lower your blood pressure. Fit people tend to have naturally lower blood pressure levels.
• Have Better Focus and Clarity--for example, planning your fitness routine for the morning hours may give you better focus for the rest of your day.
• Increased mood--to quote Reece Witherspoon’s character Elle from the movie Legally Blonde - “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands, they just don't.” Get moving, you’re less likely to want to express your road rage.
• Enhance your creativity--allowing yourself the chance to relax opens up the creativity channels and gives you greater access to crafting new stories, creating new art or simply finding a creative outlet that you might never have known you had before.

Give yourself a chance, take a moment, find a grassy patch or some sand, walk outside with bare-feet and breathe.  Make a commitment to yourself to do this at least once this week.  Have your calendar out?  If you are like us two busy moms, you are going to have to schedule you relaxation time.  And you know what – that is okay, and we recommend it! Learning to let go and relax is not something most of us are taught, well, not unless you have some very open-minded parents (and are growing up in Stacia’s house). Many of us use ‘bad’ ways to de-stress: drinking, smoking, eating, and anything else we can think of to do in excess to punish our bodies rather than nourish them.

For a few quick ideas on de-stressing, try these, again we encourage you this weekend to pick one:

1. Learn to Breathe. Take a few moments a day to breathe in and up, out and down. Try it three times and then see how you feel.
2. Drink More Water. We’re constantly dehydrated. By the time you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated.  Want to look thinner or leaner – our #1 secret – drink water.
3. Learn the art of saying ‘NO’. Yes, I’ll take that project. Sure I can bake cookies. Oh, I can be there. Learn to pick and choose where you’re spending the time. Sometimes, it’s just best to stay no, I can’t do that.  We promise, everyone will still be your friends and still keep asking you to help out.
4. Listen to Yourself. If you’re tired, sleep. If you need a break, take one. If you need a kick in the butt, call up a friend or a coach. But learn to listen.
5. Create a Ritual. And by this, we mean a healthy one - eating an entire pizza to de-stress is NOT a healthy ritual! It’s about learning to manage our fight or flight response.
6. Don’t let others stress you out unnecessarily. Learning to brace yourself from others drama/stress/negativity can bring an amazing sense of calm to your life and leave you open to health and well-being, and a lot more energy to get things done!
7. Sleep. Most of us are sleep deprived. Staying up late to study or work? Getting a good night sleep will allow you to be far more productive tomorrow.

What are you going to do this weekend to relax for you, on your terms?