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How to Relax
An important part of life
Downtime and relaxation are so important for one’s productivity and general satisfaction with life. In our hectic times, it is sometimes difficult to find time to just shut everything off and focus on oneself.
When I was a full-time English teacher, with hours of grading even after school ended, I would often focus for hours at a time on my work. That was o.k. as long as I knew I had a day coming up with nothing to do except what I wanted to do.
Everyone has different needs for relaxation. Here are mine in no particular order.
Sleeping in
As a teacher I had to get up at 5:30 a.m. Sleeping in was reserved for weekends. Now I rarely get up before 8 a.m. getting enough sleep is essential to feel alive and full of energy.
Massages
Teachers often have tense shoulders and back pain. Massages may be expensive, but that is money well spent. When I get a massage, I can totally focus on that without thinking about anything else.
Writing
Writing relaxes me. When one thought flows to the next, and a poem or article comes together, I feel both focused and totally relaxed. The words just come, and there is no stress.
