Listen to the blog here: https://anchor.fm/meghan-greenwood/episodes/Learn-to-Relax-e1aamcd

Relaxation is for many of us, a lost art. I asked several local women how they relax. Unsurprisingly, many felt that this was a really tough question to answer. After a lot of ‘ums’ and ‘ughs’, it was apparent that folks, regardless of whether or not they are working 5 or more days a week, in a relationship, or balancing parenthood, did not know how to relax.

Even when we’re not technically working, our bodies and minds are constantly distracted. We have information at our fingertips every hour of every day with our phone appendage. We default to scrolling or watching or listening during our downtime.

According to psychoanalyst David Morgan, we take “deadening retreats” in our screens, which in turn, has led to the inability to relax.

We may think we’re relaxing by sitting on the couch and watching the latest TikTok trend, but we’re not. We may feel like binging Netflix is a good escape, but really, we’re still being stimulated.

So, how do you relax?

Relaxing can look different for different people, but it really is a state of calm mind, an uncluttered situation. This could mean a walk in the park (without headphones), a warm bubble bath, or curling up to read a good book. It’s minimizing distractions. It’s unplugging. It’s an elimination of a target – no true goal in mind. You walk in nature to walk. You read for pleasure. You are mindful just being.

And since we’ve lost our way on the relaxation front, our best bet is to deliberately make time for it. Carve out 5 minutes to lay down with your eyes closed or sit in a comfy chair, looking out the window, warm cup of tea in hand.

Breathe deep, be still, and for the love of all things holy, don’t feel guilty about it. You’ve earned it.