I know that I’ve written about stress – and the impact it can have on our health – before. We are aware that active relaxation is not only enjoyable, but plays an important role in reducing stress and helping improve sleep, digestion, mood etc. So why is it so hard to carve out time each day to relax? Why do many of us feel guilty when we sit and read/nap/daydream?
My guess is that your to-do list looks much like mine, and therefore there is always something that we ‘should’ be doing. However I often discuss with clients that a non-negotiable 20 minutes of ‘me time’ each day is just as important as ticking off a couple of tasks. In fact, by finding a small window in the day to focus on relaxing, we can often get more achieved afterwards than continually trudging through the never-ending jobs.
What difference will some relaxation make to my health?
I know you may be wondering why ‘me time’ is so important. Here are just a few of the health benefits that calming our nervous system can bring:
- improved digestion – when we are in ‘fight or flight’ our digestive system cannot do its job efficiently. Relaxation will put you in the optimal ‘rest or digest’ state
- better sleep
- lower blood pressure
- reduced inflammation in the body
- improved mood
- better blood glucose control
- improved weight loss
- enhanced immunity
I’m sure you’ll agree that these are too important to ignore for long.
What should I do during ‘me time’?
The easy answer to this is whatever you like best. For some this might be sitting in the garden with a cup of tea, for others it’s a yoga or meditation session, or playing an instrument. The key is that it’s something you love, and therefore will want to do each day; something that makes you feel calm and refreshed afterwards.
Some other ideas include:
- practicing mindfulness (try the Headspace or Calm apps)
- deep breathing
- walking in nature
- listening to relaxing music
- reading
- getting creative – painting, knitting, sewing etc.
- taking an Epsom salt baths
- having a massage
Is 20 minutes of relaxation enough?
From working with clients, I find that 20 minutes is the sweet spot – long enough to feel some benefits, but not so long that it feels unmanageable. You can play around to find the amount of time that works best for you. If you can manage longer then that’s fantastic, but if you need to start with just 10 minutes and build up, then that’s ok too. Consistency is definitely more important than duration.
Now, where did I put my book…?
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