Are You Relaxing Wrong?

When most of us come home from a long day of work or other activities the first thing we want to do is kick back and watch one of our favorite shows. While this can be an entertaining experience it may not be the source of relaxation we hope it will be.

In fact, science actually shows screen time may end up winding up your brain instead of relaxing it. Studies have shown the blue light of devices and screens “triggers your pineal brain to stay awake…to keep working”.

Not only does screen time wind us up but it also makes the sleep we do get “less restorative” and therefore “more drowsiness the next day”. So our attempts to “relax” could actually make us more tired for multiple days and none of us want that!

So what should we do to relax the right way? Here are some ideas:

1. Meditate- whether yoga or just finding calm moments meditation can be extremely helpful in helping us to process the day and focus on how we are doing in our lives
2. Connect with friends- this can often be hard when we are also trying to not use screens (so much of our communication with friends these days is online)  but maybe a phone call could be the solution? Or perhaps we can make the screen time we do have full of connecting moments instead of simply using it to consume more content?
3. Embrace nature- go outside, breathe fresh air. Even if it is just a walk around the block it will be good for you.
4. Spend time with a pet- this might not be for everyone but for a lot of us nothing is as good for the soul as a snuggle with our favorite puppy, kitten or other animal friend.
5. Write in a journal- blogs are great but there is something special about actually writing down our thoughts at the end of the day. You don’t even have to save the journal. Some even like to have a burn journal that’s only for processing daily thoughts and not for posterity.
6. Reciting affirmations- we talk a lot about affirmations on this blog but they can be a way of centering us on what matters most and moving forward with our goals.

Being active is another great way to relax. When your muscles experience aches and pains check out the Zim’s line of pain relief products. You can find them at your local store here.