Relaxation
Are you one of those people who has a hard time really truly relaxing? With summer vacation time underway, learning how to relax can be an important step in fully resting and recharging for your return to your regular routine. True relaxation can be difficult for some people to achieve due to various factors including mental health, lack of awareness about what is actually refreshing, or even societal expectations.
Several mental health concerns including anxiety, depression, and ADHD may make becoming fully absorbed in relaxing activities difficult. All of the above listed concerns can affect mental focus, can contribute to feelings of restlessness and agitation, and can lead to challenges with mindful engagement in activities. To create a more fulfilling rest environment when dealing with mental health concerns, be sure to limit distractions during your relaxation period, approach all activities mindfully, and stick to whatever boundaries make sense to you when determining for how long you will relax and in what ways you will relax.
Lack of awareness about what is truly recharging can also be a factor in fully relaxing. People often claim that they relax by scrolling through their phone, but this activity is rarely actually helpful as it is a mindless activity that we often engage in to manage boredom rather than something that is actually fulfilling for our bodies and brains. To discover what activities are recharging for you, consider what gives you energy and what takes it away. Does being outside, being around friends, or doing something creative recharge you or make you tired? Seek activities that actually give you energy, even if those activities seem like hard activities to get started on. Once you motivate yourself to get started, the positive results of your energy giving activities will become abundantly clear.
Societal expectations also create challenges for true relaxation. Our society is very much built upon productivity, success, and hustle culture. While self care has become more of a buzz word in recent years, American culture is still very much based around work and doesn’t leave much room for rest and relaxation. When taking time to relax, consider societal implications around messaging that you may be engaging in about taking your time and ensure that you are creating a guilt-free space to rest and recharge. Additionally, unplug from work and personal demands to create focus on achieving rest and to avoid any unnecessary distractions.
Achieving true relaxation is a common problem for people due, in large part, to challenges with mental health, lack of awareness about what is truly recharging, and societal expectations. Mindfulness practice, unplugging from work and distractions, and increasing awareness of what is truly recharging for you can improve your ability to be present during times of relaxation. Being fully present in relaxation can, in turn, allow you to return to your normal routine rested and refreshed which of course has its own positive outcomes. Here’s to truly restful summer vacations!
