“I haven’t got time to relax…” really? Have you got time not too?
Being able to relax is important to achieve optimal health and performance, because being relaxed will increase your productivity in everything. If you’re not relaxed, everything you do will be a struggle. Relaxation provides mind-body integration necessary for peak performance.
It is important to relax to get your mind clear and your body tension free; to regain focus and to help your body return to a balanced physical state. Relaxation is vital for a healthy mind and is required to maintain motivation and interest in our lives and careers. Not being able to relax and unwind can be damaging to your health. Even when there are huge demands on your life, you may have a large family, an important career, and a home amongst your other weekly commitments – it is still necessary to find your own time and space to relax.
Finding time throughout the day to relax will really help your mind and body, ten to twenty minutes is preferred. If you can’t manage twenty minutes, it’s important to realise that whatever amount of time you do manage to get to relax will be beneficial.
When time is short there are a number of things you can do: reading, writing, daydreaming or just sitting quietly. Quite often whatever you do to relax will be personal and work for you, so you need to find out what works best.
As a Life Coach I have worked with numerous people with issues relating to stress and lack of relaxation. In my previous role as a health care professional, it was clear to me that many people do not listen to their bodies and ignore warning signals until it’s too late, meaning they end up with conditions like chronic back pain, inflammatory diseases and serious illnesses that impact on their independence and well-being, in a negative way.
It’s interesting that initially many people find it difficult to slow down and see the benefits of taking more time out. However, after a few weeks, a couple of life coaching sessions focused on this area, and a bit of commitment on their part, most changed their ways and now understand about the benefits to their lives.
Some of the common benefits of relaxation are:
– It improves your ability to concentrate. It will help you in your ability to tune out distractions and give you better sensory awareness.
– It improves body awareness and function; you need to know when you are over doing it and look after yourself.
– It speeds up healing time following injury, illness and fatigue, the body needs to recover fully if it’s going to perform at an optimal level in the future.
– Learning is enhanced, it is much easier to introduce new thoughts and ideas when your mind is clear and you are relaxed. Skills are best learned when you are in a relaxed state and there is an absence of tension.
– It helps you to get better sleep
– You become more efficient
– It puts your focus back on the present moment and gives you a sense of control
– It increases energy
If you don’t take the time to unwind and relax regularly, you might be putting not only your own health and well-being at risk, but also that of others as well.
In relation to your responsibility to the health and safety of others; we only have to think of driving a car, or operating machinery, and how our ability to do these tasks diminishes when we are tense, tired and stressed. So, in fact our responsibility to relax is not just for our own sake but also for that of others.
With regards to our own health and emotional well-being, if we don’t make time to relax regularly, we are putting our health and mental health at risk of failure.
Some of the effects of lack of relaxation are below:
– Headaches, common ones being tension headaches and migraines. Controlling tension and relaxing more can help to ease and reduce both types.
– Chronic fatigue, when your body is in a total state of fatigue, you suffer from total lack of energy and motivation all of the time.
– Cardiovascular disorders, high blood pressure and heart disease, heart attack.
– Gastrointestinal problems, diarrhoea, constipation and stomach ulcers as well as indigestion and heartburn.
– Over-worked immune system, becoming susceptible to illness
Early warning signs that we need to have a break and relax (or exercise) are:
• Yawning/sighing
• Lack of concentration
• Feeling the urge to stretch and move about
• General drop in performance
• Feelings of stress and irritability
• Performing uncommon errors
• Tiredness
If you are aware of the signs, take notice of them and take a break etc, you could avoid a lot of stress and fatigue, you will be more rational and focused, feel healthier and far better equipped to carry on.
Spending a lifetime of ignoring the signs could impact heavily, not only on your health, well-being and happiness but also on those around you. Relationships could suffer as well as your career. On a personal note, the consequences of not taking time to relax over a lifetime could mean you pay the ultimate price.
If you say you don’t have time to relax, think about the consequences. You are your own best resource and you need to take time to nurture and look after yourself.