Time to Relax (5 Simple Relaxation Techniques)

“It’s hard for you to relax, isn’t it?”

That is the question that my masseuse at Disney (Les) asked as I was enjoying a relaxing massage last week. I responded, “No, I don’t think so.” Obviously, I thought wrong. “Yes, it is,” he insisted. “Every time that I touch your arm, you tense up.”

In my mind, I was trying to rationalize that he was wrong. “I like to have fun. Relaxing massages are some of my favorite things.” (Etc., Etc., Etc.) When I went back to the hotel room and told Reggie about what Les had said, he gave me a face and declared that Les was right. It turns out that having fun and relaxing are two different things.

The truth is that I don’t really “feel” the need to rest and relax, because I get good sleep (8 hours a night on average). The challenge for me is to learn to rest and relax while I’m awake. “Maybe you should take yoga,” one of my friends suggested. Perhaps, but I prefer kickboxing :-). Maybe I’m just “wired” this way and simply need to add monthly massages into my calendar. I’m not sure yet, but I am certain that making time to relax is essential if I want to be my personal best in both my personal and business lives!

I have to admit that Les was on to something. I asked him if I could cut my massage short by 5 minutes so that I could write down all of the relaxation techniques that he was sharing with me during my massage. (I know…I proved his point!) I trust his advice because Les has been a massage therapist for 20 years when many massage therapists only last 5 years in the industry due to the wear and tear on their own bodies.

In any event, below are the five relaxation tips that I found to be most helpful in case you’re “wired” like I am…

5 Relaxation Tips by Les

1. Be mindful of your breathing. There are several different thought patterns about breathing. Les favors nose breathing where you breathe out through the nose.

2. Practice good posture. Standing up tall and straight (shoulders back and stomach in like our parents used to tell us) is helpful.

3. Drink enough water. It is recommended that people drink ½ of their body weight in ounces of water each day. (For instance, if you weight 128 pounds, then you should drink 64 ounces/8 cups of water a day.) The water helps break down the lactic acid that causes muscle knots in your necks and shoulders.

4. Remember to stretch. If your work is primarily sedentary (i.e. working at a computer), it is important to stretch. One helpful way to remind yourself to do so is to put a sticky pad note on your computer with instructions to stretch every 1 to 2 hours.

5. Schedule monthly therapeutic massages. [On a scale of 1 (gentle) to 10 (extreme pressure), I was encouraged to ask for a pressure of 7.5 since I tend to get muscle knots in my neck and shoulders.]

I really do feel more relaxed when I put these tips into practice.

What helps you to relax while you are awake (PG-rated answers only, please)?