Our everyday life is fast-paced, hectic, and nowhere near relaxing. And keeping up with the American work ethic? Now that’s a battle we must fight daily.We understand that diligence is an important ingredient for success, but sometimes, you need a minute of peace to overcome challenges.
Here’s the opportunity to do just that!
August 15 is National Relaxation Day! Well, it’s your biggest shot at saying No. No to making brownies for your school fair-- if you don't want to, but we doubt anyone would want to pass on brownies. No to pretty much anything that doesn’t interest you.
That sounds cool, right?
We have more exciting National relaxation day ideas to knock you off your feet. But not to worry, National Relaxation Day is about kicking your feet up anyway. Enjoy!
National Relaxation Day Timeline
Who would have thought that this holiday was the brainchild of a nine-year-old boy? We know it’s hard to believe, but Michigan-based Moeller Sean came up with this bright idea in 1985. Pitching this idea at that age is an achievement that deserves some celebration.
National Relaxation Day is different from National Slacker Day. Although they both preach relaxation, the latter is the British version of the former.
Since 2016, Moeller has consistently picked out an individual who sets an exemplary example that depicts relaxation.
The focus of National Relation Day is to put an imaginary speed-breaker on our typical fast-paced life. It advocates taking time to chill and relax using effective relaxation tactics like meditation. Relaxation is a proven de-stressor that helps you manage stress and, in turn, clears your mind.
Furthermore, relaxing aids your concentration which in turn facilitates productivity. The usual daily hustle puts us in a tight spot where we find it difficult to catch our breath in between strenuous activities.
In fact, for most people, the daily grind leaves them on the verge of a massive burnout. This holiday will put a pause on your intense schedule and give you some time off. With this, you can have some headspace and focus better.
Today, there is one basic rule: Avoid anything stressful. That is the essence of this national holiday. For instance, playing a video game is a relaxing activity. But playing one that could frustrate you defeats the purpose of National Relaxation Day. Hence, it’s a terrible idea. Do you want to know what’s better? Spend the day lying in a hammock.
Notable Activities That Strengthened National Relaxation Day
· Dr. Edmund Published his medical book, Progressive Relaxation, earlier in the 1920s
· In 1988, Alex Carswell patented the famous stress ball
· Mika released his hit single titled ‘Relax and take it easy in 2009.
Activities to Make your Relaxation Day Remarkable
Help Someone Else Relax
It’s blissful to be stress-free. However, it might be a vague feeling if someone around you struggles to achieve that mental peace.
Why not lend out a helping hand?
If they have a lot going on with them, you can take on some simple tasks to relieve the burden. This can be relaxing; Especially if the task is one you enjoy.
Discover the Laid-Back Activity
There’s a host of relaxing activities that can help relax your muscles. Have you ever tried yoga or meditation? It effectively relaxes your body by keeping out jumbled and disturbing thoughts. But if you find it hard to keep up with either of the two, try other light exercises.
Avoid engaging in intense exercises as well. The idea is to engage in activities that will help you achieve a tranquil mind.
Create a Relaxation Schedule
Despite how shocking this may be, it’s a way to make relaxation a part of your daily life. Because of how busy you may be, it might be impossible to catch relaxation time.
But the best way is to include it in your schedule like any other appointment on your to-do list. If you treat it like an appointment long enough, it will become one that you can’t miss. Summarily, creating a relaxation schedule turns relaxation into a habit.
Stress-Busting Fun Facts About Relaxing
Relaxing Breeds Focus
People often assume that relaxation must take an entire day or week for you to feel rejuvenated. Contrarily, you can relax in between tasks, resulting in a heightened concentration and focus.
Making Your To-do List relax Friendly
Including relaxation on your to-do list helps you teach yourself with the habit. A study shows that 40% of people ignore relaxation and hardly take out the time to relax.
While 45% are clueless about how to relax, which of these groups do you belong to?
Types of Relaxation
Do you know there are three types of relaxation? They are mental, physical, and transcendental.
Relaxing is a Healthy Culture
Stress affects your breathing pattern and oxygen level greatly. When you fail to take out time to relax after an extremely stressful day, you are putting yourself in harm’s way.
Relaxing and breathing exercises increase oxygen circulation into your bloodstream. This simple act has a plethora of health benefits.
Soothing Music
Music has more benefits than you can imagine. However, it’s probably public knowledge that music can help you relax. When you are stressed and need a simple me time, play some classical music and clear your mind!
Eat a Banana
Funny right? But banana contains potassium which is a great ingredient for bouncing back from stress.
Comedy to the Rescue
Laughing releases more endorphins to your brain, thereby helping you relax. How about you find some funny videos? A Kevin Hart movie wouldn’t be a bad idea for relaxing.
A sweet tooth with Chocolate
Do you want to know what else increases endorphins secretion? Chocolate. Research shows that about forty grams of dark Chocolate are a major de-stressor. How did we ever miss that?
Why Do We Love About National Relaxation Day?
Reduces Insomnia Possibility
Even when you are a tough cookie, life could deal with low blows that leave you extremely exhausted. If your day leaves you feeling like a shadow of yourself, sleeping might be a hassle. Fear, anxiety, stress are all anti-sleep factors.
You can improve your sleep quality by taking out time to relax before bed. Take a glass of milk, chamomile tea, or read an enjoyable book before going to bed. You will certainly wake up refreshed and ready to go.
Boosts Your Mood
Stress is a mood killer. It can wreak some havoc on your state of mind without a doubt, but relaxation is a mood booster. When you rest after a long day, you feel free and relaxed.
Keeps You Healthy
Do you know what they say about one apple a day keeps you away from your doctors? Well, in this case, relaxing daily keeps you away from the doctors.
You are prone to falling ill when you are stressed. But when you kick back and get your chill on, the illness will be a strange diction.
Keeps Your Head in the Game
Stress has a way of clouding your judgment until you start struggling to understand the most basic concept while working. When this happens while you are working, it’s your cue to take some time off.
Stress kills the brain cells in your hippocampus. Simply put, it tampers with the part of the brain linked to problem-solving and complex thinking. When this happens, it’s the worst time to decide.
Although it may seem counter-productive, take a nap when you are overly stressed, regardless of your deadline. You will recover speed at work and watch yourself become more productive.
Improves Your Memory
We all have experienced a period when it becomes a struggle to keep it all together. Times when you forgot to grab your keys while stepping out, or you forgot to complete a task. That indicates stress.
When your brain is stressed, you find it difficult to keep up with information. But after relaxing, you find yourself remembering your childhood experiences in detail. Relaxing keeps your brain in tip-top shape.
So, take out time to rest, use a massage gun if you have one, get quality sleep. And you won't dare forget your shopping list on your dressing table the next time you go grocery shopping!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the emotional signs of stress?
The major signs of emotional stress are irritability, anxiety, anger, depression, and restlessness.
How do I know I am stressed?
Stress has several tell-tale signs. But some of the major ways to know you are stressed are: panicking, loss of appetite, irregular sleeping patterns, frequent zoning out, tiredness, etc.
How can I relax?
Relaxation is a subjective topic. It all depends on what makes you tick. But the popular relaxation activities are reading a book, listening to soothing music, taking a warm bath, meditation, breathing activities, physical activity.
Gifting Yourself with a Relaxing Workstation
After National Relaxation Day, the thought of going back to work doesn’t have to be dreadful if you have relaxing workstations. Frankly, having terrible workstations is stressful.
Imagine dealing with nasty back pain during work or sitting in an uncomfortable office chair to work long shifts. Now that’s a massive stressor.
If you haven’t invested in a standing desk or ergonomic chair yet, now is the time. Your posture and how well you position your body while working are relaxation forms that we ignore.
One highly recommendable workstation that can make your everyday workday relaxing is Seiffen Laminated Standing Desk. You don’t have to break a bank to own this standing desk. Seiffen was professionally designed with comfort in mind.
Apart from helping you beat sedentary lifestyles, it has a flexible structure that can fit into almost any work setting. It’s also strong enough to remain firm even under the weight of your PC and other accessories.
With one touch, the electric height adjustable desk frame transitions smoothly from sitting to standing position. The desk frame's versatility and height adjustability make it a reliable choice for a wide range of users. It’s no doubt one easy way to create a relaxing posture while working.
Or you can opt for another effective workstation like the Sit2Go 2-in-1 Fitness chair. Remember how light exercises can have a relaxing effect? With this chair, you can exercise while you enjoy one of the sitting experiences ever.
The fitness chair lets you have your cake and eat it too. It has a bike pedal that serves as a huge deviation from sedentary lifestyles and a height-adjustable seat that serves comfort at its best.
You can either choose to ease into a relaxing fitness routine with this special fitness chair or try out the Adjustable Standing Desk Pro Series.
This is yet another standing desk with all it takes to make work seamless and less exhaustive, from the dual motor lifting system with maximum stability to the advanced control panel. The desk has all you can ask for in a traditional workstation. Plus, you get to customize the tabletop to suit your taste.
Sometimes, you don’t need a long nap to relax. A simple switch from sitting to standing posture is the stretch you need to get back on track.
So, while you observe National Relaxation Day, invest in the office furniture that eases your stress. Peruse FlexiSpot’s official website to find additional workstations for a smooth work lifestyle. Get rid of the office furniture that has grown to become stressors.
Wrap Up
You can’t underestimate the extent to which a relaxed state can boost your productivity. National Relaxation Day is beyond a mere national holiday, and it's a day that calls for revaluation.
How often do you relax? Are your workstations body friendly? Is your work environment relaxing? All these matters. If the answer to any of these questions is no, then it’s time to make a change.
Happy National Relaxation Day!
