Hey, Hectic High Fliers!
Summer is a demanding season. There’s so much that we want to fit in that we run ourselves ragged in our attempt and may forget to actually enjoy any of it. After all, too much of a good thing quickly transforms into a bad thing. Take today for a great lesson in making yourself take a break—especially those of you who are always moving and always occupying your minds. 
It’s Relaxation Day and, believe it or not, it can feel like hard work to actually allow yourself to relax—especially when we’re prone to constantly exercising our bodies and our brains. Often times, we choose to simply stay in the mode of motion as opposed to switching gears and giving ourselves a break.
Even when we consider ourselves to be relaxing, we’re usually still being active in some way or another (reading a book, watching TV, playing video games, talking on the phone, and surfing the Internet all demand a good amount of work from your brain, despite how relaxed your body may be through the duration of these activities. No matter how relaxing they may seem, they’re still ACTIVities nonetheless).
Of course, we give our bodies and minds a break every night when we go to bed, but we need that time for recuperating from the day—it’s a deeper kind of rest. Wakeful relaxation is important too. Allow your mind’s rampant activity to dissolve, focusing on just one thing. Creating visual art can be a means of therapeutic relaxation, but even this can become too active.
Really try giving yourself a break today. Take a relaxing bath, sit in a comfy chair, or go lay in the grass and try not to let your mind wander too much. Just focus on enjoying the moment without any demands or problems to contemplate. It’s not always so easy, but it’s incredibly refreshing when you can make it happen. Go ahead—REALLY relax today and, as always, thanks for reading!
- John