The Importance Of Relaxation

I find it bizarre. I know lots of people who tell me that they do not know how to how to relax. One client told me that he gets guilt pangs sitting doing nothing on a Saturday – he feels compelled to fly around the house and garden determined to find something to occupy him. Another friend recently revealed that, whilst Saturday morning is golf time, and although he actually goes out for his eighteen holes, he doesn’t actually play! He can’t – his mind is wandering back to everything that happened during the previous week or what’s going to happen the following week. He’s playing golf but, not only is he not chilled, he’s not even all there! Even better, a guy who doesn’t have a care in the world – great job that he’s really on top of, great personal life, great everything, tells me that when he’s playing golf he cannot prevent himself feeling guilty – feeling that he should be in the office or at home!

Modern living pretty much demands of us that we must be constantly on the go. But there’s a big difference between filling your day with activity and getting the really important things done. And one of the important things that you must have as an integral part of your life is time to chill. A New York Times article a some years ago explained that native tribes in the Amazon basin have the lifestyle that every New Yorker wants – seven hours work each week, the rest spent at leisure. However, the average New Yorker simply wouldn’t know what to do with all that leisure. Sure, there’d be plenty of activity crammed into it – but what about totally chilling (like the Amazonians)?

You need to find yourself an easy chair, sit down and do nothing for half an hour – you’d be surprised where your mind takes you. Or find a shade tree, spread out a rug and just lie there. This is the quality space that we need in our lives – not to recharge our batteries, but to clear our heads, become inspired and discover the crucial things that we need to take action on to be happy and successful. Sir Isaac Newton was sitting under a tree when the apple fell for him – find your tree and you’ll realize that pennies will drop for you. A little relaxation will change your life.