Learning to Relax Again

I’ve always been active – outdoors, on the beach, playing – and so to go home, and have to sit on my couch to relax…it’s frustrating.  Sometimes you really just have to shut yourself down. ~ Landon Donovan

About six months ago someone who doesn’t know me very well told me they didn’t think I was someone who could ever just relax.  She meant it as a compliment, inferring that I was someone who is productive and gets things done.  I replied that I was one of the laziest humans she could imagine.  What I’m coming to realize is that both impressions seem to becoming the truth about me.  First, I am lazy, seriously, I have the potential to watch hours of football and movies and eat, everything all day, for days.  One of the reasons I don’t own a video game system, or have any games on my computers or phones is that I can spend hours playing games without even noticing the time go by.  On the flip-side, lying around today just watching an episode of Babylon 5 on Amazon I felt like I was wasting time.

This is the dichotomy that lives in my brain.  It’s the ability to completely tune out in battle with the thought that I have one life and I need to use my time effectively, achieve something, create something to live by the Ben Franklin motto I’ve adopted for my life.

My motto in life

The one thing that splits the difference is reading, funny how that holds this special place in my life.  As long as I’m reading a book, even for pure pleasure, I never see that as wasting time.

I’m trying to get back to being more accepting of just relaxing.  Taking time to stare at the clouds, watch snow flakes fall, stare at the stars or just lay down and listen to music.  Relaxation has so many benefits in life, decreasing blood pressure and stress, reduces chronic pain, etc… so working it regularly into your routine is a really beneficial thing.  So, I guess I’ll take my own advice, publish this and go watch a little Babylon 5 and try not to feel bad about it, besides, technically I’m on vacation.  ~ Rev Kane