Have you ever been so utterly stressed out that you had to step aside for a few moments and close your eyes, pretending you’re somewhere else entirely? There are many things in life that I look forward to. Through tedious tasks each day, I can’t help but daydream about the things that I would most prefer to be doing. Sometimes it could be as simple as enjoying a coffee ice cream shake. For the most part, however, I fantasize about my favorite non-food items. A warm, sunny day with a gentle breeze. A picnic at my favorite brook. Long road trips with great tunes and a friend. Though these are all fantastic ideas, I have to say that there is one day-off activity that I am an utter expert at: the ultimate retreat: the lazy day on the couch. Expert planning of a lazy day on the couch includes procuring the necessary items, food, and attire.
There are many components to the perfect day. Firstly, you must have the necessary items to make a lazy day just that- LAZY. These items include, but are not limited to, a wide assortment of movies and books. In order to completely anticipate the fluctuating moods and interests of a lazy lounger- there have to be at least six genres of movies. Action, romance, comedy, horror, suspense, and mystery. Books have to be varied- but not necessary by genre. I usually like to have at least three of my favorite old stand-bys, and two or three new books that are waiting to be read. Without these things, you run the risk of becoming bored and lazy- which is not nearly as much fun as just being lazy. Extra blankets and poufy pillows for the couch are a must. There is no lee-way on that subject. Without squashy pillows, the lazy day becomes an uncomfortable fiasco. I hope you’re keeping notes here.... very im...
... middle of paper ...
...e comfort is absolutely necessary. Slippers are an added bonus, but socks will do. Slipper socks are fabulous, as they can be worn under the extra blankets. If you have long hair, it must be put up in a pony tail.
Days spent relaxing are therapeutic and stress relieving. Sometimes the only thing that gets me through a tough day is visualizing the next blissful lazy day. I love nothing more than snuggling on the couch with my puppies and watching cheesy chick flicks. If you use the expert lazy day planning for items, food, and attire, you can experience the ultimate bliss of down-time. Those unproductive hours are sometimes more beneficial than hours of therapy. Having time to de-stress and unwind is something a lot of people can rarely allow themselves. But even if it is only a few hours- I highly recommend lazing. A little ‘me’ time never hurt anyone. Enjoy it.
I also believe it to be highly rewarding. For the last 4 years I have practiced self-care. I cannot help others if I don’t care for myself mentally and physically. Yearly physicals, proper diet, exercise and time to myself daily are a must. Since I started school two years ago, I’ve had my fair share of stress. My first semester in school I struggled with minor health issues, and my mother was diagnosed with early dementia. I had to deal with a lot to finally get her in a place where she was happy and thriving. Through this, I have managed to hold an average GPA of 3.6, and I made Dean’s List twice. Daily meditation is also something I do daily. Regular walks and hikes with my dog and enjoying the beautiful area in which I live is another tool I utilize. I love to get out and enjoy the stillness of the woods just to re-group. If I’ve had a very stressful day I will go for a jog and then soak in the tub with candles and lavender oil. I strongly believe all of these tools have kept me strong and able to perform well. Should I find myself completely overwhelmed and in need of extra support, I have access to therapists, and I would like to believe that I will have a good relationship with my superiors so that I could discuss any professional concerns I
If there was a way to escape yourself from the stresses of life and constant worry, what would you do? Everyone has their specific interest or hobby, to seek a state of tranquility and peace of mind. For the past eight years, my pursuit to stay happy has always been following music. In fifth grade, I was fortunate to be introduced to the many wonders of instrumental music. As a beginner, I selected the trumpet, a brass instrument known to be famously played by Louis Armstrong. Day and night, I continuously expanded my knowledge and practiced to develop a skill set. I had my first ever winter and spring concerts, both filled me with the feeling of nervousness and excitement. Due to the enjoyment I received out of the world of music, I decided to
OK. So you’ve heard, that meditation is beneficial for you, maybe you’ve read lists about the advantages of meditation. A ton of different kind of meditations are on-line, and you found several resources, articles, blog posts about the theme to select from. These articles state, that the meditation has countless benefits, which are also proven by scientific research. You can believe them, since eminent scientists carried out extensive research on this subject. And they suggest, you should try them, and of course you should practice it each day. Every day - or you won’t have those benefits.
Writing about the things that are affecting a person on a daily basis may proof to be helpful (Plaut & Middleton, 2012, p.168). Exercising, doing yoga and going for a walk are all ways that can help manage stress caused by work and home life. Also, getting adequate sleep at night and eating a well-balanced meal will be beneficial in managing stress. Avoiding negative thoughts and surroundings can take an individual’s mind to a happier place, stress-free. As stated by Plaut and Middleton (2012), “Flip your negative thinking” (p.169). The thoughts people have played a significant role in the outcome of their day. Thinking positive is a reliable way to have a stress-free day. In addition to this, self-help can drastically change how stress affects
It is ten o’clock at night and you have put the children all bathed and tucked into bed. You are exhausted from working and being on your feet all day. You still have to clean the dirty dishes from dinner and get yourself ready for bed. While you begin to clean up the mess, you begin to ponder on what you are grateful for; you have a wonderful family, you have an awesome house, you have an amazing job that you love, and before you know, you have finished cleaning up the mess from dinner. Now, it is time to get you ready for bed and rest up for the next busy day. Before you go to sleep you, think to yourself, “today was a good day, but tomorrow is going to be even better!”
On those days you rest, you could instead be working on your entire body with calisthenics for no more than an hour a day. Of course you could do more if you wish, but the purpose is not to over exert yourself, but to work against your body's own resistance to help you lose weight and get in shape.
For example, if I’m in class and I'm stressed, it will be good for my health to just take a break and unclog my mind. I can think about how students' brains must feel like slushy intestines by the end of class. If a child doesn't get a break they will be complaining until your ears bleed! In class, a couple weeks ago, I failed a test because I had so much on my mind! My parents weren't very happy! Not only can you be able to clear your mind, but you can retain information better by taking a
In one point of our adolescent lives, we have those days where we become tired, fatigued, and bored because we have nothing to do. It is a friday evening, I am lying on my messy bed thinking of things that can keep me entertained. I look around the room and I spot my two guitars hanging from the wall, a couple in the corner mounted on top of each other, and one in a hardshell case lying on the floor but I am not interested. I opened my laptop and go on youtube but there is nothing to watch. I try reading my thick business law book however, its friday night I do not want to do homework! With desperation, I send some text messages out to my friends hoping to go out tonight. Fortunately, all my friends are available and we quickly make plans to go to Old town Pasadena on Colorado Blvd. Once we are there, I ponder about how lucky we are to have places like these where we can come and relax after a long week and spend time with family and friends.
I face some anxiety and health problems. I feel embarrassed and stressed because I don’t have time to accomplish my goals, because I have a great part of time in my leisure time; take for instance, I spend lot of time talking on...
Other techniques to reducing stress, is listening to music, pampering yourself a massage/spa day, talking it out to family/friends, baking/cooking, praying/meditating and even playing with your pet.
Intrinsically interesting in some activities bring casual leisure to people’s daily life. As long as people do not pay responsibility on these activities, casual leisure helps people take relaxation from stress and distract from obligatory daily job. “The types of casual leisure reveals that they share at least one property: all are hedonic. More precisely, all produce a significant level of pleasure for those who participate in them.” (Robert A. Stebbins,Casual Leisure: A Conceptual Statement, 16(1), 01 Dec 2010) In other words, casual leisure is simply enjoyable and playful without any reward from it, and obviously no effort is requisite to put
It is well known and proven that over time the benefits of meditating on a regular basis promotes the development of inner calmness, connectedness, focus, flow, a clear clarity of mind, a focused and more stable grounded concentration, along with coherency of thought, increased creativity, being more open and receptive to receive insights, solutions to problems and new ideas, a balanced and harmonious centred inner equilibrium, a relaxed happy body, mind and spirit, which in turn assists as a preventative tool that creates and maintains positive overall vibrant health and wellbeing.
Meditating on a daily basis is crucial to our overall health and well-being. The World Health Organization defines health as, “The absence of illness or maladies but also as a psycho-dynamic state consisting of people 's physical, mental, social and spiritual aspects.” Oshita, D., Hattori, K., & Iwakuma, M. (2013) Studies have shown that regular mediation sessions reduce high blood pressure and stress. Another wonderful side effect of meditating is feeling an overwhelming sense of peace and happiness. Everyone should meditate!
To begin with, the right amount of rest benefits people’s mental performances. Mark Rosekind of NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, conducted an experiment and stated that a pilot’s mental performance increased by 34% after a 26-minute nap; and a 45-minute nap had the same outcome but the effects lasted more than six hours (Pg. 3 Paragraph 14). Professor David F. Dinges and a group of researchers, from the University of Pennsylvania, discovered that even short naps reduce the amount of
That is very beneficial because we’ve all been there, laying in bed at night unable to sleep because everything that happens that day chooses then to come flooding into your mind. It sucks but taking time from your day to spend time alone can help prevent those sleepless hours from affecting you. According to a 2014 study from Mercola, “spending time alone can boosts your mood (especially in teens and adolescents) and can have a positive effect on your emotional state”. We all have the problem when life become overwhelming and your mood is just terrible. You feel bad, sad, sick, and so many other things. Many people see alone time as the problem in our lives, when it is actually the solution. As I’ve said multiple times already and will continue to say, alone time is so good for us. So why aren’t we taking the opportunity to enjoy this amazing thing that can help so much in our everyday lives. Spending time alone, whether you are napping, drawing, playing on your phone or simply just laying down in the peaceful quiet can recharge your batteries after a stressful day making it much easier to take on the rest of the day. I personally take the opportunity everyday after school to take ab a hour for myself and either nap or read because school can be stressful. I take alone time before I continue my day; and then when that hour or so is up I go on and start my homework or go to work. I always feel so much better taking a little