Tuesday, April 06, 2010

How do you ...


This week I'm taking time away from my day-job and taking some time for myself.  It's called "relaxing."  It fits in with this week's Topical Blogger topic:  "How do you relax?"  Along with the topic, the TB group has a twist of using a "magic word" in the post.  This week's word is "iridescent".  Since I don't want to work so much this week, I decided to let other people write part of my blog post for me.   How did convince others to do the heavy work?  I posted the question on Facebook.

The answers were as varied as the people giving them.   A mother/son team, acting independently, seemed to thing that I should have been clearer about the magic word.  The son would feel more relaxed if he knew the meaning of "iridescent"; the mom thought it was "indecent."  So I googled "indecent iridescence" and found a picture by Amy Booton that was ... neither.  At least the model for the picture appeared to be in a somewhat relaxed pose...

We can now put the magic word issue to rest.  It is now time to relax.  However, once again, before we can get to the "how" I am asked by Facebook friend Terry "what" ... as in "Relax?  What's that?"  Simply stated, relaxation is a positive pastime that helps you to rejuvenate your body and your mind.  And look at that - a two-for-one deal!  In defining the "what" of relaxing, I also defined the "why"! 

As of this writing, I am still getting a few more answers to my original questions on Facebook.  If I were to rank the answers in a relaxed method, meaning in no particular order, the list would go something like:
go to the spa.
sit in the mineral baths.
hang out with friends/family.
go to a quiet place of beauty.
bang repeatedly on my drum set.
listen to music.
get a massage.
play a game on the computer.
read a book.
enjoy a soothing cup of tea.
lay in the hammock.
take a walk.
meditate.
go away for the weekend.
have a beer.
go to the gym.
engage in a hobby i enjoy, such as gardening or scrapbooking.
go on a scenic drive.
gaze at the ocean.
Of course, there were some hard-core multi-taskers in the response pool.  One guy sips his hot tea while talking with friends on the computer.  For Kristi, just the hammock is not enough - she needs the book as well.  And the over-achiever award in relaxation goes to Nancy.  Just for kicks and giggles, she'll sometimes listen to music while she reads a book does some scrapbooking, all while taking a drive!

Wow ... just thinking about some of these things helps relax me.  If it is true that relaxing rejuvenates the body and the mind, and we all did these things that we enjoy on a regular basis,  we could all reap the benefits of a healthier, more fulfilling life!

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