National Relaxation Day

National Relaxation Day: A genius idea by 9 year old Sean Moeller from Michigan in 1985, makes August 15th officially National Relaxation Day!

His extremely thoughtful insight behind it was that adults do not make much time to relax and then work too hard, becoming sick and run-down.

This foresight is far more prevalent today with the increased use of technology preventing us from ever really switching off at all.

We are in an age where technology is everywhere, monitoring who we speak to, how many steps we have taken that day or constantly updating us with news headlines or even diary prompts.

Our lives are fast paced and busy, busy, busy. As a result we rarely create the time to completely switch off and just relax.

Meditation

One form of relaxation that is becoming increasingly popular is Meditation. People are using it as a way to forcibly tell the mind to disengage from the hamster wheel and gain some clarity and calm to the relentless stimulation.

Yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi are all exercises connected to breathing encouraging flexibility through relaxation. All exercises which, along with meditation generally require an already calm and quiet environment to practice.

Well, how many of us have those rooms in our homes!?

An oasis of calm amongst the chaos of home, a place where you have your favourite chair in a lovely spot in the corner by the window.

Where you burn your most expensive, naturally scented candle, showcase memorabilia or display your sentimental, precious pieces of furniture that are just not suitable for animals, children or even clumsy partners!

For some the way to create this space is to take ownership of a room in their house, claim it as theirs, decorating or dressing as they want or for a specific purpose.

For others it could be designating a small zone in an already full and cluttered home.

An area which can be carved out amongst other home paraphernalia with clever use of furniture positioning, colour and storage.

Oasis of calm...

This oasis of calm is not an appropriate place to relax without a suitably comfortable chair or even sofa to fully switch off in.

A deep seated, possibly reclining, high backed chair that wraps itself around you once you sat in it.

Allowing your body to completely relax, whether for meditation, reading or even just snatching a quiet moment in your day to pause and be quiet.

If you have space for a sofa, a scatter back will allow you to adjust the cushions for ultimate comfort and relaxation

Clutter free spacing...

For your yoga or any other flexibility exercise floor space is key so make sure your newly designated relaxation space is clutter free from the ground up.

Use shelving or sideboards to minimise what is lying on the floor and maximises storage. It is a bit of a ‘calm’ buzz killer if you have to re-organise your room every time you go to roll your mat out!; Posted by Hayley Allen
2nd August 2021