Everyone says it, “just relax”… but most of us find that it is not so easy to do.  What does it mean to relax and why is it so hard to actually do? The more one says it, the more frustrating it can be. So, why does the pursuit of relaxation have to be so difficult when it should be easy?  Americans today report feeling anxious over 50% of their lives! That’s half a lifetime of stress.  With everything we know about stress and how it leads us down the dark path of illness, why do we stress and avoid relaxation?  Part of it is the taboo of taking a break and our work culture.  When people take breaks, they are viewed as lazy.  This is an unfortunate reality of how we view people who aren’t at their desks slaving away.  Part of that is the work culture, especially within the tech world is that you need to produce, if you are not at your desk, you aren’t producing, and therefore, the question is, what are you doing?  Even though studies prove that multi-tasking and working through lunch are detrimental and don’t contribute to our productivity, we still do it as a country.  Over 70% of employees skip lunch or work while eating.   With the demands of work and home, we have to constantly be “on” and settling down to relax isn’t an option for most, so what do we do?

Well, here are some tips to help you “relax”! The way to begin to help yourself be in a calmer state is to take a big breath. When we are stressed, most people hold their breath and this tells the brain that we are in danger and the cascade of stress hormones can flood the body.  Breathing is something we take for granted, but most of us breathe without truly taking in the air our lungs desire.  When we take a moment to focus on our breathing, the nervous system takes a step back and can retract from being on overload.  The next is to look at what you’re eating.  Are you snacking on the chocolate chip cookies someone left at the office or are you bringing a lunch full of options that will help you conquer the day?  The next is making sure you have adequate sleep.  When we sleep well, our bodies can process food, stress, and emotional states better.  Although these tips are simple, they are essential to helping you stay on track with your health and … RELAX!