One life philosophy that has always made sense to me is balance….balance work with play….balance healthy food with indulgences… sexy clothes with conservative pieces….friend time with significant other time……splurges with bargains…..intense days with relaxing times….RELAX? As in lay down? Turn off your brain altogether? How the heck do you do that?? For me, not easily.  For Ginger, it was not easy either. If you are a ‘Type A’ personality, it can be hard to switch gears and get off the treadmill, yet clearly it is important to both our physical and mental health. No problem solving, no housekeeping, no working out – just relaxing.  When you take the time to relax, you will likely be more effective at work, you will be in a better mood, you will even look better – ‘refreshed’ as they say!

As life has been busy in the past several years, here are 5 simple ways I like to relax:

1. Leave the office for lunch.  Or if home is your office, leave your home.  Go outside, smell the air, feel the sun, be in a different environment….eat good food, not fast food….observe the world around you.  When you head back to the office, you will feel better.
2. Open a bag of popcorn and a bottle of wine…….maybe rent a movie, or maybe just kick back and chat with a friend.
3. Skip the gym.  Yup, you heard me right.  Sometimes your body needs a break.  If you exercise regularly, you aren’t going to gain weight if you skip now and then….you might even have more energy for your next workout.
4. Make soup.  There is something simple and comforting about making soup……everything goes in one pot, it smells good, the primitive act of stirring, nothing too strenuous or complicated, music in the background.
5. Take regular vacations. Whether you prefer an active vacation or quiet simplicity, there is the comfort in knowing that a break is on the horizon….need not be far away or extravagant, but somewhere where you can escape from the daily grind…..even a ‘stay-cation’ can be beneficial if it is a change from your daily routine.

Now it’s time to hear from you!   How do YOU relax???