Relaxation

All posts tagged Relaxation

Switching Off

Published August 25, 2013 by iftheshoefits

It all started with my spa day on Friday.  I left my phone in my locker, and allowed myself to switch off, completely.  This is usually very difficult for me – someone is usually texting, tweeting or emailing me and in this modern world we live in, I feel driven to respond almost immediately, because otherwise it’s rude.

Is it any wonder then that we burn out, or find it difficult to switch off and sleep? I’ve become programmed to deal with everything as it happens and constantly amend plans already in place to deal with the latest event.  It’s not just me, it’s everyone I know.

But I know that I was run down and on the cusp of a burn out and so I begrudgingly booked myself in for the spa day.  A day of total retreat and relaxation, with a 90 minute massage and a reflexology session thrown in for good measure.  And I realised how good it was to be switched off from technology for a while.  An unexpected delight came from the tea room menu – toast and marmite 🙂

So good in fact that it’s now Sunday evening, and I’m only just reading through emails, texts and tweets that have come in over the last 72 hours.

Instead I’ve spent my time listening to music, reading, exercising and have even managed a marathon ironing session.  It’s been good for me.

I’m now ready to switch back on.  Maybe I should ease my way in via online shopping?  There’s worse ways to spend one’s time!

Relaxation – a subtle and elusive art

Published August 19, 2013 by iftheshoefits

Don’t get me wrong, I can relax with the best of you – as long as it’s on my own terms. Snuggled indoors with a good book or film, Mr ShoeThatAlwaysFits, and (perhaps) a glass of wine or two.

But, when someone tells me to relax I respond in exactly the same way – I clam up and do exactly the opposite. I’ve frustrated hair dressers, manicurists, beauticians, masseuses – and those are the very people who are attempting to soothe away my worries. Imagine my reaction to dentists, doctors and those people who have to inflict pain for the greater good.

“Just relax” are words to instill me into a state of rigidity normally only seen in tantrum riddled toddlers. It’s a defensive mechanism brought on by youthful excursions to A&E; treatment of split heads, torn ligaments and pretty much anything else always started with a “Just relax” statement before things got prodded, pulled and strapped back into shape.

It doesn’t help that health professionals still use these words today; recent experiences include root canal dental work, cortisone injections into both hands, and the poor practice nurse that swabs your cervix with alarming regularity.

Little wonder then, that my instincts ensure that my body hears “Brace, brace” every time those two other words are uttered.

I am going to a spa day on Friday and have a couple of treatments booked – let’s hope they don’t say those two little words.

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