Relaxing and Slowing Down
Do you squirm at the idea of ‘doing nothing all day’? Or is this your cup of tea?
Personally, I would not describe myself as someone that’s very good at relaxing. My husband is the ultimate chillaxer.
When people describe him they say he is relaxed and cool– the exact emotions I want to cultivate this summer.
If you are more like me, you might be priding yourself on being able to accomplish a lot. It’s incredible how much stuff I can get done when I put my mind to it. The thing is, my husband is also incredible at getting things done too.
So relaxing has nothing to do with the ability to get things done or not. Relaxing is the ability to be less tense. In other words, to go slow, to do less, and enjoy being in the moment.
Some obstacles to relaxing include:
- Thinking we’re wasting our time
- Percieving relaxing as nothing important
- Worrying about what others think if we’re seemingly, ‘doing nothing’
- Having FOMO
- Boredom
So, if you’re ‘anti-relaxation’ or just need some tips on winding down to enjoy the rest of your summer this episode will:
- Help you uncover negative thought patterns that pertain to relaxing and how you can rework them
- Discover rituals that might help you to fully unwind
Tapping back into fun, playfulness, and relaxation to gain your energy back is the heartbeat of the Unlock Your Full Potential Course. So, if you haven’t already jumped on the waitlist (for free!) to obtain these 3 benefits:
- I will send you 3 bonus questions that I have specially prepared to best prepare you for the success of the Unlock Your Full Potential group coaching program, to start your process, and be ready when the time comes.
- You will be notified of the registration in advance and therefore you can immediately get into action and join so that you can discover the first module of the course in the program without waiting for the program to officially start.
- Gain access to an exclusive tool called: Creating Confidence to Thrive Abroad: the 20 powerful thoughts to adopt”, which reveals to you the 20 powerful thoughts that will make you grow wings. And since it is not enough to read a powerful thought, I give you the keys to make it your own.
\ and therefore you can immediately get into action and join so that you can discover the first module of the course in the program without waiting for the program to officially start.
And finally, as confidence is the major key to succeeding in everything you do, I have prepared for you an exclusive tool called: Creating Confidence to Thrive Abroad: the 20 powerful thoughts to adopt”, which reveals to you the 20 powerful thoughts that will make you grow wings. And since it is not enough to read a powerful thought, I give you the keys to make it your own.
To benefit from all these advantages, it’s easy, just register now, free of charge by going to girafecoaching.com/unlock
It is going to be so much fun, and it will change your life. You’ll create a life where you feel you’re making an impact while doing what brings you joy and while having the flexibility you need for this globally mobile life. So join the waiting list and get all those advantages now.
When you listen to this episode, I am in Greece on a gorgeous island with my family and some good friends. We are celebrating my husband’s birthday. We rented a house by the sea, a few meters away from a gorgeous beach and clear water. It’s very warm and what we do is just relax, let the day sweep us off our feet.
I would not describe myself as someone that’s very good at relaxing. My husband is so amazing at this. When people describe him they say he is relaxed, cool, chilled. Those are exactly the emotions I want to cultivate this summer.
If you are more like me, you might be priding yourself on being able to accomplish a lot. It’s incredible how much stuff I can get done when I put my mind to it. The thing is, my husband is also incredible at getting things done too.
So relaxing has nothing to do with the ability to get things done or not. Relaxing is the ability to be less tense. In other words, to go slow, to do less, and enjoy being in the moment.
Some of the obstacles to relaxing include thinking we’re losing our time. Time is our most precious resource that cannot be renewed. We have a certain amount of time available on this planet, and using it to do the things that are most important to us is what will eventually determine whether you’ll be able to say that you had a life well-lived.
Another obstacle is when we believe that reading a book, taking a nap, going for a swim, or playing is “nothing” important, and we do not have time for this, we will put this at the bottom of the things we’ll do today.
Maybe you’re with a group of friends somewhere fun like me. Your mind might tell you there are children to be fed and dinners or lunches to prepare. And so you’re still on page 20 of the book you bought at the beginning of your vacation, you wake up tired and look at the pool in front of you and tell yourself, that would be so nice, but let me first prepare breakfast for everyone.
Another obstacle is what you imagine people might think of you if you retire to your bedroom after lunch and take a nap. They might think you’re not helping enough, you come here just to rest while there is so much to do.
In Zimbabwe, we had a pool at home and a lot of help with the garden and the house. I waited until the weekend to enjoy the pool with the family, not once did I go there by myself. The reason is that I did not want the staff to think that I was simply relaxing and doing nothing. As if this would be the most terrible thing to do!
Another obstacle is FOMO – the fear of missing out. The greek ruins next door, the delicious ice cream 20 minutes away, the sunset to watch at this particular place, the friends who are there for only 6 hours we could meet for coffee. Before you know it, your schedule is packed with commitments that sounded like a good idea in the beginning, but now eat all your time and energy.
Another obstacle is boredom. When we stop doing all those things that keep us busy, we risk feeling bored, and this is not a pleasant emotion for many of us.
Boredom is a challenge for me. I’m not going to lie. I have ten ideas for a minute of fun things we could be doing. When I feel bored, I work or say, “ Let’s go somewhere, let’s do this. I like to escape boredom as much as possible, filling my days with things that are not necessarily nourishing. It can deplete and exhaust me. I would say boredom is the major obstacle to my relaxation.
Which of those obstacles is preventing you from relaxing and enjoying your summer?
Transition – Music
What if going slow and relaxing has nothing to do with who you are vacationing with. What if relaxing has nothing to do with where you are but is simply a decision to do only the things you want to have in your days.
My sister-in-law and her husband are role models in that sense. They took my two boys on a vacation in Norway with their two children. They do not pack their days, have no schedule, and take it as it goes. If the weather is nice, we go, if not, we stay here and just relax.
Taking the time to enjoy each moment is what allows us to relax. So I decided to think about a little morning ritual to allow me to relax :
The first thing is not to touch my phone before we’re done with breakfast and to check messages ( not work stuff) but family and friends’ messages twice a day at a set time.
The second is to set an intention to allow boredom and observe the thoughts that come up when I am bored. I don’t want to escape boredom. Why? Because I think it will be amazing to finally be with myself without distraction and stuff to do, not being a busy bee all hours of the day.
The third is to permit me to do what I want and for others to think what they want about it. So I will sometimes take a nap, take it slow, not go on every walk and not feel that I’m missing out, not eat this now because I am recharging my batteries.
I also invite you to think of a little ritual to help you relax and take full advantage of this summer – to move at the pace of snail.
And if you want to transform your life and fill it with the things that make you feel joy, excitement, and connection, and where you allow yourself to also relax and go slow – register on the Unlock Your Full Potential program waiting list, it’s free, and you’ll get plenty of advantages. You will be the first to be notified when the program starts.
Have a relaxing week, fellow global nomads.
