Relaxation is a deliberate effort to break away from stressors especially normal or usual stressors such as duties and work. It is often a break from overpowering mental states, feelings, emotions, and passions. Relaxation may also be a break from an environment or from associates. Relaxation consists of physical relaxation, mental relaxation, and spiritual relation. For one to become properly or totally relaxed, the three should go together.
Relaxation diverts life from stress and harm. On the one hand, it is a control mechanism that limits the amount of exposure to stress, the duration of exposure to stress and the overall level of stress we experience. On the other hand, it is an avoidance mechanism that blocks a person from being harmed by stress.
Relaxation techniques are numerous and may vary from a few minutes of breathing exercise to an absolute retreat.
Relaxation is not escapism, or avoidance of responsibility or avoidance of social connectivity. Relaxation is a means to recover, improve, re-focus, re-energize, and increase in life. Escapism leads to dysfunction, relaxation leads to improved function.
Family life is an important platform for relaxation – physical, mental, and spiritual. We should take care of our families and our families should take care of us and our needs. Unfortunately, many families end up as centres of stress.
Relaxation can be done alone or collectively, momentarily or for a period of days, spontaneously or by guidance. We shall discuss various ways by which we can relax.
Before we go on to discuss how to relax, we can contemplate why we need to relax as needed.
Why do we need physical relaxation? We need physical relaxation every now and then because the body is finite. The body has its thresholds and breaking points. The body’s life is at its best when in a state of homeostasis or balance. Our daily activities can cause depletion or elevation of components of our bodies and can as well produce wear and tear on various parts of our bodies. There is a need for recovery periods for bodily repairs, rejuvenation, balancing and strengthening. This dynamism involves all the body organs and systems: the brain, the heart and blood vessels, the eyes, the digestive system, the immune system, the hormonal system, etc.
Why do we need mental relaxation? We need mental relaxation every now an d then because the mind is a flux of good and evil and is easily tilted by environmental factors and experiences. Mental relaxation enables one to dominate experience and generate wilful responses of choice. Our actions are sometimes driven rather than chosen because we have not been able to exercise the mental faculty fully against environmental factors. Environmental factors that over power our thinking could be other persons, events, propaganda, climate, finance, illness, religion, culture, etc. Mental relaxation, even if for just a brief few seconds, helps us in rationality and avoidance of regrettable consequences of our living.
Why do we need spiritual relaxation? We need spiritual relaxation to connect us or to keep us connected with our origin and our end, the meaning of our lives and the consequences of all we are and do in life. Much of our stress in life and the sufferings and pains we experience are from lack of spiritual positioning and relaxation.
There is ample reason for learning the art of relaxation. A little bit of prior relaxation – bodily, mental, or spiritual – may be important before leaping at an opportunity, dashing for some profit, or going headlong into a responsibility. Relaxation can save us from errors and troubles. For example, without astute relaxation, interest can become obsession, care can become fuss, and duty can become mania. Be it for the father or mother of a family, or the boss of a business, or the leader of an organization, the art of relaxation is a very important aspect of holistic health.
Dr. Theresa Adebola John is a lecturer at Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) and an affiliated researcher at the College of Medicine, University of Tennessee, Memphis. For any comments or questions on this column, please email [email protected] or call 08160944635