Time is the measurer of all things, but is itself immeasurable, and the grand disclosure of all things, but is itself undisclosed (Charles Colton). With that being said, time is a very precious measurement and is everything we as people know and understand. Nonetheless, it seems to pass slower than molasses, and other times we seem to lose every second, minute, and hour so speedily. Every so often we need a time to slow down and breathe in to get a grip on life itself. Everyone should make a little extra time for nothing to reap the benefits of reduced stress, increased health, and relaxation.
First off, there are several things we rely on to relieve our daily stress. One of the simplest things we can do to achieve a high relief in stress is to make extra time in our day where nothing has to be done. Natasha Old in “Make Time for Nothing” says it is impossible to eliminate all of life’s stressors. However, relaxation techniques have found a method to counteract the effects of stress. In many studies these techniques have shown a positive impact on our nervous system to respond much better to daily stressors (Old). Andy Maun in “The Art of Doing Almost Nothing” suggests listening, noticing, thinking, waiting, witnessing, and preventing harm is a turning point of stress reduction. “Patience is a virtue” is a heavily used motto and seems to be Maun’s secret to eliminating stress. Cheryl A. Patterson in “Wellness through Stress Reduction” believes that gratitude also reduces stress. Being grateful instills a positive mindset, which promotes feelings of contentment and well being (Patterson). Throughout the day an optimistic outlook will keep one from thinking of any potential stressors, resulting in less stress for the individual. While reducing stress, one would begin to notice significant benefits within physical and mental aspects.
The 2012 Australian Psychological Association survey found one in five Australians experienced severe stress that was having a major impact on their mental and physical health (Old). With stress consistently bearing down on us and no time to relieve stressors it makes it extremely difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Stress has recently been identified as the leading precursor to addictive disorders (Old). Since 2013, there have also been several frightening studies on the relations between stress and disease. Many studies report that conditions like asthma, non-insulin-dependent diabetes, insomnia, arthritis and other common ailments, some exacerbated by psychosomatic symptoms, benefit from traditional relaxation methods (Old). As humans we generally try to stay healthy to live longer more fulfilling lives. We can achieve this by adding some time to our day to do nothing and relieve stress to avoid all of the problems that come along with stress. With allowing this time, it is possible to attain a much healthier and happier version of oneself. Once attaining this extra time, there are some specific things one can do to enhance their relaxation.
Throughout the ages, different cultures have developed their own ways of relaxing. This, in the literal form is to make one less tense and relieve anxiousness. Still popular today, meditation and yoga were first introduced by the Hindu culture. Meditation is used to promote mindfulness and mental silence, both very effective at relaxing the entire body. While commonly used together in many religions, yoga is also used separately to control one’s mind and body simultaneously. Acupuncture is another method used that is supposed to balance the inner chi and vital energies to remove stress. Edmund Jacobson became famous for introducing the relation between deep breathing and repeated sounds to relieve the body deeply of stressors. Essentially, relaxation is attempting to reverse the “fight or flight” response and any of these methods are extremely effective in doing so. Dan Dipiro in “The benefits of doing nothing” says while coaching a national level mogul skier he would do little more than tell her “go do your thing” and experienced great success in doing so. By instilling trust in her it allowed her to relax and do what she knew how to do without any external stress. This same approach can be taken into one’s daily life to simply relax and drop anything stressing them. However, some may argue that relaxing develops bad tendencies.