So, if we’ve been working on ourselves and questioning how we feel, I’m sure anger has reared its head. Letting ourselves feel the pain sucks, but we have to do it to get through to the other side (where we feel good.)  Just like with exercise, after the hard stuff comes the cool-down time.

I did this aerobic exercise DVD the other day. The instructor, Gilad, used to have a show on TV years ago set in Hawaii, where he taught aerobic classes on the beach or some other idyllic locale there. The aerobic exercises get your heart pumping. When I heard him say the cool-down was coming up, I felt relief. After, I had a sense of accomplishment because I used my time doing something good for myself. That was an accomplishment in itself.

As we age and time passes, we accumulate things and memories. Whatever we have, we have to tend to it. Whether it’s a relationship or a job, we allocate our time to take care of both. We choose what matters to us. We show up for our family to show they matter, and we show up at our job to earn a living. If our house is full of stuff, we are bound to take care of it, or it can cause stress and anxiety.

With hectic lives, we are always going, going, going for this or that, so when is our cool-down time?

Many of us consider our “cool down” time after working all day when we turn on the TV and veg out. It’s a good distraction from the pursuits of the day.  I did that too. Then I heard a self-help guru (I can’t remember which one) say something like watching TV is living someone else’s reality, not our own. I get what they meant: when we mindlessly watch the screen we are not “living” our lives. But I believe we can learn good stuff from TV too, like from a show on the HGTV, History or National Geographic Channels, so that to me is not wasting time. I enjoy watching television that shows things that enrich my mind, like house design/renovation shows, history stuff (what was Stonehenge really for?), and how something is made.

Sure, TV can let us have a “cool down time”, but it can also rile us up with violent shows or scary stuff.

We have to make the right choice that feels good for us, no matter what that is.

To truly “cool down,” we need space away from drama, stress, and all the things that cause us to feel overwhelmed or anxious. A genuine cool-down time lets us feel relaxed and centered.

I do like to meditate and wish I did it more often. (I know I’ll get there.) I’ve been to meditation classes and found that a better place to calm my mind without the house distractions. When we meditate, all we have to do is close our eyes and breathe, and focus on our breath. By allowing our thoughts to calm down, we can just be.

 

How to Cool Down

• Spend time with people you like to be with and find ways to laugh. It’s an instant stress reliever.
• When you’re driving along, take in the beauty of this earth. Look at the flowers, the colors, and Mother Nature’s magic.
• Listen to music.
• Take a walk and breathe in the fresh air.
• Do a hobby that makes you forget about everyday life.
• Read if you like to do that.
• Give yourself some free time to do whatever brings you joy.

Doing things that calm you down helps us regain balance back into our lives.

Thank you for reading this, and I’d love to know what you do to get that cool-down time in your life.

To cool down time,

Francesca

 

 

Created by a human for humans.

 

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