Hello folks, today I want to talk about relaxation and
how it makes us think well as human beings. This article is not as a result
from any science experiment because I am not a scientist, I am a Journalist and
I want to share my little knowledge about the subject matter in my own
perspective. I am writing this because I have read on the internet, the
increasing rate of high blood pressure among youths who are willing to work
hard to make it (which is a good trait) but they should learn to relax. If you
are one of them, this article is for you.
I am sure you have heard this from doctors, counselors,
therapists and the likes “just relax” that’s because it is a natural fixer for
anxiety and fear. It helps us think things through when we are in a precarious
situation.
In the military, humans are trained to stay calm and
think by the drill sergeants giving the soldiers, intense training using
different scenarios like battle planning, how to handle being captured and
basically honing their survival instincts. They teach them to not just handle
weapons, and fight but to form strategies before making a move and if the plan does
not go well, they train them to stay calm and make split second decisions in
dire situations.
The same goes for sports. It is OK to be pumped up and
get the adrenaline flowing but getting riled up only makes it worse for anyone
who does not know how to control the rush they feel whenever they step into
their chosen arenas. Take for instance I am a fan of anime movies and one of my
favourites is “The Fighting” (try to look it up). It is a cartoon flick on
fighting and it gives the viewer the perspective of a boxer and how they
strategise in intense split second situations before making their move and
re-strategise when their plans back fire.
As human beings, we tend to get riled up when life
strikes a deadly blow on us. It could be the loss of a friend, family member or
the loss of a job. Those who cannot handle the pressure tend to commit suicide
and believe me I have considered that at some point in my life when life
sucker-punched me in the face. It was then I relied on my family, friends and
relatives who God used to snap me back to reality and try again; it took a
while but I finally learnt to relax and think before making any decisions. As
time when on, I learnt to relax and strategise whenever I fell and try again.
I am going to give you a few tips on how you can relax.
And believe me some of them may sound crazy, but believe me they work; my first
suggestion is closing your eyes and lying down (strange huh?) I am sure you
will say these are two different suggestions but they are related. Closing your
eyes has a symbolic meaning to it. Shamans, Priests, Pastors often tell people
to close their eyes because it shuts you out from the world. Closing your eyes
lets you see what your normal eyes cannot see. Let me explain. There are
situations where you feel you cannot escape like a maze but if you close your
eyes, your heart rate will naturally slow down and it will alert your senses to
what your most dominant sense (your eyes) cannot see like the sound of rushing
water or the feeling of hollow soil which could be the covering of a trap door.
Lying down and closing your eyes is also important when you want to make a long
term plan on any subject matter.
Lying down tells your soul/inner self to take a time out
and relax before taking any decisions, you cannot think clearly while standing
up because your whole body will be on alert to your circumstances. Don’t be
mistaken I like to know what goes on around me but sometimes you have to take a
break and just lie down on the floor or a soft couching. Therapists have a soft
couching which their patients lie down and talk to them. This break down
emotionally built walls the patients have raised. Now when you combine closing
your eyes and lying down, you are not only breaking down your emotional walls
but you are also giving yourself insight into your predicaments and how you can
solve them.
Another suggestion may be pushing it a little (for those
who like to work), but it works. Take a vacation. I am not saying that you
should spend ridiculous amounts of money on holiday spots like Maui, Jamaica,
Miami or Obudu Cattle Ranch (Nigeria), if you are on a tight budget. But there
are places you can go that can open your mind and see more clearly than ever
before. If you are on a tight budget, you should stay at home, put on some
soothing music, crack open a bottle of your favourite beverage and relax. It is
the same as going to expensive relaxation spot but if you want to go there,
save for it and give yourself a well deserved break.
Spend time with your family and friends. You have to take
the sweet time to spend with your family and friends because like my mother
always says “no one is an island”. When you are alone, you are mounting
unwanted pressure on yourself and your ability to think will be hampered. When
you relax and laugh with friends, you are relieving yourself of some of the
burden. Spending time with your family also helps you relax because it gives
you a better reason to live and love. Have a guy’s night out or a girl’s night
out, but take friends that can help you relax not those that will tell you how
screwed you are and leave you hanging. Life may throw punches at you but a
smile from your wife, girlfriend or children, releases the pressure from your
heart.
Before I leave I want to drop this last bomb. One sure
way to help you relax is for you to make up your mind not to worry about
anything. Christians are advised not to worry because we know the consequences
of worry. The bible says “don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about
everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done” (Philippians
4:6). Make up your mind to stay calm at all times and all will be well.
I look forward to reading your comments.
If you want to reach me on facebook, follow this link www.facebook.com/iexcel360
E-Mail: johnnyogah2000@gmail.com
So everyone, LIVE LONG AND EXCEL.
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