\u201cIt\u2019s hard for you to relax, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n
That is the question that my masseuse at Disney (Les) asked as I was enjoying a relaxing massage last week. I responded, \u201cNo, I don\u2019t think so.\u201d Obviously, I thought wrong. \u201cYes, it is,\u201d he insisted. \u201cEvery time that I touch your arm, you tense up.\u201d<\/p>\n
In my mind, I was trying to rationalize that he was wrong. \u201cI like to have fun. Relaxing massages are some of my favorite things.\u201d (Etc., Etc., Etc.) When I went back to the hotel room and told Reggie about what Les had said, he gave me a face and declared that Les was right. It turns out that having fun and relaxing are two different things.<\/p>\n
The truth is that I don\u2019t really \u201cfeel\u201d the need to rest and relax, because I get good sleep (8 hours a night on average). The challenge for me is to learn to rest and relax while I\u2019m awake. \u201cMaybe you should take yoga,\u201d one of my friends suggested. Perhaps, but I prefer kickboxing :-). Maybe I\u2019m just \u201cwired\u201d this way and simply need to add monthly massages into my calendar. I\u2019m not sure yet, but I am certain that making time to relax is essential if I want to be my personal best in both my personal and business lives!<\/p>\n
I have to admit that Les was on to something. I asked him if I could cut my massage short by 5 minutes so that I could write down all of the relaxation techniques that he was sharing with me during my massage. (I know\u2026I proved his point!) I trust his advice because Les has been a massage therapist for 20 years when many massage therapists only last 5 years in the industry due to the wear and tear on their own bodies.<\/p>\n
In any event, below are the five relaxation tips that I found to be most helpful in case you\u2019re \u201cwired\u201d like I am\u2026<\/p>\n
5 Relaxation Tips by Les<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n 1. Be mindful of your breathing.<\/b> There are several different thought patterns about breathing. Les favors nose breathing where you breathe out through the nose.<\/p>\n 2. Practice good posture.<\/b> Standing up tall and straight (shoulders back and stomach in like our parents used to tell us) is helpful.<\/p>\n 3. Drink enough water<\/b>. It is recommended that people drink \u00bd of their body weight in ounces of water each day. (For instance, if you weight 128 pounds, then you should drink 64 ounces\/8 cups of water a day.) The water helps break down the lactic acid that causes muscle knots in your necks and shoulders.<\/p>\n 4. Remember to stretch.<\/b> If your work is primarily sedentary (i.e. working at a computer), it is important to stretch. One helpful way to remind yourself to do so is to put a sticky pad note on your computer with instructions to stretch every 1 to 2 hours.<\/p>\n 5. Schedule monthly therapeutic massages<\/b>. [On a scale of 1 (gentle) to 10 (extreme pressure), I was encouraged to ask for a pressure of 7.5 since I tend to get muscle knots in my neck and shoulders.]<\/p>\n