relaxation

Few things make a body feel better than less things holding it back, be it physical, emotional, or gravitational.

Being a work-from-home-mom, I used to kind of loathe summer because it meant balancing activities and still trying to get all my stuff done, but this year is different. I’m allowing myself to take it slow (probably because I have no choice, being 32 weeks pregnant) and enjoy being a mama this summer.

Now, I would love to sit down and watch a movie without interruptions as well. But alas, motherhood brings with it many occupational hazards.

All day, you eagerly anticipate finding just 30 minutes to chill out, catch up with your significant other, and relax into sleep. But the problem is... though your body is ready to plop down on the sofa and decompress, your brain is still going a mile a minute. It's stuck in "go-go-go" mode. As a result, you're there with your loved ones, but you're not really present. You think, What's wrong with me? Why can't I relax?

When our bodies and minds are constantly under stress we begin to break down. Stress floods the body with stress hormones which has been linked to a weakened immune system, slow metabolism, inflammation, disease, decreased attention span, decreased productivity and creativity, impaired memory, fatigue, depression, and irritable moods ... and this is an abbreviated list!

The next wave of relaxation has arrived, riding a swell of paper and pencils (or markers; whatever your implement of choice). Coloring books. That just happened. These are not your child’s coloring books. The designs are intricate — like, for sure, I would not be able to stay in the lines — and often themed: owls, cats, mandalas, Zen, even Harry Potter.

After hours of driving "fast and furious," there's a fear of letting go. After all, what if you drop the ball on something when you let your guard down? What if you lose your edge or can't ramp back up into productive mode again? People even become addicted to the rev of busyness, making withdrawal downright scary.

They’re just too drowsily happy to let anything get to them.