Relaxation Strategies: Tea & Contemplation
For today's relaxation strategies, we're going to brew a cup of tea. (If that's not your "cup of tea," I have some tweaks for you to make this work.)
Relaxation Strategies:
COZY UP WITH A CUP OF TEA
There is a long tradition of making and drinking tea across most of the globe. It's a beloved beverage and often accompanied by a ritual or routine. Combined they work as a relaxing break that will reduce stress and gives you time to breath, think, and even meditate if you so choose.
It starts with boiling the water and setting out your favorite cup. Pick your tea (more on that in a bit) and set to making yourself a nice cup of tea. Carry it to a comfortable spot, sit down, and enjoy the warmth of the cup in your hand. Inhale the fragrant aroma, letting all the tension and anxiety leave your body. Live in the moment and take that first sip. Take your time as you empty your cup, sip by sip, melting the stress away.
Turn it into your very own ritual. Maybe you add a cookie to your tea for a little mid-day treat. Or pick up a favorite book or magazine and spend a few minutes reading and browsing while you enjoy your cup. It's all about relaxation and "me time."
What do you do if you're not a tea drinker? My first suggestion would be to try some different teas. There's something out there for just about anyone. You have plenty of choices between all the various black teas, green teas, and herbal teas.
Of course having another beverage of choice is also an option. Brew yourself a good cup of coffee, make a cappuccino, or indulge in a cup of real hot chocolate topped with whipped cream or marshmallows. With a little trial and error you'll find the right drink for your very own stress busting ritual.
One word of warning; when things get busy and we really start to stress out, it's easy to let this simple little ritual slip by. Yet, that's the time when you need it the most. Make it a priority. Not only will it make you feel better but you'll come back refreshed and able to solve problems easier and become more productive because of your little tea break. In the end, taking a little time for yourself (even if it's just to make and enjoy a cup of tea) will make you better at what you do. Try it and see for yourself.
Keep everything for your tea ritual close buy. Have a nice tea cup and some tea in your desk at work, in the cupboard at home, and take it with you when you travel. Don't ever be caught without everything you need to make this happen. Next, we'll talk about contemplation to add to your relaxation strategies tool box.
Relaxation Strategies:
QUIET CONTEMPLATION
We're busier than ever in this day and age. We're bombarded by beeps, messages, and advertisements 24/7. We live in an age of constantly being connected and constantly being interrupted. It's a wonder we get anything done. Without a doubt these constant distractions are a big part of why we feel so stressed out all the time. With all the noise and flashing lights, it's hard to hear yourself think sometimes. It's time to fix that and today I'm going to show you how to add this to your relaxation strategies arsenal.
Some of the most successful business people set aside time regularly to think, plan, and learn. Bill Gates takes an entire week twice a year to unplug and do nothing but read and think. Warren Buffet states that he's spent about 80% of his career reading and thinking. Quite a few other successful CEOs schedule time to think and plan, and even allow employees to do the same. In short, carving out time for quiet contemplation isn't a waste of time. It's how you get ahead.
As an added benefit and why I'm including it in this series about relaxation and reducing stress is that it gives you time to get away from it all. The quiet time will give you time to rest up and distress and that's important. In fact, this rest is what gives your mind the time and ability to come up with the next great idea or solution. It's what makes you a better partner, a better boss, a better co-worker, and a better business person.
The first thing you need is a little mindset shift. Don't think of taking time for quiet contemplation as a waste of time, or one more thing you have to squeeze into your already overflowing calendar. Instead, think of it as the solution to the stress and overwhelm and a way to cut back on the hours you spend working.
Put it in your calendar, schedule it, in fact, go ahead and make it a high priority. There's no reason for you to toil away at busy work for 5 hours per day when you could spend one to come up with a better solution that would automate all that work for example.
If you're still skeptical, please give it a serious try. It works and it works well. Once you see what having quiet time to think and strategies will do for both your professional and your personal life, you'll gladly find time for quiet contemplation on a regular basis. Don't forget to notice how the stress and pressure starts to disappear or at least lessens when you do this.
If it works for some of the most brilliant minds of our generation along with every spiritual leader across time, shouldn't you give quiet time to think a serious try and make it part of your own life? Your mind and your body will thank you as you start to stress less with these relaxation strategies.
Relaxation Strategies:
BONUS
Wind down with my FREE PROGRESSIVE MUSCLE RELAXATION SESSION:)