Relaxation and the Brain

"The mark of a successful man is one that has spent an entire day on the bank of a river without feeling guilty about it." Author Unknown

Detox Step #9
I hope you're reading today's blog with a smile on your face and have been doing plenty of laughing this week. I've had a wonderful opportunity to just be 'down right' silly the last few months, as I've been spending the days with my five precious granddaughters. I have giggled more in the last two months, than I did in the 10 months prior.  The research I did about laughter was a great motivator and reminder to me to work harder to find humor in life and express myself more often through laughter. It feels like I'm being good to my brain when I laugh...does that seem like a strange thing to say?  And speaking of being good to my brain...let's talk more about how we can consciously be nicer to our brains.

I find that most of us are much harder on ourselves than we are kind to ourselves. We often put the needs of others in front of our own.  We think that our job is to take care of others, right?

I have been flying a lot lately and I often think that the information given before take-off by the stewardess is a good analogy for life.  They remind us that if the airplane cabin loses pressure, then the masks will drop down from overhead. They tell us we must first secure and place our own oxygen mask over our mouth and begin to breath normally.  Only then should we begin to help others. That makes sense, doesn't it?...If I'm flailing around, gasping for air, turning blue... then  I won't be much assistance to my child or my neighbor.  Yet, in life we often find ourselves doing just the opposite. We are stressed, exhausted, depressed, poorly nourished and generally unhealthy. Yet, we march along with our martyr banners held up high, taking no responsibility for our own health and proclaiming our deeds are helping others.  

Before we talk more about taking responsibiltity for ourselves and our brain, let's first reflect on our own definition of 'relaxation' . Do you find the words relaxation and laziness to be synonymous when you're referring to yourself? If a friend asks you what you did on the weekend, does this sound like something you might say, "I just laid around all weekend and vegged.  I got nothing done...I was totally useless!  Now I'm behind and no doubt I'll pay for it all week".

Let's see how the same experience feels differently if we change our words and our attitude, "As to my weekend, it was a really relaxing.  I took a nap, I laid in the sun a while and read my new novel. On Sunday I treated myself to a big bowl of popcorn while I enjoyed an afternoon movie.  I ended the weekend with a long soak in the tub, while listening to  relaxing classical music.  I feel renewed! Now I'm ready to take on the week!"  (Here is another example of how the words we use create our reality)

As I research the latest information on rest and relaxation the reviews all come in the same.  If we don't get the rest we need, we don't perform at top level. Our bodies don't fight illnesses as well, our relationships suffer and our attitudes stink.  Our bodies and our brains need relaxation and rest! 

Read Caroline Leaf's blog as she discusses how 'great sleep = great brain'. http://drleaf.com/blog/general/great-sleep-great-brain

I know many of you don't get Mayo Clinics' recommended hours of sleep each night (7-9 hours) and if you do, I doubt that you feel like you have time for a nap each day (am I right?)  But how about just 15 minutes dedicated to lying down and listening to some classical music? In the late 20th century medical researches actively began to study the effects of relaxing music on the human brain.  These studies confirmed that listening to certain types of music alleviate stress, bring us joy and peace, and stimulate brain wave activity, actually making us smarter.  So how about it...anybody in the audience want more joy and peace and a higher IQ?

I love these words of advice about taking the time to relax from Leonardo da Vinci : " Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer.  Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen."

This week is our final week for detox steps and we'll be wrapping it up our summer seminar next week.

Have you decided what you're going to do with the money you have put aside in your pampering pot?  It's time to spend it!  I'd love to hear from you on things you have decided to do with your savings.

Read these pages from Who Switched off My Brain:  Page 135-138

Do something nice for your brain: Spend your money on you!

Awareness: Listen to how other people talk about taking care of themselves.    Reflect on things you do to rest, relax and take care of your brain. Do you need to improve?

Please share some of your 'aha' moments or observations on the blog or email me at smallsteps4bigresults@yahoo.com