Need to relax..

Well, yeah.. I know thinking is a normal think but i just can't stop thinking. I mean, being positive is easy but continue being optimistic is hard. Trying to engage myself with works are not helping at all. I should be calm right now 'cause it's holidays. No matter how worry i am about stuff, not looking forward to 2009 & all, i still need a break in everything, making my mind peaceful again. So here's some idea, althou it sound & look easy but knowing myself, everything seem so hard nowadays.

HOW TO RELAX??
( Source from every single information i get & conclusion of my mind )

1. Make healthy food choices. Sugar and caffeine are our enemies, as they both cause severe ups and downs, upsetting our body's ability to regulate energy. Instead of sugary, carbohydrate loaded snacks (like cookies or granola bars), eat fresh fruits and whole grain breads or crackers (sugar-free). Make sure get plenty of low-calorie protein, like that found in chicken, fish, whole grains, beans, dark leafy vegetables, or low-fat dairy.
   

Well, sometimes fast food is something you just can't resist :)

2. Find a quiet place when we can feel overwhelmed . Even the stall of a bathroom will work if you have no other place to go.



3. Close your eyes and picture your own personal paradise. Put yourself there and imagine the setting. What do you see around you? Is there a breeze? What do you hear--birds? Waves? Water? Imagine yourself thoroughly enjoying every moment here in your special place.

4. Breathe. Inhale deeply, count to five, then exhale slowly, counting to five. Do this ten times.

5. Relax in bed. Take a bath, play soft music, and lay down in bed. Read a book and clear your mind of all the stress and rush of the day.



6. Avoid people who are constantly angry or complain. Stress can be contagious, so avoid transmitters.


7. Stop engaging in behaviors that make you feel guilty. Seek help from a professional if necessary, but don't allow destructive behavior to sabotage your life and your health. Guilt is a potent source of stress, so get rid of the source of guilt by behaving yourself.

8. Exercise every day. You don't need to work out like a body builder or celebrity. At least twenty minutes (or more, if you like) every day of moderate activity, like walking or bike-riding, is the best known, scientifically proven way to significantly reduce stress. Walk on a treadmill every day for twenty minutes, take the stairs instead of the elevator, and park a little further away from the entrance to stores. You will be amazed at how much easier you overcome stress when you exercise regularly. 9. Learn to prioritize. Learn to be proactive and take care of things before they become a problem, then your time will be more productive and you will feel less stress. Make a list of tasks you must accomplish that day. Put the most important things at the top and list every task in descending order of importance.

10. Draw a warm bath, light candles around your tub, dim the lights, add bubbles, lavender, or just keep the water plain.* Just be extra careful with the candles thou*

11. Curl up on your couch with a blanket, and a good book, maybe even a cup of tea or cocoa.

12. Lay on your bed or sofa, have some soft music playing in the background (or nature CDs) and listen to ocean waves, waterfalls, or birds.


13. Go for a walk. If you live near a park with a fountain, or near a beach or lake, the calming sound of water will soothe you. Just a regular walk will also relax you.



14. Swim. Either at your local pool, a friend or relatives home, or in a lake. Swimming is great for reducing stress.

15. Do the activities or hobbies that relax you (fishing, sewing, singing, painting, taking photographs), whatever it is that keeps your mind off the things that normally stress you out, or things that you just need a break from every now and then.


16. Spend time with your pet. Talk to your pet about all the stress and anxiety you've been going through and you'll feel a lot better. Or just cuddle or play with your pet. They'll love it and so will you.


17. Think positively.

18. Practice meditation. Try to remove all thoughts and emotions other than your controlled breathing from your mind. It's really difficult; some Buddhist monks practice it their whole life! However, it can be very rewarding. Maybe,. Just maybe.

Wow, baby meditate. Don't think i can even do it.

19. Think of the ocean and how calming the rushing waves crash upon the shore.



20. Do you know self-hypnosis? Then take a few deep breaths, focus on something, and go into self-hypnosis.



21. Read a book or an article that makes you think. It might be of a leader like Martin Luther King or it might deal with minds like Frankl. Whatever inspires your thoughts to a positive useful life seems to add new energy.

22. Smile and laugh. They say laughter is the best medicine. This is quite true. Go rent, buy, or see a hilarious movie. That is guaranteed to help.

23. Work! Although this may sound counteractive to our goal, procrastination never truly feels as good as having no work to do. So get it done now, and then you can relax even better.

Ok, that such a long list but i'll try it anyway. At least a long list means more choices that i can choose to relax. Just for anyone's information, i'm not a stress freak, workaholic or whatsoever that not approriate in mind. Everyone have their thing, bad or good times, happy time, stressful time, & so on.. I just want to have a nice holiday, where i'm not imagining myself in school for freakin senior year. Life has never been easy nor fair & that's why this holiday should be appreciate by me, in every way. After all, everyone, i mean, most of the teenagers now are having a good, relaxing time & i am not so much different than them. So i should be having a relaxing time now. Should be.


"If a man insisted always on being serious, and never allowed himself a bit of fun and relaxation, he would go mad or become unstable without knowing it." --- Herodotus (484 BC - 430 BC), The Histories of Herodotus