Relaxation: it sounds simple, but are we doing it wrong?

Photo by Simon Migaj on Unsplash

Set peace of mind as your highest goal, and organize your life around it.

~ Brian Tracy

At the end of a long day, we just want to relax, right? We want to “decompress”, “unwind”, and “turn off our brains” to escape the stress of our lives.

For many of us, this takes the form of watching TV.

I’ve been there. Whether it was watching Game of Thrones, Braveheart for the 500th time, or the Winnipeg Jets, I have spent more than my fair share of time in front of a TV.

But, thinking back on those countless hours, I can’t help but wonder whether it was worth it. Did it help me to relax? Did it add value to my life?

I’m not so sure, which is why I’m asking this question now: what was I looking for when I wanted to relax?

In retrospect, relaxation to me meant distracting myself from the stress I felt from school, work, relationships, or anything else going on.

For you, your distraction of choice might not be TV. Maybe it’s perusing the Internet, scrolling through social media, playing video games, reading novels, cleaning your house, or baking.

But, whatever it is you do to “relax”, you might not be getting out of it what you really need.