relaxing

A few days ago, I posted on here speaking of my nerves at turning 40. I think my brain, as usual, was making a bigger deal out of things than it needed to. Like, I have a tendency of feeling the need to put closure over something, just to a have a fresh start at things. In the past, it has been the only way that I have been able to pick myself up and carry on. But at the same time, I end up still thinking about past failures, and don’t really put my best foot forward.

I honestly don’t quite know what I expected to happen when I turned 40, which happened yesterday. I think I felt bad that I had no real plan to celebrate, and was quite happy having a nice time. I went out to the pub with my family, received some cool gifts (HMV voucher, new Scotland shirt, Lego McLaren F1 car), and generally had a calm day. It was raining all day, but that never stopped anything. I tried to sort my passport out, in the hope it comes quickly.

*McLaren F1 car all built and ready to race*.

Today I saw my nephews, received some cool books (if anyone ever struggles with what to gift me, a book is always a winner), and finally had some birthday cake. I also went for a wee evening walk, with my folks around Edinburgh. It was dry, and I didn’t think it was too cold. I haven’t been for a walk in Edinburgh for a while, and hopefully, with the lighter evenings, we can do it more regularly.

*Looking across Princess Street Gardens, Edinburgh*

So, it has been a good start to 40. Long may it continue

I am a total stress-head about a lot of what happens every day. I can completely panic unnecessarily over nothing. I try to find one way to relax every d ay. Here is a few of my favourite things that helps me relax a little.

1) Listening to a random album whilst I travel on the bus home. Staring out the window and listening to some cheesy music really helps me relax. Any stress that I have felt over the day just melts away, and my mood is totally uplifted.

2) A hot bubble bath is also something that has become a regular occurrence for me. Because I work on my feet, and can easily walk over 5 miles every day. It is something that is good for my health, but can sometimes hurt my feet and legs. I get tendonitis, have done since I was a teenager, and that means that it doesn’t take much for my body to start hurting and swelling up. A bath is good, because it soothes my muscles, and makes it a lot easier for sleeping. If I don’t have a bath when in pain, I can’t sleep at night, which just leads to other issues.

3) I never used to watch much TV, as it bores me. If I start to watch a series, I always forget a part, and then get lost. So I don’t watch a lot when I am on my own. However, after a long day at work, I have grown to like sitting with other members of my family watching random TV. I think it is the companionship that relaxes me, the fact that I am not having to be on my own.

4) If I wake up in a bad mood, which happens more than I’d like to admit, a walk in the fresh air can make me feel better. It doesn’t have to be a long walk, just a nip round the block can be enough to get the blood pumping and motivate me for the day. I also love walking down to the sea, which is right next to the town where I live. I like sitting looking into the water, and looking across the Forth towards Edinburgh. I find the sound and smell of the sea very relaxing.

5)If it is sunny there is nothing more relaxing that reading a book in the garden. It is one of the things I love most about summer, it being warm enough to sit outside. It doesn’t have to be my garden, I’ll walk down the local park, or even just find a bench to read on. It helps block out everyone around me, and chills me out, especially if it is a good book.

In the world we live in, there is pressure everywhere, so it is important to find ways to escape from those pressures. But different people find different things relaxing. So, what do you do when you need to chill out?

Tag: relaxing

Ain’t Too Bad