I've often been asked "When on EARTH do you have time to relax?". I'm a vocational ballerina (please refer to balleticlifestyle.blogspot.com) so I have a lot on my plate. But I also have to keep up with school, play my clarinet, do all my medications and treatments and sleep (I can sometimes find time for that :P)
But my downtime is the most important part of my day. I get Sundays to recharge my figurative batteries and do something to de-stress myself... And sometimes do a bit of homework.
I often spend my downtime online, but that just revvs me up even more. I'm supposed to be relaxing, not thinking what to post next on Facebook or Blogger. So I have a few things that I do to relax that don't involve an internet connection.
1. Read.
Yes, there are still books made of paper that you don't have to wait to load. I find it comforting after a long week to curl up on my bed with the book I'm reading and just try and get from cover to cover in one day. When you finish, you feel this awesome sense of achievement.
2. Clean.
I love to clean up my room. I can't work in a messy environment so cleaning on Sundays is a big must for me. After I tidy up, dust and vacuum I feel relaxed and re-energised. Sometimes I even take it to the extreme of re-arranging my bedroom. But it's so tiny I can't do much to it.
3. Go out with friends.
I might go shopping, to a movie or just for a walk in the park (with a camera to capture all those priceless faces that my friends pull). You don't have to spend money and it's uber-relaxing. Just chatting with your friends can make a crappy day amazing. Just try not to do the same thing twice!
4. Listen to Music.
This is my major time waster. I get out my iPod and chuck in the headphones. This can wake you up or help you sleep. Imagine a bus ride with no music! I sometime nod off on my bed reading a magazine with Regina Spektor going in my ears.
5. Make something.
Be it a dress, a knitted scarf, or a weekly planner crafting something is a great way to chill out. Especially when I'm in the hospital I need to de-stress myself, so I go to the hospital school and make some cards. As I type my knitted Afghan blanket is sitting half finished on my bed. So I love craft to recharge. Scrapbooks are good too if you are a ticket/picture hoarder.
6. Organise your schoolwork/documents/bag.
Organisational skills are important, and what better way to practice than by re labelling your school books or putting all your computer docs into seperate folders (yes I know, this involves a computer but it's good for you).
7. Bake!!
Yummy muffins, biscuits or cakes. I lurve to bake! I have entire folders dedicated to recipes. I just got back from making brownies (I had nooo idea how much chocolate could go into one batch! THREE FAMILY SIZED BLOCKS!) They're a hit with the family and of course I can take them to school to make my friend jealous.
8. Write a letter.
I love receiving hand written mail. It just makes me feel loved and special. So why not send some yourself? It might be slower but it's got ten times more heart than email.
I know that eight is a strange number to stop at, but that's really all I do to relax. I hope that you can put some of these into practise for yourself when you next need to recharge your own figurative batteries. xx
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