Day #98 in A Year of Positivity

“Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax.” – Mark Black

Greetings, everyone, and welcome to Day #98 in A Year of Positivity! I hope this message finds you well and in good health. The quote I have for you today is brought to you by Mark Black, “Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax.”

Relaxation. I love that word and it’s one of my favorite things to do. However, there is definitely some truth behind today’s quote. I know we can all get wrapped up in our own lives, and that we occasionally may get overwhelmed with a multitude of things such as our jobs, family lives, our personal and financial goals, etc. It’s quite easy to fall under a crazy amount of stress in today’s world of “busyness.” It’s important to make sure there’s some relaxation thrown in there every once in a while too. According to Accent Health, there are 10 pretty cool benefits that come with relaxation.

Stress can become so overwhelming that we can’t concentrate or focus on simple tasks. However, relaxation is well-known for improving concentration.
People with gastrointestinal disorders can find their pain being lessened, and their irritability being managed more easy, as relaxation improves digestion.
Relaxation increases blood flow by helping the arteries to widen up a little, which helps the muscles get the oxygen they need while making us calmer at the same time.
Relaxation reduces anger and frustration.
Relaxation reduces blood pressure.
Relaxation lowers the risk of strokes by 24% in people who coped best with stress.
When the stress hormone – known as cortisol – is elevated in our bodies, serotonin and dopamine (the “happy” hormones) are reduced, so cortisol can cause depression; therefore, relaxation is a key player in promoting emotional well-being.
Relaxation reduces fatigue.
Stress can impair the body’s function to fight off common illnesses. As a result, inflammation can build up in the body, and this messes with the immune system’s flow of this. Relaxation is an awesome remedy here, as it has the ability to reduce that inflammation.
Relaxation also slows down the heart rate, which means protecting our heart and decreasing our risk of health issues such as high blood pressure, heart attacks, and a multitude of other heart issues.

You know, I’ve always believed stress to be a major silent killer behind a lot of diseases, and to a degree it kind of makes sense. I know when I’m under an incredible amount of stress that I end up getting sick left and right, and then my health doesn’t seem to improve unless I’ve reduced some of the stress in my life by relaxing a little (usually when I’ve been so sick for so long, I end up not giving a crap about anything, and then that’s when I kick back and relax).

I learned a few new benefits of relaxation today, and relaxation is definitely something I have to incorporate more often in my life. How about you? Could you benefit from a little more relaxation too? 😉