Yes! There actually is a National Day for Relaxation!
 
Take a day off from your daily routine, put your feet up and relax because it’s Relaxation Day!
 
The origins of this holiday are unknown, though it is thought that the holiday began as National Slacker Day in Britain.
 
In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, most people often forget to slow down and take some time for themselves. Not taking time to relax can create stress and other stress-related health issues like high blood pressure and heart problems.

Relaxation Day is a reminder that sometimes it’s okay to take a deep breath, slow down and take it easy. Not only does relaxing make you feel better about yourself, it can have long-term health benefits too!
So on this day, do things that help you relax and de-stress. Kick back, enjoy a cold beverage in your backyard, read a book while curled up with a hot cup of tea, sleep most of the day, or take a warm bath and spend the day in your pajamas watching TV.

Knowing how to relax is vital for ensuring your health and well-being, as well as restoring the passion and joy in your life. Allowing stress to affect you can lead to depression, illness, weight gain and a general sense of malcontent.
 
Recognize stress. Obviously, some stress is good for us — it adds interest, excitement and motivation to life, in the right balance.[1] It is when the level of stress in your life causes you to put up with things that are harmful or distress you constantly, that you risk your well- being.
 
Set aside time to relax. Once you have accepted that there are negative stressors impacting your life, it's important to make room for rest and relaxation amid those busy things you're doing. 

There are lots of ways to relax. Some will relax your mind and others will relax your body. Since the mind and body are connected, many relaxation methods work on both the mind and the body.
 

• To relax means to calm the mind, the body, or both.
• Relaxing can quiet your mind and make you feel peaceful and calm. Your body also reacts when you relax. For example, your muscles will be less tense and more flexible.
• There are different ways to relax. You may want to try one or more of the following relaxation tips to see what works best for you.

Practice breathing techniques. 
 
When you’re stressed or feeling anxious, your breathing speeds up, and becomes shallow, reducing how much oxygen reaches your organs. Learning breathing techniques will help to prevent symptoms of anxiety.
 
Slow down your breathing and actively concentrating on your breath is a good way to calm yourself.
 
Breathing exercises are one way to relax, which can help ease stress, anxiety and sleep problems.

• Take a deep breath through your nose, hold for a moment, then exhale through your mouth. Do this about five times. Feel more relaxed?

• Do belly breathing: Place your hands on your stomach and inhale, try to push your hands away; then exhale making your hands go towards your spine. Repeat this until you feel calmer.

• Inhale deeply, count to five, holding your breath for five seconds, exhale slowly, counting to five. Do this ten times to relax your muscles and nerves. As you breathe out, visualize the stress and tension leaving your body through your breath.

​Other Ideas

•  Soak in a warm bath. Putting Epsom salts in your bath helps to relax and ease tight   muscles. 
• Listen to soothing music. This will reduce your heart rate.
• Read a good book. Let the author ‘take you away’.
• Practice mindful meditation. The goal of mindful meditation is to focus your attention on things that are happening in the present moment. For example, be aware of your body. Are you breathing fast, slow, deep, or shallow? Do you hear noises, such as traffic, or are you in silence? The idea is just to note what is happening without trying to judge it or change it.  
• Write. Some people feel more relaxed after they write about their feelings. One way is to keep a journal.  
• Use guided imagery. With guided imagery, you imagine yourself in a certain setting that helps you feel calm and relaxed. You can use audiotapes, scripts, or a teacher to guide you through the process.  
• Smile and Laugh. Laughter is the best medicine. Rent, buy or go to a funny movie. This is guaranteed to help. Smiling and laughing releases endorphins, which reduces stress, helps you to relax and reminds you that life is more than just work. Even if it feels strange at first, make it a point to smile more often.
• Make healthy dietary choices. Eating well can help your body feel balanced and healthy, making you less susceptible to spikes in blood sugar and feelings of anxiety.

Relaxation is very important for your mental health and wellbeing. Everyone needs time in their everyday lives to just chill out and enjoy themselves. Making an effort to actually chill out when you need to, can be a great coping strategy to help you reduce stress. People who are able to relax, tend to be happier, have better physical health and are less likely to develop serious health problems.
 
It is important to recognize that relaxation is a choice that you make, and a skill that you develop. You choose to chill out, and then you work at it. It’s just like building muscles.
 
National Relaxation Day is an excuse for you to relax. It could be the beginning of a commitment to yourself as a way to reduce the stress in your life.
 
 And, ‘just do it’, Every Day!
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​A major part of my practice has been utilizing the Neuro-Emotional Technique (NET) which I have found to be very successful in clearing emotions connected to many physical problems.
 
Since the development of NET, Dr. Scott Walker and a team of doctors headed by Dr. Daniel Monti, have been conducting studies to prove that clearing emotions would result in a stronger immune system. This, in turn, would assist those with serious illnesses. We have been waiting for these studies to be published and I am pleased to show you the findings.
 
The studies were started with cancer patient and the following are the results of those studies. 
 
The published study is titled "Neuro Emotional Technique effects on brain physiology in cancer patients with traumatic stress symptoms". Read the abstract at PubMed.Gov (from the US National Library of Medicine / National Institutes of Health).

Below is one of the quotes from a press release by Thomas Jefferson University:  

​“The truth is that stress doesn’t come from your boss, your kids, your spouse, traffic jams, health challenges. Or other circumstances. It comes from your thoughts about these circumstances.”
--Andrew Bernstein, author of “The Myth of Stress”

​Stress is personal! There is not one thing that causes stress. It is different for everyone and not everyone is affected by the same stress. Therefore, it is our personal reaction to the, situation, thought, word, action, feeling that causes a reaction within us. This reaction is what causes the stress. And how long we choose to hold on to it, determines how it affects the physical body.
 
There is only one person who can alleviate the stress causing you physical, mental, emotional and spiritual PROBLEMS. YOU!
 
If you are holding on to the past, to yesterday, last month, last year, or many years ago ... you will become ill. You will have emotional pain and unhappiness.

“If you are depressed, you are living in the past.
If you are anxious, you are living in the future.
If you are at peace, you are living in the present.”
​--Lao Tzo

In a recent article, the Wall Street Journal, stated “the number of Americans expected to have at least one anxiety disorder (stress) in the course of their lives is staggering: one in three…according to researchers at Harvard Medical School”.
 
“A certain amount of anxiety is a good thing, motivating us to study for tests, prepare for presentations, save for retirement. Too much anxiety, however, can be incapacitating.”
 
Taking a drug or medication only masks the symptoms of stress. It does not get rid of it.
Even being treated by holistic techniques may alleviate the symptoms, but until you address the issues causing the stress, it will return.
 
The Wall Street Journal also stated: “There is mounting evidence that mindfulness techniques, like meditation and yoga, are effective at easing anxiety symptoms.”
 
The longer you hold on to the past - emotional trauma, pain, grief, anger, regret, guilt, hatred, shame, fear, the worse your health and your life will become. 

We are taught to ‘cope’. Coping is not healing!

a) Drugs and alcohol can numb the pain you feel. But, they keep personal issues trapped inside your body, destroying your cells and your health.  

b) The part of your body that is sick, directly relates to the mental-emotional issues that you hold onto. i.e. Breaking a leg may mean slow down, or stop and reflect. Cancer could indicate problems with - or the death of - a spouse, child, or parent. Asthma may mean you feel trapped, or stifled, that you need to escape a situation. Loss of hearing or ear pain may indicate there is something you don't want to deal with!

​Each one of us is capable of creating beautiful dreams or horrible nightmares. Take responsibility for all the choices you have ever made, or will ever make, because the consequences you perceive today are a direct result of the choices you made yesterday.
 
Your immune cells react to your thoughts. Negative thoughts compromise your immune system.
 
We all want love, health, peace, and prosperity!