The Art Of Restoring And Relaxing Your Health

By: Todd Durkin

This article is all about YOU. In a world that is often over-stressed and over-run by “things to do”, I invite you to take control of your life and make a difference NOW. If you are working a ton, facing adversity, feeling over-whelmed or feeling out of balance, the purpose of this article is to provide suggestions that you can make to help improve the harmony of your life. Remember, only YOU can make the decisions on how you spend your time and the choices you make. Regardless of age or occupation, here are some suggestions that might help you achieve the peace, health, and harmony that we all desire:

• Read…read…read. Whether it be a great book, a magazine you enjoy, or a trade publication, read material that you find relaxing, yet stimulating. Some of my favorite books the last few months include Harmonic Wealth by James Arthur Ray, The Power of Intention by Wayne Dyer, and Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy. One book per week is ideal but one a month minimum is recommended. Find something you enjoy and that will help with your “personal development.”

• Schedule a vacation in your calendar. We all have great intentions. The bottom line is that if it doesn’t go into your calendar and day planner, it is not happening. Plan your vacation 3-6 months out as it gives you something to look forward to.

• Play hooky. Take a day or off and go to the beach or mountains. Realize that sometimes even a long weekend is wonderful for re-charging your batteries. Driving to a new area, going to dinner with the family, spouse, or friends, in a new area is sometimes a fun way to break the monotony of the normal routine and adds some excitement to your life.

• Come home “early” a couple nights per week to maximize family time. For many working professionals and entrepreneurs that are working 12+ hour days, that may mean getting home in time to have dinner with the family a few nights a week. Interpret it however you wish but make the effort to come home earlier than normal a couple nights per week and it will make a difference in your energy levels during the week.

• Focus on your physical conditioning. The days are longer, the weather is beautiful, and the activity choices are plentiful. Exercise 4 days per week but mix it up a bit. How about “playing” outside, going for a hike or mountain bike ride, taking a yoga class on the beach, or going for a swim in the ocean, pool, or lakes. The bottom line is that you need to get your workouts in and sometimes it’s nice to get outside and be more active.

• Eat better. Summertime is a great time to focus on eating more fruit (blueberries, strawberries, bananas, melons, cantaloupes are all excellent right now), drinking more water (1/2 your bodyweight in ounces of water), and having some great barbeque food. Continue taking your supplements to fortify your energy and you will be flying high. As famous fitness pioneer Jack LaLanne says, “Exercise is king; Nutrition is queen”. Let’s start honouring the king and queen.

• Take a nap on weekends. Stop feeling guilty about it. Take a nap on the weekends and enjoy it—you deserve it!

• Be more active with the family. How about taking the kids to a museum, a theme park, or a water park. Pack up a picnic and head to the beaches, mountains, lake, or local park for some quality family time. Bring a few balls and Frisbees, enjoy the company, and just play and relax.

These simple tips are not always easy to implement. There is no need to feel guilt for taking time for YOU—it is absolutely essential to take care of yourself first. While these tips are somewhat basic, that is the purpose of the article. Simplify, get back to the important things in life, and take time for YOU. Yes, time! It’s the most precious commodity we have and we need to maximize it. While we want to live our life in balance throughout the year, I highly encourage you to take this month to focus on spending “more” time on getting rest and recovery than “normal”. The funny thing is that “more” time off is probably the amount of time we “should” take off all the time but we get caught up with everything else. So enjoy this time and maximize your time spent with family, kids, and friends. It’s time to rejuvenate, replenish, restore, and recharge the batteries. Relax and enjoy!

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Todd Durkin, MA, CSCS, is a personal trainer & massage therapist who motivates, educates, and inspires people world-wide. He is the owner of Fitness Quest 10 in San Diego, CA, where his wonderful team focuses on personal training, massage therapy, Pilates, yoga, and nutrition to help transform people’s bodies, minds, and spirits. Todd trains dozens of NFL & MLB baseball athletes and provides motivational talks and programs to companies and conferences world-wide. Additionally, Todd is the Head of the Under Armour Performance Training Council. He has appeared in 60 Minutes and been featured in Sports Illustrated, Business Week, Prevention, ESPN the Magazine, Self, Shape, and the NY Times and Washington Post. You can sign up for his FREE award-winning Ezine newsletter, the “TD TIMES”, at www.FitnessQuest10.com or www.ToddDurkin.com.