So, if we’ve been working on ourselves and questioning how we feel, I’m sure anger has reared its head. Letting ourselves feel the pain sucks, but we have to do it to get through to the other side (where we feel good.)  Just like exercise DVDs, after the hard stuff, comes the cool-down time.

I did this aerobic exercise DVD the other day. The instructor, Gilad, used to have a show on TV years ago set in Hawaii, where he taught classes on the beach or some other idyllic locale. The aerobic exercises get your heart pumping. When I heard him say the cool-down was coming up, I felt relief. After, I had a sense of accomplishment because I used my time doing something good for me. That was an accomplishment in itself.

As we age and time passes, we accumulate things and memories. Whatever we have, we have to tend to it. Whether it’s a relationship or a job, we allocate our time to take care of both. We choose what matters to us. We show up for our family to show they matter, and we show up at our job to earn a living. If our house is full of stuff, we are bound to take care of it, or it can cause stress and anxiety.

With hectic lives, we are going going going all the time for this or that, so when is our cool down time? Many of us turn on the TV and veg out and may consider that our “cool down” time, but I think that’s more of an easy distraction. I remember hearing from a self-help guru (I can’t remember which one) something like watching TV is living someone else’s reality, not our own. I get what they meant: when we mindlessly watch the box we are not “living” our life. But we can learn from TV too, like from a show on the History Channel, so that to me is not wasting time. I enjoy watching television that shows things that enrich my mind, like house design shows, history stuff (what was Stonehenge really for?), the National Geographic Channel, and the like.

Sure, TV can let us have cool down time, but it can also rile us up with violent shows or scary stuff. We have to make the right choice that feels good for us, no matter what that is.

To truly “cool down,” we need space. That’s space away from drama, stress, and all the things that cause us to feel overwhelmed or anxious. A genuine cool-down time lets us feel relaxed and centered.

I’ve tried meditating and haven’t gotten the hang of it yet, but my daughter bought me a meditation cushion for my birthday this year, so I need to figure it out. I’ve been to meditation classes and did it. I closed my eyes and allowed my thoughts to calm down and just be. But when I try to do it in my house, I find myself so distracted and can’t focus on being calm. That’s my issue of not feeling settled yet in my life. I know, what am I waiting for, right? It’s been a process.

We don’t need to medicate to cool down. There are many other ways to feel that cool-down time.

Here are some suggestions I use that help me have a cool down time:

• Spend time with people you like to be with and find ways to laugh. The hearty belly laugh is the best!
• When you’re driving along, take in the beauty of this earth. Look at the flowers, the colors, and Mother Nature’s magic.
• Listen to music.
• Take a walk and breathe in the fresh air.
• Do a hobby that makes you forget about everyday life.
• Read if you like to do that.
• Give yourself some free time to do whatever brings you joy.

There are seven simple ways to have that cool-down time to regain balance back into your life.

Thank you for reading this, and I’d love to know what you do to get that cool-down time in your life.

To cool down time,

Francesca