2019-08-01_Mindful

6% 39% 55%

How We Chill Out

Taking some time to rest and release tension

isn’t lazy: It’s an act of self-compassion and

wisdom that makes for a well-balanced life.

Here’s what Mindful readers had to say about

the role of relaxation in their days.

GET COMFY

WITH YOUR

MIND. A sense

of relaxation can

be a nice side

effect of meditat-

ing, but it’s not a

requirement. 55%

say they usually

feel “chill” when

they meditate. For

39% meditation

can be relaxing

sometimes. 6%

say meditation

just isn’t a relaxing

activity.

Nearly all respon-

dents say

TAKING TIME

DAILY FOR

MINDFULNESS

and EXERCISE,

STRETCHING,

AND BREATH-

ING PRACTICES

would be indis-

pensable. Other

possibilities:

listening to music,

turning off your

phone, getting

a massage,

loving-kindness

meditation, walk-

ing on the beach,

and reading a

book. Slightly

less common

ideas? Horseback

riding and playing

backgammon.

YOU’RE NOT

ALONE if you

go through most

days feeling a little

on edge: 58% of

respondents do,

too. A mere 1% are

totally chill more

often than not.

28% say they’re

pretty laid-back,

and the rest (13%)

report feeling like a

bundle of nerves.

ORGANIZING
MY HOME and
purging items I
don’t need helps
me when things
feel chaotic. Also,
sometimes just
getting on the
floor and letting
my dogs shower
me with attention
is amazing!

I GET UP
BEFORE 6AM,
light a candle, read
the newspaper
online, and have
coffee: a peaceful
hour to myself.
Then I walk or work
out or do yoga.

CATCHING
CRABS WITH MY
NEPHEW. I watch
him mindfully as
he explores, and
his innocent curi-
osity brings me
quiet joy.

FACEBOOK

HELPS ME

RELAX. I’ve real-

ized it’s because I

have few “friends”

there—the ones I

have are people

who mean some-

thing special to me.

MY LUNCHTIME

WALKS. I take the

same route each

day, headphones

in, walking to

the beat of my

carefully selected

soundtrack.

I SORT RANDOM

THINGS into

categories that

have no real pur-

pose, other than

aesthetics—things

like state quarters;

books I haven’t

read yet; items

picked up while

traveling; pictures,

downloads, and

screenshots on my

phone.

DANCING. It’s

something I wasn’t

allowed to do when

I was growing up,

and now I find that I

enjoy it very much!

How relaxed

are you most

of the time?

What unusual things do you do to relax?

Do you feel

relaxed when

meditating?

What does

your ideal self-

care practice

look like?

“Single-tasking and

immersing myself

in my immediate

experience. I’ve

found this more

calming than infrared

saunas or sensory

deprivation tanks.”

—a Mindful reader

the mindful survey