How Do You Remain Relaxed? I'd Love To Know!

Do you ever wish you had a magical wand? I do, all the time! I wish I could say 'abracadabra' and everything would be done, sorted and no longer need worrying about. But life just doesn't work like that.

Christmas brings everything to the fore because at a time where we should be happy we are fraught with the ever-growing christmas shopping list and no time or money left to get everything. Last weekend I battled my way amongst the crowds of people on the streets of Birmingham and was constantly stuck behind the person who walks too slow. I was getting the shopping rage.

I left Birmingham having only bought one Christmas gift off my big list. Not a satisfying result, I must say. I was tense, stressed and fed up. Then as I returned home to relax on the sofa with a hot cuppa I am quickly reminded how there is only 15 shopping days left. Aagh!

Most of my friends have already completed their Christmas shopping and some of them are boasting how they have everything wrapped up! I wish I was as organised but for the past month or so I was preoccupied in organising a surprise birthday party for my husband as he reached a certain milestone (I won't mention how old he is, he's still a little sensitive about the whole thing) plus I was contending with feeling rather poorly.

Anyway, I am probably letting off some steam here today but I really cannot understand how everyone does it. Copes with everything that is. I simply become so overwhelmed and want to hide in a dark room and never come out again.

On Friday I was very lucky to have attended a relaxing day out at a spa with my good friend Jacqui. We arrived at 9am and it took a total of three hours of treatments, therapies and tranquility before I finally de-stressed. My shoulders dropped back down, my breathing was calm and I looked at ease. I didn't realise how stressed out I had become. I honestly thought when I sat down in an evening with some chocolate or biscuits, a hot drink and something to read I was relaxed. But after the three hours it took me to relax on Friday I realised I never had been chilling out in the evening. I was simply indulging.

I certainly had a bit of a wake-up call and I started wondering how long it had been since I felt at ease. As we left the spa later on I wanted to saviour this feeling forever.  My mind was clear, my body felt very comfortable and all of my worries had disappeared. It was heaven. Why on earth could I not feel like this all the time?

When did I stop enjoying my family life and everything which I have around me? It seems tragic that so many of us become so bogged down with everyday life that we forget what is really important. But unfortunately we are not perfect, we do have emotions and we are only human, after all.

I don't believe the most relaxed and calmest person in the whole wide world would not react or have a slight rise in their blood pressure if they had to deal with the incessant moaning of a child, the car breaking down, dinner getting burnt in the oven, stubbing your toe on the door frame, spilling a coffee all over the carpet, an email inbox too large to sift through, a demanding letter from the Inland Revenue for a few more thousand pounds and then don't forget you will be interrupted during this chaos to answer the phone and it is one of those irritating missold PPI automated calls, again! All of which happens in the space of a few hours and you still haven't had the chance to sit down yet since you walked in from work.

It would be a perfect life if a relaxing spa day break was a compulsory task for us to undertake every week. Sadly it isn't, however I am going to make it my mission that I attend a spa as often as I possibly can. I don't drink or smoke so surely this can be my vice, right?

Teresa x