📘 Part 3: Relaxing

This episode's vocabulary

To tend (verb) - to be likely to behave in a particular way or have a particular characteristic.

Life admin (noun) - personal day-to-day chores that are of an administrative nature, this includes tasks such as personal banking, making appointments, paying your bills, responding to personal emails.

Remotely (adverb) - work mainly from home.

Decompression (noun) - the process of relaxing.

To vary (verb) - to change in some way, or to cause similar things to differ.

Patio (noun) - an area outside a house with a solid floor but no roof, used in good weather for relaxing.

Connectedness (noun) - the state of being connected and having a close relationship with other things or people.

Well-to-do (adj.) - rich.

To trigger (verb) - to cause a strong emotional reaction of fear, shock, anger, or worry in someone.

Peacefulness (noun) - a state of being quiet and calm.

To fit the bill (idiom) - to be suitable.

To take someone's mind off something (idiom) - to stop you from worrying or thinking about a problem or pain.

To build (someone/something) up (ph. verb) - to increase or become larger or stronger, or to cause someone or something to do this.

Excessive (adj.) - too much or too many.

Mindfulness (noun) - the practice of being aware of your body, mind, and feelings in the present moment, thought to create a feeling of calm.

Well-being (noun) - the state of feeling healthy and happy.

Circumstance (noun) - a fact or event that makes a situation the way it is.

Sedentary (adj.) - involving little exercise or physical activity.

Priority (noun) - something that is very important and must be dealt with before other things.

Let your hair down (idiom) - to allow yourself to behave much more freely than usual and enjoy yourself.

To recharge your batteries - to rest so that you can get your energy back.

Burnout (noun) - the state of having no energy or enthusiasm because of working too hard, or someone who shows the effects of this state.

Exhaustion (noun) - the state of being extremely tired.

Deleterious (adj.) - harmful.

Bound (adj.) - certain or extremely likely to happen.

To wear someone out (ph. verb) - to make someone extremely tired.

Till/until the cows come home (idiom) - for a very long time.

Underlying (adj.) - real but not immediately obvious.

Fast-paced (adj.) - happening very quickly.

Interconnected (adj.) - with different parts or things connected or related to each other.

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Questions and Answers

M: Where do people spend most of their time in their home?

R: I suppose, traditionally, people have tended to spend most of their time in the living room, bedroom or kitchen areas of their home. Since, they spend about a third of their day asleep and then, well, another third at work and a further third at home doing life admin. It just seems to make sense that those would be the top three places. Probably even more so now that people are working remotely.

M: Where are good places for relaxation?

R: Well, good places for decompression certainly vary from person to person, but some common options might be bedrooms. We already talked about sleeping, which is usually quite relaxing. But they could also include outdoor spaces. Such as gardens or patios for that nature connectedness. Or if you're very well-to-do, quiet reading or meditation rooms.

M: Why do some people prefer to relax in public places like parks or cafes?

R: Well, we already mentioned nature connectedness, which is a response that spending time in and around nature can trigger. It's connected to the enjoyment, natural beauty and peacefulness of outdoor environment or the social aspect of being around others can bring. So parks and cafes would definitely fit the bill.

M: And do you think there should be classes for training young people and children how to relax?

R: Oh, absolutely. It can be a valuable life skill that can benefit them throughout their lives. People need to learn to take their mind off things that seem stressful for their overall mental and physical health as well as that of those around them. Otherwise, it could build up and be released in less productive ways, like excessive drinking.

M: Some people feel that keeping calm and staying relaxed is a skill that can be learned or improved. Would you agree with this?

R: Definitely. Techniques such as meditation, deep breathing and mindfulness can help a lot with that. We live in a world with a lot of potential for stress and once people realise they can exercise some control over their reactions, well that could be beneficial on several levels.

M: And which is more important? Mental relaxation or physical relaxation?

R: Both are important and can have positive effects on overall well-being. But I suppose their importance might vary depending on the individual's needs and circumstances. I mean, let's say that you work in a sedentary profession, but you have a lot of mental heavy lifting to do. Like being an accountant. Then clearly mental relaxation would take priority.

M: What are some ways that busy people can relax?

R: Well, they could probably let their hair down by taking short breaks throughout the day, doing exercise, spending time in nature, like we said, and engaging in hobbies and other creative activities. I mean, all of this we already talked about.

M: And what can happen if people don't find time to relax?

R: I suppose if people don't recharge their batteries, they might experience burnout, anxiety, depression and, well, physical exhaustion. And that could be really deleterious to their health and that of their families, in the long run. Your body's like a machine. If you don't do any maintenance, then it's bound to wear out.

M: Why is it difficult for some people to relax?

R: Well, we could sit here all day and list the factors until the cows come home. But I suppose, the most common are probably high stress levels, high anxiety and the pressure to perform. As well as underlying mental health conditions. Like bipolar disorder or ADHD, where periods of frenetic activity are almost compulsive or they seem that way. It's not all bad, though. They might be in a flow state and unable to relax until they've done what they need to do in the state of flow.

M: Do you think that relaxing is easier now than it was in the past?

R: Well, technology and cultural attitudes towards relaxation have certainly changed over time. So drawing comparisons is pretty hard. Overall, though, modern societies, fast-paced and interconnected nature may make it more challenging for some people to find time to relax and disconnect from work and daily responsibilities. To do other things like hang out with friends or things that are connected to that that might help.

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