relax, don’t do it

Is it because I’m a tad bit sad the boost your positivity challenge has come to an end or is it because I was busy watching cycling during the opening weekend in Belgium or perhaps.. was it the fact that I really wanted to try my new Creative Intuos Pen & Touch for the image of today’s post?
I think it was the combination of all of the above including the fact that life has been a bit busy lately. Anyway, I made the finish line just in time, so sit back, relax and read along.

I hinted at it in my previous sentence, this post is all about destress, or as Oontje put it: save the best for last.
I’m not quite sure if I can agree on that, because to me relaxing is a true form of art. I’m not good at it, I’ll give you that. I’ve tried tons of things so far and only last year I discovered the one thing that put my mind to rest: a rollercoaster ride. Doesn’t that sound pathetic?
I can easily stress about the simple things in life as well, although organising my life has helped a lot here. But there’s still all the other stuff… Anwyay, I’m here to boost your positivity, not to take it away, am I?

So, what do I do when I want to relax (I’m sure these things will help about 80% of you):

• taking a nice, long bath
  I’ve only taken this one up very recently. I pour myself a glass of wine, put candles in the bathroom, put on Spotify and make sure there’s Foam (with capital F, y’all).
• being inspired
  This is a tough one, because inspiration can take on many forms. But boy.. I can get inspired just by sipping a coffee and do the people-watching thing in London, for example. Or browsing beautiful boutiques. Even better so: visiting an exhibition features as a trigger to my inspiration. We visited the Frank Gehry and Jeff Koons ones in Paris last year and before I head out, I had to buy a sketch pad. Haven’t touched it yet, but I’m getting there.
• long walks in the forest
  I truly enjoy a good walk in the forest, it really helps clear my head. I usually do this in company of my husband and we could go on for a while, just being silent. I love those moments.
• netflix
  We’ve had Netflix for the past couple of months and there’s an abundance of shows to watch. It’s perfect to get my mind off things as I totally get into the story. Note to self: don’t watch creepy shows when you’re home alone.
• photography
  When I’m busy shooting an engagement shoot or something similar, that’s all I think about. I admit, I always have a bit of stress before I head out the door, but once I’m busy shooting, my mind is clear and focused and all I can think about are the photos that will be on my memory card. I know this might not sound as a form of relaxing to you, but it is for me.

Does relaxing come easy on you or are you having troubles even pronouncing the word relax? Don’t hesitate to leave your tips for a relaxed self in the comments below. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this one.

This post is part of the #boostyourpositivity project by Activia. I chose to participate in this project myself. Of course all opinions are my own.