“You cannot bury the truth in a tomb: this is the meaning of Easter”. The phrase of the American writer Clarence W. Hall contains in a nutshell the disruptive force of this party, which goes beyond the colored eggs, the tables set and picnics in the open air.
The resurrection is the fulcrum of the Christian belief, the proof that the truth – that of Christ, bright, saving and incorruptible – cannot be hidden, nor repressed, because it will find a way of Riemerge, always.
And perhaps it is precisely from here that we should start again, even in our way of living the Easter holidays, given that during the year between work, commitments, deadlines and frenzy, we end up burying many personal “truths”. The truth is that we need rest but we persist in taking care, we are fragile and we strive to always be performing, we want slowness by chasing efficiency.
Here then that Easter becomes the opportunity to perform some reflection and re -emerge from what oppresses us. Those who feel crushed by the routine can find new energy in the silence of a walk in nature, listen to their needs and find the beauty of simple things in a family table, or perhaps on a quiet afternoon spent reading.
But how is it possible to really relax when the head is still there, crowded with thoughts and to-do list? Don’t worry: anti-stress remedies exist, and Easter can become your small regenerating oasis.
Forget the perfection
First rule: just chase the idea of the perfect holiday, therefore, no impeccable tables, nor tight itineraries. Relaxing starts right from here: expectations resize. A walk in the sun, a simple lunch but made with love, a sincere chat can have more regenerating power than a weekend in an extra -luxury resort (and certainly less logistical stress).
Fill in nature
Spring is an invitation to go out. The flowers bloom, the air becomes warm, the light changes color, so if you can, removed even for a few hours from the city, and try to walk in a forest, to stop on a bench, to look at the sky.
Contact with nature returns to us a idyllic image, almost ideal, poetic, when in reality it has much more concrete implications: to stay in the midst of nature lowers the levels of cortisol, regulates pressure and improves mood. Like a sort of reset that anyone – certainly not needed expert hikers – can make, even with a simple walk through the trees, or with a visit to a public park.
Turn off the phone. Or at least silence it
We all know how difficult it is, but try to think about it: each notification is a small shock, a dense to the brain. Instead of relaxing, you end up responding to a message from the family group, check the posts of those who are in the Maldives, read the colleague’s email that “just a moment” wanted to clarify a point.
Enough. Try to say stop: put the phone in plane mode for a couple of hours, leave it in another room, in short, make sure you forget it. The world will continue to travel, promised. Meanwhile, you take breath.
Pamper the senses
Relaxing also means turning on the senses: perfumes, sounds, flavors. Let yourself be guided by what makes you feel good. A hot herbal tea sipped with slowness, a playlist that accompanies you without invading, an essential lavender oil to be spread at home, or, for the most delicious, a nice square of dark chocolate left to melt slowly on the palate.
They are almost insignificant details, but Messi together create a good atmosphere.
Move the body (gently)
Sport, you know, is a natural anti-stress. Don’t worry, we are not talking about challenges to the last series of squat: the body needs to move, yes, but also of listening and kindness.
Try with a stretching session in the morning, a walk with a slow pace, a regenerating yoga lesson: the movement stimulates endorphins, allies muscle tensions and promotes sleep. And if you really don’t want to “do physical activity”, you could compensate with the dance: place your favorite song and let the feet decide.
Cut spaces just for you
During the holidays they are often surrounded by many people: relatives, friends, children, in -laws … all adorable figures, but also energetic. So you cut out a space, one hour all to you. Read a book, write a few thoughts on a notebook, take a hot bath, maybe sneer for a while in silence. You don’t have to justify yourself, because you have the sacrosanct right to find yourself, even between an appetizer and a dessert.
Sleep. And if you can, sleep again
Sleeping well is the anti-stress remedy par excellence. During the night, the brain reordered, the body regenerates and the mood is rebalanced.
Holidays are the perfect opportunity to recover the hours of sleep sacrificed in the previous months: if possible, stop pointing the alarm clock, support your rhythms, and if a nap should run away after lunch, let it arrive. It is not laziness, but care of yourself.
Laugh. Seriously
Do you know that feeling after a sincere laugh? That lightness? Well: it is scientifically shown that laughing reduces stress, stimulates the immune system and improves the quality of life.
Watch a comic movie, read something that makes you smile, you are with those who know how to find the funny side of things, and above all treat yourself to the luxury of not taking everything seriously. Even the holidays, also yourself.
Do not do anything (and do it well)
In a world that always asks us to do, “not doing” becomes revolutionary.
Take us to stand still, really, to contemplate, not to produce, not to optimize time. Sitting on a balcony, listening to the noise of the wind, looking at people pass: it is an exercise of freedom, an act of presence. Less productive, more human.
