Me Time

After rushing back and forth to Jacksonville because my sister has been ill and trying to finish out my last semester of serious classes, I am tired. And after sleeping through my class on Tuesday and getting through the week in a semi-lethargic state, I realize that not only do I need rest, but I need to relax.

Relaxing is good for your health. "Chronic stress is like having your engine in overdrive all the time," says stress expert Elissa Epel, PhD, an associate professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of California at San Francisco in an Oprah.com article. Epel said in the article, that relaxation is absolutely necessary for overall good health and longevity.

So, what's the best way to relax? Some choose meditation or a bubble bath, but normally my choice is a book - a good novel that I can close myself up in my room and get lost in a world other my own. It's time for my engine to cool off.

According to the article, three creative ways to relax are to indulge your interests by doing something you fully enjoy, step into a different world by going to one of the monasteries across the country or to retrain your brain using neurofeedback (Clearly, the only one of those I can afford is to indulge my interests, so I guess my book wins).

Women's Health Magazine suggests drinking green tea and avoiding caffeine, getting an aromatherapy massage, meditation and creating a relaxation room at home. Since, I'm just a stressed college student spending most of my meager budget on caffeine to keep me awake everyday, I guess my book wins again.

How do you relax?