Relax: Take a Quick, Relaxing Trip to a Tropical Isle

I was lolling in a pool on a tropical island this morning, listening to the soothing sounds of birdsong and soft music.

I was so relaxed that I, who take tonic water every night for restless leg syndrome, didn’t move an inch for almost an hour.

Even when a spot just below my shoulder blade on the left side started itching I couldn’t get motivated enough to scratch it. Finally the itch gave up and went away.

Now, before you scoff and say, “Well, that’s easy for you to say, living in the lap of luxury, but I’ve got bills to pay, stress up the whazoo, and no relief in sight,” let me assure you that I don’t live in the lap of luxury.

I live in a thirty-year old mobile home with two cats and an adult son. I am unemployed (and not receiving unemployment benefits) and trying to start my own business.

I’ve got bills and stress up the whazoo. But I’m slowly crawling and clawing my way on top of the situation and so can you.

One of the first things you have to do is to reduce your response to stress. Notice that I didn’t say reduce your stress. All of us would do that if we could but the admonition to reduce your stress level often only adds another stress.

Have you ever had the experience of lying in bed wanting to sleep, needing to sleep, but worrying about everything under the sun? You don’t need another worry. You don’t need to beat yourself up for not relaxing:

“The doctor said to reduce my stress. I need to relax. Omigod, how am I going to pay the doctor bills? No, can’t think about that. That’s not relaxing. Got to reduce my stress level. Relax. You’re not relaxing. You’re lying here stiff as a board. Relax, I said, dammit..!”

You get the idea.

What you may need to do is an end-run around your subconscious, that invaluable part of you that keeps your heart beating and your lungs breathing but which also can be a real nag, keeping you worrying when you would much rather not.

What you have to do is trick your subconscious into believing that you don’t have a care in the world. It’s not too difficult. The subconscious is conscientious but not too bright.

If you tell it that you’re lolling in a pool on a tropical island and if you feel the sensations of floating on the water and hear the sounds of birdsong and soft music, your subconscious will say to itself, “Oh! Well, I don’t know how we got here, but it is awfully nice. Okay! I’m going to enjoy this.”

And your subconscious will join you floating in that pool on that tropical island.

Now, some of us lack the imagination or the ability to visualize well enough to convince ourselves that we are on a tropical island. That’s where http://www.mindswithoutlimits.com comes in.

If you go to that site and sign up (it’s free!), you can download an mp3 file entitled “Tropical Island Escape” to your computer or mp3 player.

Then, when you feel the need to relax and reduce your stress, just listen to the mp3 and enjoy a trip to paradise.

In the interest of full disclosure, I can tell you that, because the file is f*r*e*e, I receive no kick-back from sharing this URL with you – unless it is the opportunity to kick back and relax.

Enjoy.