Don’t Just Relax, Rejuvenate

Ben Meta Penhas, PsyD

It is a wonderful thing that mental health, mindfulness, and relaxation are at the forefront of almost every topic in society. It is an excellent change from generations past. However, a common conversation that I find myself having with my clients is reminding them about the difference between relaxation and rejuvenation.

While relaxation is necessary in our everyday lives, it might not give you the mental health benefits that you need, especially in times of high stress. I know we have all experienced that very difficult day at work or school, and when we get home, we want nothing but to stay on the couch and watch TV. It is healthy to give in to our urges to do so once in a while. However, you will often realize that even after five episodes of your favorite TV show, you probably won’t get a surge of energy or feel refreshed. That is because when we need to recharge our bodies we need to think of what is a good power source to tap into and what has good energy. We can call that rejuvenation if we engage in an activity that makes us feel better and more recharged afterward.

Rejuvenation is not necessarily relaxation. I can think of many things that I find rejuvenating that are not relaxing. For instance, the gym, hiking, and the beach (many will dispute this, just my personal experience). One of the foremost common symptoms that presents itself with mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, is the feeling of having no energy and no time to make yourself feel better. This is where mental health clinicians urge clients to schedule pleasurable activities. The keyword in the last sentence is “ACTIVitiEs”. It’s important to remain active even if those activities are not relaxing; it is almost guaranteed that you will feel much better afterward.

 Many times, relaxation and rejuvenation meet in the middle. Many of the mainstream experiences that are considered “rejuvenating” fall into this category. Those include spa sessions, thermo therapies (sauna, steam room, hot tub, cold plunges), yoga, stretching, and, in my experience, camping.

Each person is unique. However, each person is still a human, and humans have the ability to relax, rejuvenate, and find pleasure in life. It is essential to get to know ourselves to see what helps. Dedicate five minutes to this today. You will be surprised how many things you will be able to come up with that make you feel better, relaxed, and rejuvenated.