Finding time to relax and energise is one of the keys to moving forward, gaining freedom in our health, and being able to serve God to the best of our ability. In the Healthy, Whole and Free course, ‘Relaxation and Energisation’ is one of the five roots that enable people to move forward to freedom. People often ask why I put these two things together; watch the video or read on to find out more!

It is important to point out that relaxation is not the same thing as rest. We all definitely need rest: we all need sleep, we all need time with God, and we all need time for our body and mind to process things and to rest and recover.

The definition of relaxation is the state of being free from tension and anxiety. So, when you’re relaxing properly you are free from tension and anxiety.

A definition of energisation is to give energy to something, to activate it, invigorate it, or make it come alive, and here we are talking about ourselves finding energy, being activated, invigorated and coming alive.

Both relaxation and energisation help us to be the healthy, whole and free person that God wants us to be. When we are free from tension and anxiety in our bodies and minds, there is more room for God to move more freely in us. And when we are energised, we are in a better place to serve him too, so both states are really important. 

Some people can tick both of these boxes with one activity but for others this is not the case, and this is largely dependent on your character and whether you are an introvert or an extrovert. So, what do you do to relax (as opposed to rest), to get to a point where your mind is calm and you have let go of tension and anxiety? And when do you feel alive and invigorated? Are they the same activities, or are they different?

For some people, going on a spa day by themselves would be bliss. They would feel free from tension and anxiety while they are there, but they would also be energized by their own company, perhaps by things they are thinking about. They would leave that spa feeling really good and in a better place.

For others, the same spa day could provide relaxation, the treatments will reduce tension and anxiety, but perhaps they wouldn’t want to be there all day by themselves. Being in their own company all day might even start to send them into a little bit of a panic and they certainly wouldn’t leave the spa feeling energized.

So, for those people, relaxation and energisation will be two different things. The spa could tick one box but then going out with friends and having a good chat might be what they need to tick the ‘energisation’ box. And, for others, the spa might not be their idea of relaxation at all and going out with friends may, for them, be both relaxing, free from tension and anxiety, and energising.

Whether you can be relaxed and energised by the same or different things, ask yourself whether you are ticking both boxes!  Are you making sure that you have time in your life and in your weekly schedule to be free from tension anxiety, to be distracted from things that may get you down, to focus your mind on positive things? And are you making time to do things that energise you: those kinds of things that give you a bit of life, that invigorate you and activate something inside of you?  

I’d love to hear what activities relax and energise you and whether they are the same or different – leave us a comment if you would like to share your thoughts!

We explore all of this in a lot more depth as part of Healthy Whole and Free. The next course starts in May and there are just 25 places, to make sure I can give everyone the attention and commitment they deserve. If you would like to be one of the first to know when the places are released, you can sign up here and we’ll email you when bookings are going live.