National Relaxation Day Date in the current year: August 15, 2024

The term “relaxation” generally refers to the emotional state of low tension, as well as the process of achieving such state. It helps us cope with stress and anxiety, and thus prevents a lot of stress-induced mental and physical problems.

Many people equate relaxation with laziness because they have been brought up to believe that everyone must be as productive as possible. However, there is no productivity without relaxation. If all you do is work, you’ll burn out, and most likely sooner rather than later. Your body needs relaxation just like it needs air, water and food, and your mind needs it as well.

“But what about days off work?” you may ask. The thing is, most people can’t fully relax even on their days off because there are chores to do, errands to run, and stuff to take care of. This is especially true for folks who have kids because you can’t just take a day off from being a parent, and if you want a whole day to yourself, you need to figure out childcare arrangements in advance. However, it is crucial that you find ways to relax and reduce stress because it will improve your overall mental and physical health.

National Relaxation Day was created in 1985 by Sean Moeller, a nine-year-old boy from Clio, Michigan who felt like people thought to much about working and didn’t think enough about relaxing. Moeller was the grandson of Bill Chase, the co-founder of Chase’s Calendar of Events, so obviously the holiday was added to the Calendar and has been celebrated ever since. Interestingly, Moeller is still involved with the holiday he invented as a child. Since 2016, he has been recognizing one person every year for having a significant proclivity for relaxation.

The best way to celebrate National Relaxation Day is to take a break from work (household chores are also considered work in this case, by the way) and spend the day doing the things you enjoy. You can go to the beach, have a picnic in the park, go out to lunch with friends, read a book, watch a movie, catch up on TV shows, go on a hike, have a spa day… in short, do whatever makes you happy and stress-free.

National Relaxation Day is also a great occasion to learn some relaxation techniques that will help you de-stress when it’s not possible to take an entire day off. They include breathing exercises, meditation, yoga or qigong (if you can fit a 20-minute session into your schedule), progressive muscle relaxation, visualization (guided imagery), and many others. Digital detox is also a good way to rest and recharge; promise yourself to give up your devices for at least an hour each day, preferably more.

Finally, don’t forget to encourage others to relax by spreading the word about the holiday on social media with the hashtags #NationalRelaxationDay and #RelaxationDay.