relax

relax |riˈlaks|   verb   make or become less tense or anxious : [ intrans. ] he relaxed and smiled confidently | [as adj. ] ( relaxing) a relaxing vacation.• [ intrans. ] rest or engage in an enjoyable activity so as to become less tired or anxious : the team relaxes with a lot of skiing.• [ trans. ] cause (a limb or muscle) to become less rigid : relax the leg by bringing the knee toward the chest.• make (something) less firm or tight : Cicely relaxed her hold.• [ trans. ] make (a rule or restriction) less strict while not abolishing it : they persuaded the local authorities concerned to relax their restrictions.DERIVATIVESrelaxer nounORIGIN late Middle English : from Latin relaxare, from re-(expressing intensive force) + laxus ‘lax, loose.’
i look blank-stared at people sometimes when they are talking because everything they are saying makes me want to scream, "JUST RELAX!", but i relent. i do not listen very well in those moments. i find myself absent from their space and relaxing in my own daydream. it is a flaw on my part but it also keeps me from being sucked down into overly wound up, anxious, tense, life draining interactions. if i knew what people were going to talk about i would navigate better and would not have such poor social etiquette, but i am not a mind reader, so i accept my inability to navigate through burdensome, verbal projectile. i know i need to relax more. anxiety and tiredness rob me of restful sleep. when i choose to stop, sit, kick up my feet, drink a cold drink, watch people, read a good book, and just be, i am a healthier person. i think when we include relaxing in our everyday, we are better people for each other. relax. relax! just relax! JUST RELAX!