Make The Most Of National Relaxation Day To Lower Stress, Improve Overall Health

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Are you feeling relaxed?

Hopefully you are, because Tuesday is National Relaxation Day! As CBS2's Elise Finch reports, taking a day to unwind could even be good for your health.

What comes to mind when you think of relaxation?

"Definitely yoga," one woman said.

"Go to sleep on the beach," a man added.

"Maybe watching something on Netflix," said another man.

"Read a book or drink a cup of tea," said a woman.

"The most relaxing thing I can think of would be to listen to classical music," another man said.

"I would go to the park," another woman added.

"I'm going to have to say nothing. I want to lay in bed and I want to do nothing," said a man.

National Relaxation Day was founded in 1985 by a fourth grader.

It doesn't matter what you do on this day, as long as you find it relaxing. Rest, unwind, and take a break from whatever stresses you out, which is important because chronic stress is bad for the body.

"Cortisol is a stress hormone that's released by the adrenal glands, and it can wreak havoc in the body. It can elevate your blood pressure, your heart rate, and it can suppress your immune system," Dr. Keri Peterson, of Lenox Hill Hospital NYC, says.

It can also cause muscle tension, headaches, chest pains and upset stomach. Relaxing alleviates those symptoms, which is why some people can't understand why Americans don't do more of it.

"Everything is about doing, and getting, and consuming and accruing," said Upper West Side resident Louise Anderson.

Even when you're in a relaxing place, it can be hard to quiet your mind. Doctors say for a lot of people, relaxation requires patients. So don't give up, the benefits are worthwhile.

"When you regulate your breath, it physically slows down the beat of your heart and it takes you out of the fight or flight state and puts you into rest and digest. So literately, you're relaxing," Kristin Calabria, of the Upper West Side, said.

Other things proven to help lower your heart rate include taking a walk in a park or garden, laughing, massaging your hands – especially if you spend a lot of time typing on a keyboard. If all else fails, just close your eyes for a few minutes and picture yourself in an environment that you find peaceful.