Relax Like a Cat

Feeling uptight and frazzled? Taking out your anger and frustration on everyone and everything around you? Take a leaf out of the life of a cat and learn to relax more often; if you can relax like a cat, you'll stop finding life such a trial. Here are some methods to teach you how to relax like a cat.

Steps

  1. Be compassionate with yourself. Cats don't beat themselves up over not being beautiful enough, acceptable enough, tidy enough, rich enough, healthy enough, or clever enough. They don't stress about foolish things like bad luck. Cats just get on with loving themselves the way they are.
  2. Quit rushing about. The only times a cat rushes about is when a) it's fun to do so (like chasing a bumblebee) b) the chase has food at the end of it, or c) when they are chasing each other, during mating season. Apart from these three really good excuses, cats stretch out, relax, lick themselves (OK, maybe you don't need to go that far), and sleep.
  3. Meditate. Cats take time out to contemplate the world around them and to just be. Time to be a copycat.
  4. Practice cat yoga. Ever wondered why some exercises require you to "stretch like a cat"? The reason is simple - cats really and truly know how to stretch for benefit. A cat stretches to relieve tension and restore suppleness in an instant. A cat stretches the right way; follow her lead.
  5. Hide out. A cat that needs respite doesn't hang around. She goes and finds a place to hang out and get over whatever is ailing her. Apart from serious injuries and death, she'll come back rejuvenated for having kept her distance. You could try this too.
    • Make your own special hiding space at home or in the garden where you can retreat to when the going gets tough. Go there, lick your wounds, and come back ready to pick up where you left off.
  6. Purr now and then. All right, we don't purr. But we laugh and we don't do it often enough. Many a cat can be set off with the mere suggestion of a pat, cuddle, or comfy spot. And the contentment that comes with grooming! See the happiness around you, the wonder in everything, and feel happiness. And purr laugh a lot more, at things you've stopped noticing were funny, at things that you have always found funny.
    • Make others around you laugh too.
    • Groom your loved ones to increase their level of contentment - give someone you love a massage, a hair brush or cut, a foot rub, or a tickle.
    • Do the cat purr. In, out, in, out. Deep and methodical like the felines do. You don't have to make the rusty noise, just heave in your chest and breathe out slowly, like you're purring.
  7. Be grateful for small things. As we're rushing off in the pursuit of perfection and bigger and better things, your cats are reveling in the length of your delicious green grass, plucking the daisies from your garden, chewing the cat toys strewn across your floor, and scratching the daylights out of your favorite couch. They have everything they need, right under their wee noses. And so do you, it's just that sometimes you're standing too high off the ground to notice. Get down and spend time seeing your world from your cat's perspective, and relearn the wonders in your own backyard.
  8. Cuddle, hug, and nuzzle. Whether it's because you or someone you love had a hard day, or because you're just keen to help another person relax, a good cuddle, hug, or nuzzle will always come in handy. Every cat knows this, which is why they perform these caring rituals regularly. And you might like to top it off by rubbing yourself on someone's legs... or maybe not.



Tips

  • Cats make themselves content on any scrap of paper, cloth, ground, or spot. Learning how to relax wherever you are, regardless of the challenges surrounding you, is a mighty fine technique to learn and will no doubt improve your chances of good longevity.
  • Watching cats is a form of relaxation in itself; don't forget to take the time to chill by watching your sleeping, playing, frolicking feline pals.
  • Find that special place (for a cat it's the couch or a window) that makes you feel as comfortable or laid back as a cat.
  • Listening to a purring cat through a stethoscope is also a great relaxation technique.

Warnings

  • Human beings and cats have very different skeletal and muscular systems. If you truly try to stretch like a cat, you may end up severely injuring yourself, which will definitely NOT help you relax. Stretching can be good, but be sure to go slow, and listen to your body; if it hurts, stop, and don't push yourself.
  • A relaxing human is a target for a cat. Expect your lolling about to be accompanied by a determined cat sitting right where you'd like to place your knee, elbow, body, etc.
  • Don't go overboard; it will creep people out if you go all the way and act just like a cat.

Things You'll Need

  • Cats for inspiration
  • Relaxing space

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