The Relaxed Wife (1957)

after the day's work and worries are done what is more fun for a man than to come home to a quiet house with happy children and a loving spouse quiet both of you will discuss it in the morning goodnight goodnight mother goodnight father some attempts at relaxing proved quite taxing no joking the effort maybe most provoking now you just drink this and you'll be fast asleep in no time darling are you all right you weren't supposed to go up it just sip it after all how can a drink relax you if it isn't nice and warm relax impossible trouble is you've been reading the wrong book you know I was as tense as you before I learned to relax now let me see here's what you need how to relax just start reading it see if it doesn't make you feel better some people find relaxing very taxing forever in a hurry all they do is worry worry worry are you tense anxious worried always tired but can't fall asleep are you afraid you're losing your grip you may not know it but that's good yes good because this book can help you yes it can no matter who you are you'll feel better and live better when you learn to relax you can start right now by thinking of some of the things that make you tense go ahead think without much trouble any of us can mention dozens of things that fill us with tension although the feverish male is sure nobody else can have his troubles we know his wife doesn't pass her days just blowing bubble chapter one understanding your tensions to understand how tension affects you make believe a mosquito is buzzing around the back of your hand hear it see it right there will be your knuckle now get ready to swap that mosquito as soon as it lights go on get set raise your hand bodis not too high now wait the buzzing is coming closer watch closely hasn't list yet but it will and it will sting hear it buzz are you set the squatches eager to whack at the kingdom come is your hand quivering your teeth clenched your eyes staring your brow wrinkled don't move wait for the light but suppose it doesn't do it suppose it never alike suppose you stayed like this for our forever with only that awful buzz-buzz buzzing wouldn't you be worried anxious fearful tense irritated exhausted there that's how tension works mentally and physically you're so keyed up you're a wreck but look the mosquitoes flying away it's vanished gone forever you can forget it you can relax now doesn't that feel good that's what relaxation does for you unwinds you from the top of your head to the toes of your feet wouldn't you like to feel this way all the time once you discover how to relax your mind and your muscles you will never be plagued by fatigue you'll just be pleasantly tired worries won't give you peg probably fruit are you crazy you'll fall asleep as easily that's where they were a baby fine good cool to sleep darling sleep i can't i'm wide awake yes you can here listen to this true relaxation comes from conquering both nervous and physical tensions by calming both mind and muscles did you hear that dear sure what did i say nervous tension comes from the mind physical tension from the muscles although mind and muscle affect each other tension begins in the mind in the way we approach our daily problems at work in at home mental tension starts when a person steals about things like a pressure cooker well think of that pressure cooker alright I'm thinking of it I'm a pressure cooker picture how you increase the pressure on yourself by stewing and worry and fear anger and despair to get relief you must reduce the pressure let the world take care of its own worries you'll help yourself most by concentrating on your own affairs but when you tackle your problems remember that mighty few of them will prove so critical that you have to solve them perfectly under such reduced pressures you'll begin enjoying yourself wherever you are untroubled by life's daily problems beginning to feel better mm-hmm this is only the beginning once you get rid of nervous tension then relaxing your muscles is a cinch look whenever you notice any muscles anywhere getting tight and tense relax them your frown your lips your jaw you can relax no matter where you are here's what I do when it works if I find my hands are as tense as yours I relax them I shake my hands from the wrists Clifton flop them until they feel as loose as a scarecrows the same thing with my arms and shoulders even in the middle of a job you can ease your tensions by stopping and rolling your shoulders and neck muscles like a prizefighter warm and help before the band try it there's nothing like a good physical workout to relax your muscles and soothe your nerves provided you don't overdo it the important thing is not to go at it too hard just change your pace go from standing to Sydney from the activity of a jack-in-the-box to the lymph relaxation of a rag doll whenever you feel yourself tensing up take time to go limp all over from the souls to the scalp try it now curl your toes slightly then let them loose now tighten the leg muscles knees thighs the stomach muscles then let them go soft and mushy again and again now the fingers arms shoulders neck let your jaw drop take a slow deep breath no not with your chest with your abdomen fair yawn as deeply as you can and stretch wider like a cat chew on air slowly fully notice how wonderful you're beginning to feel like you were floating away into dreams as for everything else the Greeks had a word for this mental and physical state of bliss ataraxia is the term they chose to use for the opposite of anxiety fatigue and blues ataraxia means peace of mind and that even more than money is what most of us want to find today medical science recognizes that some folks aren't helped by relaxing exercises in cases of difficult tension and nervous apprehension doctors are now prescribing an anorexic medicine it makes those who fear they're about to quit feel like they're ready to begin bidding their darkened spirits goodbye for the calming piece of a cloudless sky of all the states throughout this nation the happiest by far is the state of relaxation there'll be fewer breakdowns and insomniacs when more of us have learned to be relaxed will be free to relish the joys of life no longer tense over daily worries and strike who wasn't said that we begin to grow wise when we learn not to chase too hard the things we prize no one ever paid too high a price to gain his goal who kept a relaxed mind and an untroubled soul when your mind and muscles are relaxed your body pleasantly tired rather than nervously exhausted you're not only free of worries you are no longer troubled by insomnia a relaxing bath a warm drink and a good doll book are enough to make you turn out the light for those of us who succeed in changing our attitudes have learned the secret of mastering our movies bye