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Savoring life in the Berkshires

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How to Actually Relax {Guest Post}

Published on November 29, 2016 By Emily. Updated on October 22, 2016

Hi Relishments readers! I’m on maternity leave, but some awesome blogger friends have volunteered to step in and keep new content coming your way. I may be popping in occasionally, but I really appreciate the opportunity to take some time off with our new addition. Please show my guest authors some love and check out their sites and social media! Today’s post is from Aya of A Healthy Story.


strawberries

Here’s the key to relaxing: remembering what it was like when you were a kid.

When you were a kid, you didn’t worry about the past or the future, right? You totally and completely lived in the moment. That’s really the best way to relax.

That’s easier said than done most of the time, of course. We all have busy lives and we have so many things to think about all the time. When we tell ourselves we’re going to stop checking email at a certain time, there we are, checking our work email in bed. Oops. And we can’t stop opening social media as soon as we wake up (often the second we open our eyes in the morning).

So how do you actually relax? Here are some of my favourite ways to rest.

1.) Reading All Day Long

It’s no secret that as we get older, we don’t have as much time to read as we used to. We can’t just spend every single magical summer afternoon lying in our backyard or in a park reading (as amazing as that sounds) and we have busy schedules and lots of responsibilities. But when I really need a break, I take an entire weekend afternoon (or an entire weekend if I’m lucky) and read a good book. I read everything from celebrity memories to women’s fiction to young adult books and I’m really just a sucker for a good story.

Seriously. You need a break? Read a book.

2.) Binge-Watching

All hail the binge watch. I’m really a big fan of this way of watching TV (in case you couldn’t tell from other posts here, I really, really love TV). The thing with binge-watching is it really allows you to get totally immersed in the experience of what you’re watching. You don’t have to switch between different shows and different characters and storylines. You can focus and really chill out. Some of my fave recent binge watches: Stranger Things, Switched At Birth, Teen Mom, and Seinfeld.

3.) Cooking

Cooking is not always super fun or relaxing, but if you make it a point to enjoy the process, you might be surprised at how much you enjoy yourself. I’m a cookbook addict and can’t seem to stop adding new ones to my collection, and of course, I don’t cook recipes from them on a regular basis since that takes a lot of time. But when I want a break, I pick one of my more recent finds and make a recipe or two. It’s amazing how calming this can be and how much better I feel afterward… plus I get to eat the delicious meal, so it’s a win win.

What are some of your favourite ways to relax?


Aya Tsintziras is a freelance writer and editor living in Toronto. She shares gluten-free, dairy-free recipes along with lifestyle and pop culture posts on her blog A Healthy Story. She loves coffee and barre classes.

Follow Aya!

Twitter: @ayatsintziras

Instagram: @ahealthystoryblog

Facebook Page: A Healthy Story

Pinterest: @ahealthystory

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Filed Under: life Tagged With: guest post, maternity leave, self care

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photo of EmilyWelcome to Relishments! Follow along with my adventures in cooking and eating in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts.

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Emily
Last week Brian and I finally got around to hiring Last week Brian and I finally got around to hiring a sitter for a rare night out. We went to dinner at @publicna and took advantage of the opportunity with drinks, appetizers and dessert.

Pictured:
- Citrus Braised Beef Tacos
- "Chicken and Waffles"
- House Fries with Garlic Aioli
- Fried Chickpeas
- Blood Orange Cheesecake
It was no surprise that Public was close to full on a Wednesday night - everything was so good. 

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#igers413_food #igers413 #BerkshireFoodies #InTheBerkshires #EatLocal #WesternMA #WesternMass #Berkshires  #VisitTheBerkshires #NorthAdams #NAmazing #PublicEatAndDrink
New year, new theme word! This year's word is "enr New year, new theme word!
This year's word is "enrich" and I'm really excited about it.

I've written more about this year's theme on the blog. Click in the link in my profile or follow the link below to read the post.
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https://www.relishments.com/blog/my-2023-theme-word-enrich/
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#YearlyTheme #MyOneWord #2023 #enrich2023 #NewYearsResolution
It's not New Year's Eve without a Top 9 post. It's It's not New Year's Eve without a Top 9 post.
It's almost all #Berkshires content this year, which is great.
1. A pasta salad reel that took longer to create than the recipe took to make.
2. A reel from North Carolina where I could have watched birds all day.
3. The @thelazygenius book giveaway.
4.@plantconnector 
5. @berkshiremuseum 
6.@sculpture.now at @themountlenox 
7. @massmoca 
8. @mountainviewfarm413 
9. The #AshuwillticookRailTrail
New on the blog: My 2022 reflections on last year' New on the blog: My 2022 reflections on last year's theme word - resume. 

I was able to get back to many activities that were meaningful to me this year and I'm calling this theme a success. Follow the link below or click the link in my profile to read more.
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https://www.relishments.com/blog/reflections-on-resuming-in-2022/
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#resume2022 #newyearsresolution #myoneword #yearlytheme
New on the blog: My Favorite Recipes of 2022. For New on the blog: My Favorite Recipes of 2022.

For the fourth year, I've recapped the best new (to me) recipes I made this year in the hope that they'll give you some new dishes to try. This year's list is short, but delicious. It includes @budgetbytes My Favorite Recipes of 2022
Published on December 30, 2022 By Emily. Updated on December 30, 2022

It’s hard to believe that 2022 is basically behind us. Though overall this year found me getting back to the person I want to be (post-babies and “post”-pandemic), I did not try nearly as many new recipes this year as I used to. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised to see that I’d made note of any new-to-me recipes I wanted to share in this post. This year’s list is short, but delicious. It includes recipes from @budgetbytes, @smittenkitchen and @howsweeteats.
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Read the post by visiting the link in my profile or 
https://www.relishments.com/blog/my-favorite-recipes-of-2022/
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#RecipeRoundUp #BestRecipes2022 #FavoriteRecipes
@coastalmainebotanicalgardens continues to be one @coastalmainebotanicalgardens continues to be one of the highlights of all my return trips to Boothbay and their annual Gardens Aglow event continues to impress. It was great to be back to walking the gardens instead of the pandemic drive through and there seemed to be more lights than ever.  I'm already looking forward to next year.
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#Boothbay #BoothbayMaine #CoastalMaineBotanicalGardens #GardensAglow #BotanicalGarden #MidcoastMaine
It has been a while, but there is finally a new CS It has been a while, but there is finally a new CSA menu plan on the blog! Visit the link below or in my profile to see how I plan to make use of some of the @mightyfoodfarm produce seen here.
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https://www.relishments.com/blog/welcome-to-winter-farm-share-csa-menu-plan-148/
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#MightyFoodFarm #EatLocal #EatSeasonal #VermontGrown #CSApickup #CSAshare #KnowYourFarmerKnowYourFood #MenuPlanning #MealPlanning #igers413 #igers413_food #BerkshireFoodies
Fall in the Berkshires is always incredible, but t Fall in the Berkshires is always incredible, but this year we've had weather that has also been outstanding. The past 2 weekends have included time at Jaeschke Orchards, the Greylock Glen, and the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail as well as stopping to photograph any random foliage I see. 
Check out the last slide for video of some feathered friends we saw on a walk.
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#igers413 #InTheBerkshires #EatLocal #WesternMA #WesternMass #Berkshires  #VisitTheBerkshires #FallFoliage #FallColors #autumn #AshuwillticookRailTrail #JaeschkeOrchards #GreylockGlen
@freshgrassfestival continues to be one of my favo @freshgrassfestival continues to be one of my favorite events each year, and it doesn't hurt that it's just minutes away from home. Enjoying the festival with my kids is definitely a different experience than without, but it's still a good time. The weather was especially cooperative today which was great for all the laps I did around the @massmoca campus pushing a stroller. I'm already looking forward to next year.
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#igers413 #InTheBerkshires #WesternMA #WesternMass #Berkshires  #VisitTheBerkshires #NorthAdams #NAmazing #FreshGrass #FreshGrassFestival #MassMoCA #MusicFestival
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