Relax. Breathe. Slow down. Stop. Take a break. These are all words that are deeply undervalued in today’s society. Everything and everyone is so fast paced. Today is all about living fast, dying young, no rest for the weary and the phrase made popular by rapper Lil Wayne, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.”

Don’t get me wrong, I love the grind. However, rest and relaxation are essential to maintaining the strength of our minds and our bodies. The Mayo Clinic, the first and largest nonprofit medical group practice in the world, states that relaxation slows the heartrate, increases blood flow to major muscles which decreases muscle tension and chronic pain. Relaxing also improves concentration and mood. The list is endless of what a little relaxation can do for you, if you take advantage of it.

So, why is it so hard for people to just take a moment for themselves and stop? Honestly, for some people, I think that staying constantly busy is a defense mechanism. When you are on the move constantly, you don’t have the time to think about your worries or an unpleasant situation going on in your life. For some, maybe it keeps them from dealing with a failed relationship and/or a broken heart. Or maybe you’re just one of those people who like to stay busy just because you like to stay busy. But whatever the reason, you should know that one way or another, your body will eventually make you slow down.

So avoid the crash and chill out...While I’m here giving advice, I need to follow my own. As I said before, I’m a microwave woman. I like everything fast and I like to move faster. But I can say, that I do enjoy “Me time.” I know when I need a break and when to slow things down. There are really only two things that truly calm me down. Besides my spiritual life, music is my vice.

Music completely takes me away from anything and everything that’s going on in my life. It doesn’t matter what I’m listening to because I have such broad and eclectic musical tastes. Most of the time I’m listening to 90’s R&B like Mint Condition, Dru Hill or Jodeci. My favorites are Neo-Soul artists like Musiq, Jill Scott, India Arie and Jazmine Sullivan. I also love AFI, Queen, and especially My Chemical Romance. Being that I’m an amateur piano player, you can find me listening to Mozart or Beethoven sometimes. So it’s clear that I’m a very diverse music lover. But no matter what it is I’m listening to, I let it engulf me from head to toe. I like to close my eyes while listening and words of the song paint a picture in my mind. This is probably corny or cliché, but the fact is it relaxes me completely.

After doing some research, I found that music is a form of therapy. How amazing is it that there’s a science behind the love of music? The American Music Therapy Association defines music therapy as an “established health profession in which music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals.” The fact that music is scientifically recognized as having the ability to address and change each of these situations shows how powerful it is.

Now everyone has their own way to relax, but I go with the technique of music. It’s free and uninhibited. There are no rules to music and whatever it is you feel, music can make you understand it, express it and heal it if necessary. It centers me and brings me to a place of calm. So if you’re wondering how to take a quick moment for yourself or even a long moment, turn on your favorite song or favorite kind of music and just disappear into it. Trust me, when you step back into reality, you’ll be a lot happier.