Cinema As Relaxation: The One Place You Can Truly Unwind?
This was something pointed out to me by a friend recently and it gave me food for thought. At first, I was quick to dismiss the idea because I had a full body massage the week before.
The intention of a massage is to relax your body and reduce stress or tension. So how can something else be more relaxing? Nevertheless I found myself thinking about it as I booked my next session.
Sure, it has all the hallmarks of relaxation, the calming sounds of a Himalayan forest, the perfect temperature and the scent of fragrant oils, but am I truly relaxed during a massage?
Reasons I might not be relaxed
- I struggle to get comfortable or even breathe correctly - something that should come naturally to me as a living human adult
- I often don't want to readjust my arm incase it insults the masseuse, as if she will interpret my discomfort as a direct attack on her talent
- I eat a light breakfast and force myself to go to the toilet before so that I'm not bloated or worse, accidentally fart. If you're a fellow IBS sufferer, you know what I'm talking about!
- As for making sound when something feels pleasurable, I focus myself not to in a vain attempt to avoid potential embarrassment or awkwardness.
*sigh*
I'm so British!
Switching off is hard
My body isn't the only thing I desperately try to control. I always switch my phone off but I can't truthfully say I do the same to my brain.
I spend the entirety of my allocated time slot desperately trying to quieten my mind. My body is relaxed (or as close to relaxed as it can be) but my mind isn't.
Of course, that's on me. Years of high functioning anxiety will do that to you.
But it struck a chord because clearly my friend is on to something.
Bye, bye distraction
In a cinema, you are free from distraction. You can't look at your phone and idly scroll through social media or check where you've seen that actor before, like a great many of us do when watching a film at home.
You're in a darkened room with loud speakers and your attention is directed at the screen. It's the ideal viewing situation.
You also need to be considerate of your fellow audience. If you use your phone in a cinema or decide to talk loudly you may as well be committing a crime.
That and eating loud food, seriously, crunch your crisps and unwrap your rustling sweets elsewhere Susan! Admittedly, I'll concede that one's a particular bugbear of mine since I hate loud eaters in general.
The point is when you watch a film in a cinema, as long as your seat is comfortable, you're relaxed. Okay...maybe not during a tense action thriller or horror but on the whole, cinema is a distraction. Cinema is engrossing and immersive in a way other activities aren't.
You're not thinking about what other people are doing or impulsively going straight to Twitter to check up on the latest development in UK politics. The latter is very much for the best.
When you switch your mind off and appreciate a film - it's plot, script, performances, set design etc. - you're unwinding. We all watch films for different reasons but undeniably, we wouldn't watch films if the act of doing so wasn't enjoyable in some way.
Not for everyone
Some readers might be thinking, "relaxation is subjective", and yeah, I agree. But for me, a trip to the cinema is a sure fire way to calm me. Knowing what helps you to relax is necessary for your wellbeing.
The term 'self-care' is banded around a lot and it's often loaded with assumptions about what is and isn't relaxing. Doing something relaxing because you think that's how other people relax isn't being true to yourself. Do what works for you. If you don't know, try different outlets and compare them.
After discussion with my friend, I was able to reassess the activities that help me to loosen up and to my surprise, going to the cinema came out on top.
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