As someone who likes getting out into the countryside as often as possible, you may be forgiven for assuming that I spend my evenings and weekends getting fit, going on long hikes, planning tours and keeping busy. Erm. While I am very busy a lot of the time, what with my inability to choose one thing over another, I am actually quite the expert at being lazy, wasting a lot of time with my bum spread out on the sofa and the television remote control in my hand. I’ve been known to act “world’s best couch potato” for an entire Saturday, only to get to 6pm and feel completely terrible for not doing anything productive all day.
I received some advice about relaxing fairly recently that has only compounded this laziness. I often struggle to switch off (which is the reason I started this blog post at midnight, and is inspite of the fact I am good at doing nothing sometimes), and someone suggested that watching an old box set is a great way to unwind and banish any unproductive thoughts from my mind as well as relax my body. This is something I have done before and it worked, but as I was all out of box sets I saw it as the perfect opportunity (okay, excuse) to treat myself to Ally McBeal on DVD, the whole show from start to finish.
It’s been a while since it arrived but I started watching it the other day – six episodes back to back on Saturday night after unpacking the cases, and then a few more since. I laughed a lot, remembering how much I enjoyed the programme the first time around. Old American rubbish, yes; silly, yes; out of date, yes; but easy and amusing viewing. It works. Although still riding the effects of a fantastic holiday and so feeling pretty good, when watching Ally McBeal (or any box set like it) I can think of pretty much nothing else other than what is happening on the telly. But it’s no good just sitting to watch, I obviously have to be dressed appropriately.
In the winter months I love nothing more than getting home from work, having a bath, and climbing into my OnePiece. Yes, I admit it, I am a jumpsuit wearer – in the confines of my own home, that is – since trying out that OnePiece a few months back I have fallen in love with the comfort. Sorry about that, I know some of you are frowning at me, honestly you should try it! My heavy Marius, with its thick fleecy material, full length arms and legs, and of course the hood, is no good for box set viewing in the current season. I would melt. So I got one of their more summery offerings – the Sunny – thinner, lighter, more fitted, with shorter arms and legs. I even went for a very bright and summery fabric, which is really unlike me…
OnePiece, the original all-in-one design from Norway, would like to see me wear this out, in the actual street, to parties, on aeroplanes, at friend’s houses. That’s not going to happen I’m afraid, not even for a dare, unless you are all wearing yours at the same time too! But I do like to wear it at home and it is definitely part of my simple relaxation routine: home, bath, OnePiece, dinner, box set. Not every single day, of course, but oh how it’s good to switch off completely when I can.
What do you do to relax and unwind? How do you completely switch off from the world for an hour? Are you a couch potato too? Do you meditate? Run (although that isn’t actually resting the body)? Do you read novels (although I’m not sure that is resting your mind)? Is watching a box set dressed in my comfy OnePiece the best way? I know I should probably be doing something much more productive. What better ways are there?
If you want to give my art of being a couch potato a go, then as a OnePiece Piece Keeper I can offer you 15% off at OnePiece.co.uk (valid on anything including jumpsuits, hoodies, tshirts, underwear, caps, etc… as long as it’s not in the sale) – use the code over on the right hand sidebar.
