A 9-year-old reportedly dreamed up National Relaxation Day in 1985, and it returns on Sunday, August 15, 2027. The science behind slowing down is older and better documented.
When to Slow Down
Every August 15. It’s an informal observance with no government backing.
A Kid’s Idea and a Harvard Doctor’s Research
Sean Moeller gets credit for creating the day in 1985, when he was 9, Nebraska station KLKN-TV reported in 2023. His advice: people “shouldn’t do anything of real value for the day.”
Fight-or-flight
Relaxation science has a longer pedigree. In the 1920s, Walter Cannon at Harvard Medical School described the stress reaction known as fight-or-flight.
Stress hormones speed the heart and tense the muscles, Harvard Health explains. Set off again and again by daily hassles, that reaction may contribute to high blood pressure.
Herbert Benson’s answer
Herbert Benson, a Harvard-trained cardiologist, spent nearly his whole career at Harvard Medical School. Working for the Public Health Service in Puerto Rico, he noticed lower rates of high blood pressure than on the mainland.
Back in Boston in 1965, he set up a lab to find out why. He later tested people practicing Transcendental Meditation, at night, while keeping his regular daytime duties.
Benson called the results “striking”: lower heart rate, slower breathing and lower blood pressure. He named the effect the relaxation response.
His 1975 book, The Relaxation Response, sold well over 5 million copies in about 10 languages, Tricycle magazine reported. He died in 2022, at 86. He wrote eleven more books and more than 190 scientific papers.
In Benson’s version, religion was optional. Any word or phrase could serve as the focus, and a wandering mind just needed a quiet “Oh, well” before returning to it.
The routine itself is simple. Sit comfortably, pick a word like “peace,” and repeat it silently while breathing from the abdomen for 10 minutes.
No single technique works for everyone, Harvard Health cautions. Finding the right one may take practice.
Why Americans Need the Reminder
Strain is widespread. In the American Psychological Association’s 2023 survey of 3,185 adults, 24% rated their stress 8 to 10 on a 10-point scale.
That share was 19% in 2019. Younger adults feel it most, with those ages 18 to 34 averaging 6 out of 10, while those 65 and older averaged 3.4.
Many keep it to themselves. Some 62% said they don’t talk about their stress because they don’t want to burden others.
That’s the gap Moeller’s day fills. Benson’s method costs nothing and takes 10 minutes.
Relaxation Ideas for National Relaxation Day
- Try Benson’s 10 minutes: repeat one calm word while breathing from your belly.
- Pick your word: Benson suggested options like “one,” “peace” or “shalom.”
- Say “Oh, well”: when your mind drifts, use Benson’s phrase and return to your word.
- Take Moeller’s advice: skip anything “of real value” for an afternoon.
- Talk it out: tell someone what’s weighing on you, since most people in APA’s survey don’t.
- Check the Benson-Henry Institute: its website offers tips for eliciting the relaxation response.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many adults have a diagnosed mental health condition?
About 37%, up from 32% four years earlier, APA found.
Do older adults bounce back from stress faster?
They seem to. 71% of the oldest group said they get over stress quickly, versus 51% of the youngest.
How many people feel stressed no matter what?
One in three, 33%, said they feel “completely stressed out no matter what they do.”
Did Benson study Tibetan monks?
Yes. Starting in 1981, he measured monks in Dharamsala, India, practicing tummo, a meditation that raises body heat.