Relax is not a noun

If I had a dollar for every time I heard an English learner say to have a relax or a relax time, I’d be rich!

The key point is that relax can never be used as a noun.

To relax is a verb.

I relaxed by taking a hot shower.

Students relax by playing video games.

We can relax after we finish studying.

Relaxing and relaxed are participial adjectives.

We had a relaxing time on vacation.

We felt so relaxed on vacation.

You can use the verbals, to relax and relaxing, as the subject or direct object in most cases.

I like to relax in the evening.

Relaxing is my favorite activity.

Relaxation is the noun form of relax.

Everyone needs some form of relaxation in their life.

Relaxation is as important as medication in treating high blood pressure.

But there are lots more fun and interesting ways to talk about relaxing.

For example, you can say that students need a little R & R (rest and relaxation).

You might also need to unwind, kick back, take a break, take it easy, have some downtime, and chill out.

And how to describe those situations that make us want to relax?

We can say that our lives are hectic, stressful, exhausting, draining, and nerve-wracking.

In these situations, we may feel stressed out, wiped out, pressured, frazzled, and wound-up.

Finally, how about some idioms that we can use to describe feeling stressed and feeling relaxed?

You can say that you feel tired as a dog, or dog-tired.

At the end of a long day, you might feel beat. Or bushed. Your work day was a real pressure cooker!

You might feel you need to take a chill pill. Or chillax. Or put your feet up.

It feels good to mellow out, let your hair down, and find your happy place.